Food in France

France is the home of gastronomy, read on for the proof…

Food in France! Surely a topic upon which an unending stream of tomes have been written, especially by the French. However, although the finest restaurants in France scale heights that few others even attempt, some of us might say that many second and third tier restaurants – in other words, where most ordinary people eat – often serve up a rather dated style of cuisine that is now somewhat passé.

Traditional is now a little old-fashioned

Heavy sauces masking the flavour of the produce, dishes over-rich with butter and cream, it all now seems a very old-fashioned and unhealthy approach to eating. And indeed, the finer French chefs have all but abandoned it themselves, as it has already been in most of the rest of the world.

In France, food and wine is a serious matter

Nevertheless, there can be no argument that the French take their food and wine seriously. And their wealth of regional differences have helped make French food and drink highly regarded abroad. As with most large countries with varied climates, the main reason for the different regional specialities is the fact that the local produce found in each place is so diverse.

Eating and drinking make any travel in France something of a gastronomical tour, so why not take a brief trip round France’s gastronomic regions with us in the following pages?

Food in Northern France: Le Nord; Picardy; Champagne; Alsace and Lorraine

Food in Western France: Normandy; Brittany; the Loire Valley.

Food in Southwestern France: Poitou and Aquitaine; Perigord, Quercy and Gascony; the Pyrenees.

Food in the South of France: Languedoc-Rousillon; Provence; Cote d’Azur.

Food in Central France and the Alps: Burgundy and Franche-Comte; Massif Central; Rhone Valley and French Alps.