French Food
The finest in the world?
French cooking has, over the years, become
the norm to which we compare other cuisines.
This is partly
because France's
famous culinary
schools have made
cooking a highly
respected profession.

Haute Cuisine
French food is regarded as the
finest in the world. The French
are world famous for their haute
cuisine – the type of cooking done in
restaurants and hotels.
 It is rarely practised in daily life, mainly
because of the cost of the fine ingredients
and the time it takes to prepare the dishes
properly.
 For this reason, French home cooking tends
to be simpler, but can be just as delicious.

Provincial Cuisine

The style of
cooking
practiced
by most French
families:
Simple
cooking
methods.
Nouvelle Cuisine
This style of cooking
began in the 1970s.
 It is a more health
conscious style of cooking
with less fat and calories.
 Vegetables are served nearly raw.
 Meat, fish, and poultry are often broiled or
poached.

Regional specialities

Different
regions of
France have
their own
specialities,
made using
local
produce.
Burgundy
Famous for Beef Bourguignon,
a rich beef and vegetable
stew that is loved all over the
world.
 Escargot

Provence –
Southeast France

Rich agricultural area
Olive trees
Pasta Tuna salad with Aioli
Sauce (made from olive oil
and garlic )

Bouillabaisse
seafood stew
Ratatouille
In Eastern France
 is the only French
region to have
borders with three
other countries:
Belgium
Luxembourg, and
Germany

Lorraine
Lorraine
Sausages and hams
are eaten – part of
the German influence

Quiche Lorraine is
another French
recipe popular
outside France and
named after the
Lorraine region in
Eastern France.
Fruit pies and tarts
are popular in Lorraine
Brittany
Brittany has poor
agricultural land so
much of the local food
comes from the sea.
Dishes made from
shellfish such as
prawns and mussels.
 They are also known
for their crepes.

Baked Goods

Croissants – flaky,
buttery yeast rolls.

Brioche – yeast roll that
contains egg
Napoleons – puff pastry separated in
layers by creamy filling.
Éclairs contain custard
and are iced.
Truffles

Truffles are difficult to find and
very expensive as a result! In
1994, black truffles sold for $350
to $500 a pound. In the United
States, edible truffles are collected
in the forests of Oregon and
Washington. In Europe, most
truffles are collected in France and
Italy. Truffle hunters in Italy and
France use pigs and mixed-breed
dogs to sniff out truffles. Dogs are
preferred to pigs because pigs love
to eat truffles.
2007/8 wholesale price was around €700 per
kilo ($440 for 2 pounds) with retail prices in
Paris, New York and London more than twice
that.

Truffle hunting
in France
French Sauces
Roux – flour and butter
 Velouté Sauce –chicken , fish
or veal stock added to roux
 Béchamel – milk is
added to a roux

Hollandaise – contains egg yolks, lemon
juice and butter
 Vinaigrettes – combining wine, vinegar,
oil and seasonings


French cooking is the ultimate in"herby"
cooking (as opposed to spicy). From
sultry bay leaves to aromatic lavender,
herbs further define French cuisine. The
list is endless—basil, tarragon,
rosemary, fennel, chives, savory,
oregano, chervil, thyme, sage, parsley,
marjoram, fines herbs, etc.
2
3
1
4
5
Match the herb …..
Basil – Taragon – Savory – Fennel – Chervil - Chives
6
1
2
4
3
5
6
Savory - Parsley – Marjoram – Sage – Thyme – Oregano
Le petit Dejeuner (breakfast)

This is usually a light meal – roll and
café au lait
Le Dejeuner –
midday meal

Traditionally the
largest meal of the
day consisting of an
hors d’ oeuvres,
soup and main dish,
vegetable, salad
and main dish. The
salad is usually
served after the
main course.
The evening meal is light and
usually served after 8:00 since
business hours are later in France