French Cuisine. Knowledge of French cooking has contributed significantly to Western cuisines and its criteria are used widely in Western cookery school boards and culinary education. In November 2010, French gastronomy was added by the UNESCO to its lists of the worlds intangible cultural heritage. French regional cuisines use locally grown vegetables, such as pomme de terre (potato), blé (wheat), haricots verts (a type of French green bean), carotte (carrot), poireau (leek), navet (turnip), aubergine (eggplant), courgette (zucchini), and échalotte (shallot). French regional cuisines use locally grown fungi, such as truffe (truffle), champignon de Paris (button mushroom), chanterelle ou girolle (chanterelle), pleurote (en huître) (oyster mushrooms), and cèpes (porcini). Common fruits include oranges, tomatoes, tangerines, peaches, apricots, apples, pears, plums, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants, blackberries, grapes, grapefruit, and blackcurrants. Varieties of meat consumed include poulet (chicken), pigeon (squab), dinde (turkey), canard (duck), oie (goose, the source of foie gras), bœuf (beef), veau (veal), porc (pork), agneau (lamb), mouton (mutton), lapin (rabbit), caille (quail), cheval (horse), grenouille (frog), and escargot (snails). Commonly consumed fish and seafood include cod, canned sardines, fresh sardines, canned tuna, fresh tuna, salmon, trout, mussels, herring, oysters, shrimp and calamari. Eggs are fine quality and often eaten as: omelettes, hard-boiled with mayonnaise, scrambled plain, scrambled haute cuisine preparation, œuf à la coque. Herbs and seasonings vary by region, and include fleur de sel, herbes de Provence, tarragon, rosemary, marjoram, lavender, thyme, fennel, and sage. Fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as fish and meat, can be purchased either from supermarkets or specialty shops. Street markets are held on certain days in most localities; some towns have a more permanent covered market enclosing food shops, especially meat and fish retailers. These have better shelter than the periodic street markets. French people typically eat three meals a day. The first meal of the day, le petit déjeuner, is a quick meal that typically features French bread with jelly or jam, croissants, or chocolate-filled pastries. French residents partner their pastries or bread with coffee or tea. For lunch, known as le déjeuner, French citizens traditionally take a two-hour break, although lately many Frenchmen have started taking only an hour break. Commonly lunches incorporate sandwiches and desserts. Finally, the last meal of the day is called le diner. This meal consists of three courses: hors d’eouvre (introductory course), the main course, and a cheese or dessert course. The main course regularly pairs meat with vegetables and is served with pasta or rice. In general, French people use their lunch and dinner mealtimes as opportunities to relax and socialize with their family members and friends on a daily basis.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 10:44:32 +0000
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