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10 Things to Know About the French Food Culture
A wise man knows not to get between a Frenchman and his food. French food culture is what you might call an art. Not only in the preparation of many local dishes, but also in the ways in which food is appreciated, celebrated and central to the daily ongoings of citizens.
French dining – by Willem van de Poll – Wikimedia Commons
Here are 10 things you need to know about French food culture:
1. A 1 hour lunch break is a very new phenomenon
It’s only in recent years that the French have shortened their lunch times into the hour slot embraced by the rest of the world. A lot of people actually used to make use of a two hour lunch break, during which full blown sit-down dining would be the call of the day.
This is something to note about the French: they take their time when it comes to meals. They spend as much time at the table as needed, and then some extra while digesting and finishing conversation.
2. All meals should be three course, ideally
A typical lunch or dinner experience in France must include a starter, a main course, and almost always a dessert.
French dining – by Lionel Allorge – Wikimedia Commons
To keep room for it all, starters are almost always light; such as a soup, salad or paté of sorts. The mains will be a bit heavier, usually incorporating some sort of meat/fish with potatoes, and/or pasta with vegetables.
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3. The French are not big on snacking
This is how they’re able to eat two three-course meals per day, no problem. The French aren’t big on snacking, you see. They will rarely be seen scoffing down a bag of chips or chocolate bars between meal times just to settle their hunger.
They’ll much rather wait it out until a sit down meal, or at most they might grab an apple (or something equally as light) from a fruit vendor on the corner between meetings.
4. Baguettes aren’t just a television cliche
Since mid-week lunch times have significantly shortened, grab-and-go meals have become a necessary part of French lunch cuisine. These, for the most part, consist of sandwiches from the nearest bakery or deli. The only thing better than a fresh baked baguette, is a fresh baked baguette with all of your favorite toppings stuffed inside of it.
Baguettes – by Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble – Wikimedia Commons
A baguette sandwich is a lunch time staple for the French people, be it in the middle of the work day or at a picnic on the weekend.
5. Starters aren’t imperative at lunch, but are taken seriously at dinner
A starter is an important component to both French lunch and dinner etiquette. The people love a meal before a meal, and a starter gives one a chance to absorb something light & fresh before the heavier foods come out to play.
A typical French starter at dinner time will be something simple like charcuterie, shredded vegetables (usually carrots and/or radishes), olive tapenade, or (occasionally) a simple salad.
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6. Wine is taken pretty seriously, too
The French don’t really like to indulge in a meal without wine. Breakfast is obviously not included in this tradition, but come lunch and dinner time, the people want a glass of something perfectly fermented to compliment their experience.
by PRA – Wikimedia Commons
In French culture it is not out of the ordinary for children to be afforded a glass of wine at the dinner table, too.
7. French main meals tend to be simplified for convenience
The main meal is the star of the show come dinner time in France. Most working-class Frenchman don’t have much time between getting home from work and going to sleep, so it’s important that mains are comprised of simple ingredients that are quick to assemble (without lacking in flavour, of course).
French main – by Eric Salard – Wikimedia Commons
There is usually a main protein present around which the plat principal is organized. This will likely be a piece of grilled chicken, fish (usually salmon) or steak. The protein is accompanied by one or two sides, depending on how dense the starter meal was.
8. Dessert compensates for the lack of daytime snacking
Since they don’t rely on junk food to get them through the day, the French sweet tooth comes out at the end of every good main meal. It’s customary to end off the dining experience with something tasty.
French dessert – by Gzen92 – Wikimedia Commons
At home, a French family might share a slab of chocolate, some cookies, or even yoghurt with fruit as a close to their dinner event. While dining out, the French will usually indulge in something more substantial for dessert such as a tart, a creme brûlée or even a rich slice of cake.
9. In France, dinner traditions differ depending on the day of the week
Naturally, a dinner on a weekday will probably be very different to a dinner on a weekend. For one, the weekend gives the French more time to put thought and effort into their dinner experiences. This is also a popular time for dining out, something the French love to do.
The French are less likely to dine out during the week, and usually make dinner at home. This is where you can expect to incur all of the foods mentioned above as per the simple, at home cooking that takes place.
10. French dining consists of notoriously rich foods
An obvious point, but something worth noting if you’ll be eating like a local for days on end. Many foreigners get overwhelmed after a day or two of solely French cuisine. All traditional French dishes tend to contain generous quantities of cream, cheese, butter, salt and bread. If you’re not used to eating this way, the ingredients will start to take their toll on the gut.
Take it slow, and find other culinary classics that to alternate with; Paris has fantastic gastronomy from all over the world!
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