French Food
Each region in France has its food specialties, based on the produce available. In general,
the cuisine of the north
uses butter and dairy products, while southern dishes contain olive oil, tomatoes, and herbs.
Along the coast, seafood
is plentiful. Oysters are a favorite on the Atlantic coast. They are eaten raw or broiled and
served with a cream sauce.
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Beedle The Bard by J.K.Rowling Standard Edition
France's favorite food has to be bread, especially the long, thin loaf called baguette (ba-GET). When eaten as a
sandwich, it is split in two lengthwise and filled with butter, cheese, ham, pate, or
salami. Children love tartines (tar-TEEN), sliced bread spread with butter, jam, honey, or
soft cheese.
American style fast foods have now invaded France, and many young people prefer to have a burger and fries rather
than a traditional French meal. North African kebabs are also appearing in many of the larger towns.
Popular Food in France
The Truffles called "black diamonds," black truffls are one of the most famous and expensive
luxury foods in France. The warty fungus grows underground in the roots of oak
and hazelnut trees and is harvested in winter by specially
trained sniffing dogs and pigs.
A Love of Good Food
French food and wines are the most well known in the world. The French are passionate about their food and extremely
knowledgeable when it comes to specialities of different regions. For instance, there are more than three hundred and
fifty different varieties of cheeses. Some are hard, some soft; some are flavored with herbs, nuts, or peppercorns.
The world's favorite French cheese is Camembert, which originated in the small town of Camembert in Normandy. Cow's
milk curd is left to set for a day, and then is salted and sprayed with a bacterium, forming the white bloom on the
surface of the cheese and encouraging the cheese to ripen. As the Camembert gets older, the center turns soft and
flavorful.
Other famous French gourmet foods are truffles, specially black truffle and foie gras (fwa GRAH) from Perigord in the southwest.
Foie gras is the fattened liver of goose or duck. The birds are allowed to wander and feed outdoors until they
reach a certain size. Then they are fed with corn to fatten up their livers. After the animals have been slaughtered,
the livers are kept in goose or duck fat before cooking. Its manufacturing process is cruel, but foie gras is a delicacy
that has been enjoyed since antiquity and is still one of the most sought after foods in the world.
Meal Times
The day begins with bread, either a croissant or a tartine for everyone in the family. It is all washed down with
milk or hot chocolate for young children and coffee for adults and teenagers. Served in a bowl-shaped cup, cafe au
lait (ka-fay oh LAY) is coffee with a generous dose of milk. Some families also eat yogurt or fresh, white cheese.
Another popular snack for children after they get home from school is pain au chocolat (pehn o sho-ko-LAH), a flaky
pastry baked with a bar of chocolate in the middle.
Lunch used to be the main meal of the day, but many families now eat a very light lunch because of work and school
commitments. The usual dishes are sandwiches, salads, quiche,
or pasta. On Sundays, families sit down together for a more substantial lunch consisting of salad, soup, a casserole
or roast, and dessert. Favorite dishes are steak with fries or roast chicken with vegetables.
The last meal of the day is dinner, eaten rather late between 7:00 and 9:30 p.m. Adults generally have three courses
consisting of soup, ham, or salad, followed by a steak or lamb stew, and a dessert or cheese and fruit. They usually
drink wine with the meal and sometimes have strong coffee afterward. Children, however, may skip the main course
and eat soup with bread or a slice of cheese.
Extract from “Countries Of The World France”, Written by Roseline Ngcheong-Lum. Times Edition Pte Ltd.
Singapore, 1999.
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