Just feeling like chatting about the food culture in France a little bit. I may have written about this in the past when I was in Lyon but it is funny to remark upon the differences between American ways of eating and French ways.
1. Bread is always a good idea.
French people do actually eat baguettes or some sort of bread most days. When I was in Lyon, we always cut up a few baguettes and ate a couple slices with dinner. You must mop up your plate with your bread and leave no remainders. There's actually a verb for this; it's saucer or ???This tradition is not lost on me even in Toulon. Emma and I eat, at least, a half a baguette (a demi-baguette if you will) a day, often topped with the most delicious cheese or with Nutella or butter/jam if it's breakfast.
2. Lunch is the most important meal.
In the U.S., we often say breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it starts the day off. But, in France, where breakfast consists of toast with butter and jam only, lunch is the big meal. In the school cafeterias, they serve three-course meals, consisting of salad, a main course (a grain like potatoes with a protein like fish and some sort of sauce), a dessert, a yogurt, and a piece of bread and cheese. The silly American used to bringing a sandwich, apple, and chips to school for lunch learns very quickly that the French bring huge tupperware of last night's meal (starch, protein, and veggies) accompanied by a yogurt, and a piece of fruit. Said America also learns that you are meant to bring large portions because her small amount of leftovers are made fun of my her collegeaues. "That's all you're going to eat. Aren't you going to be hungry? Here, have some of my bread!"Also lunch is a long-affair. You could easily sit around the table for an hour chatting and eating and stores, restaurants also close for lunch and students have the opportunity to go home so that everyone gets the chance to eat and fully digest their biggest meal.
3. Dinner is a family meal, eaten around the table.
This is something I really love about France that I think we in the U.S. need to revert back to. When I was little, I was lucky enough to have a mom that made us dinner every night and also made us sit down together as a family to eat it. However, I think as a country we still do things quickly. When we sit down to eat, we are done eating in 10 minutes and then we go back along to whatever we were doing in life. In France, people eat slower and talk more and there's more courses all lumped together so you are kind of forced to be there longer.
4. You don't get food whenever or wherever you want it.
In France, there are times when you just don't eat. A lot of families don't let their children snack whenever they want. Which is a novel concept I think in a country where many children and adults give themselves free reign to the kitchen at any time (me included!). I think it is part of the reason that French people remain thinner.
5. In California, we have options. In France, we have fresher foods.
I know there are higher standards in the E.U. for food to be sold (well I have heard, so correct me if I am wrong) and a lot of things like bread are made in the bakery you buy it from. However, when it comes to different types of cuisine, it's hard to find more than French food, Italian and maybe tapas. In California, you can get Vietnamese, Chinese, Mexican, Brazilian, Thai, burgers, Japanese, fusion, Indian, Nepalese, anything you want, you can find a good restaurant in the area (again, as long as you live in an urban or suburban area).
So, yes this post may be leaning a little heavily towards all the things I love about France. But, that may also be because my stomach is still getting used to American food and I've been back a month!
No comments:
Post a Comment