Foods Of The World - France Flashcards
Culture: General attitudes (4)
- one of the most patriotic countries in the world
- success is measured by education, family reputation, and financial status
- government limits the percentage of non-French entertainment- including music and TV
- resist cheap fast food, foreign sitcoms, and American music to maintain their own French identity
Geography (3)
- largest country in Western Europe but slightly smaller than Texas
- eastern and southern areas are mountainous
- summer is dry and sunny with more thunderstorms than other seasons
Culture: greetings (3)
- women will be kissed on both cheeks by male and female friends
- men only kiss the cheeks of other men if they are relatives or close friends
- kisses are actually when you touch cheek to cheek and “kiss the air”
French holidays (4)
- bastille day: July 14th
- armistice day: November 11th
- Christmas: children will leave their shoes by the fireplace for Pere Noel (Santa Claus) to fill their socks
- some regions also have Pere fouettard - this is a figure who gives out spankings to bad children - kind of our equivalent to giving coal in a stocking for naughty kids here
Other holidays
- La fete de la musique: June 21st - is translated to “the music party” - a night to celebrate summer beginning and it is the longest day of the year
Cuisine (3)
- Christmas Eve cuisine can be specialties like escargot, foie gras, oysters, smoked salmon, turkey, cheese, and baguettes
- for dessert they will serve a buche de Noel - which is a cake with vanilla or chocolate frosting and flavored fillings
- for epiphany(jan. 6th): they celebrate by sharing a gateau des Riis king cake - a round, flat cake with a lucky charm hidden inside
Eating and diet (4)
- good food and wine are extremely important to the people of France
- wine is consumed with most meals
- bread is eaten with every meal -broken with fingers used to wipe the plate
- lunch was once the main meal of the day- but that trend is changing towards dinner
Haute cuisine (10)
Literal translation to “high cooking”
Higher level cuisine
Elaborate preparations
Fancy garnishes
Rich sauces
Snooty French
expensive priced
Chefs make extravagant use of eggs, cream, and butter
Used most often in luxury restaurants and hotels
“Fancy meals” with small portions
Provincial cuisine (6)
Style of cuisine most often practiced by families
Prepares fewer fancy sauces and lavish creations
Prefer locally grown foods
Simple cooking methods
Creation of most regional specialty dishes
Use of fresh fruits and vegetables
Nouvelle cuisine (9)
Lighter and more natural in taste
Flavor, color, texture, and presentation of the food are important
Like haute cuisine- but believe in natural flavor instead of the heavy and rich flavors
Believe in the preservation of the natural nutrients of food
Preferred by people who are concerned about fat and calories
Uses less butter, cream, and other high calorie foods
Uses fewer starches and sauces
Uses more fresh fruits and vegetables - most not cooked
“Healthy version” of French cuisine
Roux (3)
A mixture of butter (or other fat) and flour
- when you add milk, it becomes a bechamel sauce
- when you add a chicken, veal or fish stock it becomes velouté sauce
Demi glacé
A classic brown sauce
Hollandaise sauce
Made with egg yolks, lemon juice, and butter
Vinaigrettes
Made by combining wine, vinegar, oil and seasonings commonly used as a dressing for salads and marinades for vegetables
Fines herbes
A mixture of fresh chives, parsley, tarragon, and chervil common herbs used in combination for meals, sauces, etc.
