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| French cuisine : |
French cuisine is
characterized by its extreme diversity. French cuisine
is considered to be one of the world's most refined
and elegant styles of cooking, and is renowned for
both its classical ("haute cuisine") and
provincial styles. Many of the world's greatest chefs,
such as Taillevent, La Varenne, Carême, Escoffier,
and Bocuse, are or were masters of French cuisine.
Additionally, French cooking techniques have been
a major influence on virtually all Western cuisines,
and almost all culinary schools use French cuisine
as the basis for all other forms of Western cooking. |
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| Traditionally,
region of France has its own distinctive cuisine: |
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Cuisine from northwest France
uses butter, cream, and apples |
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Cuisine from southwest France uses duck
fat, foie gras, porcini mushrooms, |
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and gizzards |
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Cuisine from southeast France uses olive
oil, herbs, and tomatoes, and |
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shows deep influences from Spanish cuisine,
Catalan cuisine and Italian |
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cuisine |
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Cuisine from northern France uses potatoes,
pork, endives and beer, and |
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shows Flemish cuisine influences. |
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Cuisine from eastern France uses lard,
sausages, beer, and sauerkraut, and |
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shows German cuisine influences. |
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| Besides
these five general areas, there are many more local cuisines,
such as Loire Valley cuisine, Basque cuisine and the cuisine
of Roussillon, which is similar to Catalan cuisine. With the
movements of population of contemporary life, such regional
differences are less noticeable than they used to be, but
they are still clearly marked, and one traveling across France
will notice significant changes in the ways of cooking and
the dishes served. Moreover, recent focus of French consumers
on local, countryside food products means that the regional
cuisines are experiencing a strong revival in the early 21st
century, especially as the slow food movement is gaining popularity.French
wine and French cheese are an integral part of French cuisine,
both as ingredients and accompaniments. France is known for
its large ranges of wines and cheeses.
What is often known outside of France as French cuisine is the
traditionally elaborate haute cuisine, served in restaurants
for high prices. This cuisine is mostly influenced by the regional
cuisines of Lyon and northern France, with a marked touch of
refinement. Average French people do not eat or prepare this
cuisine in their everyday life. As a general rule, elderly people
tend to eat the regional cuisine of the region where they are
located, while younger people will be more inclined to eat dishes
from other regions and foreign dishes. Exotic cuisines, particularly
Chinese cuisine and Vietnamese cuisine and some dishes from
former colonies in Northern Africa have made inroads. |
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| Meats & sea food commonly consumed include: |
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| • chicken |
• turkey |
• duck |
| • goose, a holiday dish |
• apricots |
• apples |
| • pears |
• beef |
• veal |
| • cod |
• sardines, canned |
• tuna, canned |
| • salmon |
• trout |
• mussels |
| • herring |
• oysters, |
• shrimp, calamari, |
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