blog




  • Essay / History, traditions and characteristics of French cuisine

    French cuisine is made up of the culinary traditions and practices of France. French cuisine dates back to medieval times to the present day. In medieval times, French cuisine resembled Moorish cuisine, which is one of the first cuisines of the Mediterranean countries. According to ECPI University, at that time, meals were served based on the abundance of food, this event was called "confusion service". In medieval times, their meals consisted of spicy meats like pork, poultry, beef and fish, often smoked, salted and preserved. Vegetables were salted and jarred for the winter months. They used foods like egg yolk, saffron, spinach, and sunflower to add color and appearance to their dishes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Moving on to fifteen and sixteen cents, the food was influenced by the culinary arts in Italy. Their cuisine was influenced by Italy because Catherine de Medici brought in chefs from Italy when she married King Henry II of France. In the years 17 and 18, the first French cookbook, "Le Cuisine François", was written by François Pierre La Varenne. His goal was to make meals “less extravagant” and focus on more individual ingredients. Meals began to be served in dishes to prevent food from getting cold. It was at this time that this fork began to be used regularly at all meals. The Ancien Régime spread from the 16th to the 18th century. This is where the government managed food distribution. They allowed two guilds or groups with similar requirements and playing a similar role in a community to perform certain tasks. One of the guilds sold unprepared ingredients to buyers to prepare food and the other sold prepared food. This rule ended with the French Revolution. This allowed leaders to train outside of their assigned area. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Georges Auguste Escoffier experimented with recipes. He wrote Le Guide Culinaire in 1903, a cookbook containing more than 5,000 recipes. According to ECPI University, “the 19th and 20th centuries marked the beginning of a modernization of haute cuisine”. This means that the 19th and 20th centuries renewed the art of skillful cooking. French cuisine is a variety of many cooking styles with the freshest ingredients. The French are proud of their know-how with their cheesemakers, winemakers, pastry chefs and bakers. “French, the secrets of classic cuisine made simple” expresses that the French have a different attitude towards food. French families spend a large part of their budget on high-quality ingredients for their diet. France is a country with a wide variety of local products. “French cuisine is simplicity: bringing out the best in ingredients. "French" authors Carole Clements and Elizabeth Wolf-Cohen set the standard for basic meals prepared for families. An informal family meal usually consists of two courses, a starter and a main course. This could also include adding cheese and possibly fruit. If there is dessert, the starter will be something light. The French use a wide variety of ingredients every day. They are known for these ingredients being their most important staples. Olive oil, it is used for many things, but mainly for cooking or sautéing foods with or to be drizzled to finish aflat. Dijon mustard is one of the main French ingredients. It is commonly used to thicken marinades and emulsify salad dressings. Next on this list is Fleur de sel, these are large salt crystals made from seaweed. They use it for sprinkling finished dishes. Number four, Crème fraîche. It's a mixture of heavy cream and buttermilk. This is usually used in soups, sauces and to garnish sweet things, for example a bowl of fresh fruit. Another of their main ingredients is their truffles. Truffles are mushrooms used to flavor cooking oils and dishes. Then there are the herbs de provence. These are dried herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, lavender used to flavor savory dishes. Shallots are a common ingredient also used. Shallots belong to the onion and garlic family. They have a milder taste and are used like onions. The next main ingredient is their bread. The French use their bread in many dishes as well as as an accompaniment to their dishes. Some examples are baguettes and flaky croissants. One of the most popular ingredients is wine. According to the MasterClass article “France has one of the most productive wine regions in the world. Red and white wine is a drink that is also used to simmer meat and create rich sauces. Wine is important to the French because they use it to drink, but it is part of many common dishes. The last of many main ingredients is cheese. “The French produce and consume more cheese per person than in any other country. Known as cheese in French, varieties include Camembert, Brie and Roquefort. Cheese is very important in their diet, they eat it as a starter and sometimes as a side dish. When it comes to eating, etiquette and good manners are essential. There are a few rules you should always follow when dining “French style”. The first rule is to toast correctly. When making a toast, you should always look your partner in the eye and try not to link arms with anyone. A common toast is “à votre santé” which means “to your health” or “Santé” for short. The next rule is to pay attention to your bread. Don't let it stay on top of your food. Leave it on the side of your plate and clean your plate with it when your food is gone. The next rule concerns good table manners. Always keep your hands at the table. For placing cutlery Always keep the knife in your right hand and the fork in your left. Place the knife and fork parallel to each other on the right side of the plate after the meal is finished. Above all, make sure you don't eat until your host says "Bon appetit!" ". There are many traditions that constitute a culture. French traditions are quite different from our American traditions. On Christmas Eve or “Christmas Eve,” families gather late in the evening and have a celebratory dinner. Families typically eat caviar, oysters, lobster, foie gras, snails, scallops, roast turkey stuffed with chestnuts, and birds such as quail, pheasants, poultry, and geese. At the end of this feast thirteen desserts are served. The thirteen represent God and the twelve apostles. These desserts are composed of sweets such as dried fruits, traditional cakes and Bûche de Noël, a rolled chocolate log. Cuisine standards differ in different regions of France. In the region of.