Why is France the country of gastronomy?

The country of gastronomy welcomes an incomparable variety of products.

If France welcomes 70 million visitors a year, it is also because its culinary culture is not found elsewhere.

The origins of culinary gastronomy come from its land, its inhabitants but also from the movements of its history. With more than a thousand years of history, France evolves its culinary tastes according to its times, the products available.

French cuisine refers to the various culinary and typical specialties of various regions of France. The reputation of French gastronomy has its origins in the time of kings who were very demanding and eager for novelty in the dishes and recipes offered. Whether in terms of taste or experimentation with new products. The majestic tables and painstakingly crafted gourmet food presentations of the Middle Ages elevated French cuisine to a distinguished level. These ways went through some changes over the following centuries, but one thing remains. It is the distinction of French cuisine by its aesthetics, its creativity and the singular way of carrying out the preparation.

The kings of France were accustomed at that time to treat their visitors to their court with gastronomic meals typical of the country and which did not leave them indifferent. The kings themselves appreciated good cuisine, in particular Louis XIV who had a weakness for peas, among other things. Added to this, the various seasonings of the new world, as well as the tomatoes and the herbs which improved the table of the French.

This culture of good cooking is also the result of repression caused by the threats and real executions of cooks following a badly made dish. Culinary skills naturally improved as a result.

Then, after the Revolution, these cooks strictly trained by the requirements of the nobility found themselves preparing gourmet recipes for the general public. And make them in turn taste the gastronomic supremacy of French cuisine.

Most of these concepts and successes of French cuisine therefore have their source in a pure heritage.

The best dishes of French cuisine

It is not easy to define a French culinary specialty better than the others. Since each region has original recipes that are typical of it. In Lyon, for example, what made them proud was the inviting table topped with poultry, charcuterie and quenelle. But also Valençois, Beaujolais or Drôme. In Brittany, it is the bourgeois dessert: the crepe. And then in Provence, it's ratatouille or the Christmas dessert.

Generations of renowned chefs and cooks have accentuated the diversity of dishes and specialties of French gastronomy. Its preparation is more and more structured and a basic recipe at the start is revisited in several ways. By making an art of it, but without undermining its history or the heritage of French cuisine.

Among the best known in the country are the following culinary specialties:

• Beef bourguignon: recipe with vegetables, pasta, meat and red wine.
• Coq au vin: dish with poultry, bacon, mushrooms, wine.
• Pot au feu: meal with meat, vegetables, condiments.
• La tartiflette: recipe with bacon, potatoes, onions.
• Quiche Lorraine: a gourmet savory preparation.
• Steak tartare: recipe made with beef and salmon.
• And the cassoulet: preparation composed of pork, duck, beans, bacon.

Because of this too wide diversity of specialties and recipes, it is almost impossible to choose the best among all the gastronomic products from all the regions of France.

Where can you enjoy the specialties of French cuisine?

French cuisine often rhymes with luxury recipes and refined products. Eat a dish of good beef delicately cooked by a chef, with fresh vegetables and a gourmet dessert. Accompanied by the singular taste of a quality wine in a good restaurant. Made by a chef. Yes, but not only! The foundation of French gastronomy is currently found in the mastery of each of the ingredients of the preparation. In their choice and the ways of working them in order to bring them together in a dish, giving free rein to creativity. It is for this reason that it is difficult to taste local cuisine or an emblem of French cuisine in a fast food restaurant or the traveling restaurant in the area. Eating a gourmet dish prepared by a chef in a restaurant is not the only way to appreciate the recipes of French cuisine. You can completely concoct yourself a dish inspired by a gourmet recipe, with the right products and the right recipe, you will have the right dish with the right taste, possibly with a preparation worthy of starred chefs.

The French would also cook more and more. And as many of them believe that the gastronomy of their country is an integral part of their cultural identity. They feel connected to this and do not minimize the quality and authenticity of these specialties, even alone in their kitchen area, or in restaurants.

Is France really the country of gastronomy?

France treats questions of cuisine very seriously and this does not date from the last century. From the time of the French kings, through the first writings of Taillevent's recipe books in 1380 and the professionalization of gastronomy.

The country never ceases to signify its link with the kitchen as well as its rigor in the perfection of the dishes. Whether in the chef's kitchen at the restaurant or at the table at home with minute but gourmet meals.

The great interest of the French for gastronomy is also reflected through the applications in cooking schools. But also culinary TV shows where gourmet cooking is an art that improves from year to year. And the various influxes of sharing and learning about recipes and specialties in the audiovisual world. Housewives and men can now prepare gourmet meals like restaurant chefs, by diversifying recipes and preparation techniques. And this without flouting the origins and authenticity of the recipes offered, quite the contrary.

At this time when for a few years, organic consumption has been in the spotlight, do not hesitate to put in your dishes products from eco-responsible cultivation. In addition to enjoying the taste, you will be able to benefit from healthy meals in your kitchens.