UNIVERSIDAD ABIERTA PARA ADULTOS

ENGLISH SEMINAR

STUDENT:
FLOR ELENA GONZÁLEZ ALCÁNTARA

TEACHER:
EDDY MUÑOZ M.A

FRENCH GASTRONOMY

ID
15-5228

GROUP :
GV70-1

JULY 2019, SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS.

 French
Gastronomy
KEYWORDS
Food

Chef

Importance

Receipe

Culture

Art

Culinary art

France

Taste

Worldwide
 INTRODUCTION

French cuisine developed throughout the centuries influenced by the many

surrounding cultures of Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium, in addition to

its own food traditions on the long western coast lines of the Atlantic, the Channel and

of course inland. In the 14th century Guillaume Tirel, a court chef known as

"Taillevent", wrote Le Viandier, one of the earliest recipe collections of medieval

France. In the 17th century, chefs François Pierre La Varenne and Marie-Antoine

Carême spearheaded movements that shifted French cooking away from its foreign

influences and developed France's own indigenous style. Cheese and wine are a

major part of the cuisine. They play different roles regionally and nationally, with many

variations and appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) (regulated appellation) laws.

1. HISTORY

In French medieval cuisine, banquets were common among the aristocracy. Multiple
courses would be prepared, but served in a style called service en confusion, or all
at once. Food was generally eaten by hand, meats being sliced off in large pieces
held between the thumb and two fingers. The sauces were highly seasoned and
thick, and heavily flavored mustards were used. Pies were a common banquet item,
with the crust serving primarily as a container, rather than as food itself, and it was
not until the very end of the Late Middle Ages that the shortcrust pie was developed.
Meals often ended with an issue de table, which later changed into the modern
dessert, and typically consisted of dragées (in the Middle Ages, meaning spiced
lumps of hardened sugar or honey), aged cheese and spiced wine, such
as hypocras.

The ingredients of the time varied greatly according to the seasons and the church
calendar, and many items were preserved with salt, spices, honey, and other
preservatives. Late spring, summer, and autumn afforded abundance, while winter
meals were more sparse. Livestock were slaughtered at the beginning of winter.
Beef was often salted, while pork was salted and smoked. Bacon and sausages
would be smoked in the chimney, while the tongue and hams were brined and dried.
Cucumbers were brined as well, while greens would be packed in jars with salt.
Fruits, nuts and root vegetables would be boiled in honey for preservation. Whale,
dolphin and porpoise were considered fish, so during Lent, the salted meats of
these sea mammals were eaten.

Artificial freshwater ponds (often called stews) held carp, pike, tench, bream, eel,
and other fish. Poultry was kept in special yards, with pigeon and squab being
reserved for the elite. Game was highly prized, but very rare, and
included venison, wild boar, hare, rabbit, and birds. Kitchen gardens provided herbs,
including some, such as tansy, rue, pennyroyal, and hyssop, which are rarely used
today. Spices were treasured and very expensive at that time – they included
pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and mace. Some spices used then, but no
longer today in French cuisine are cubebs, long pepper (both from vines similar to
black pepper), grains of paradise, and galengale. Sweet-sour flavors were
commonly added to dishes with vinegars and verjus combined with sugar (for the
affluent) or honey. A common form of food preparation was to finely cook, pound
and strain mixtures into fine pastes and mushes, something believed to be
beneficial to make use of nutrients.

The first characteristic was a rejection of excessive complication in cooking.

Second, the cooking times for most fish, seafood, game birds, veal, green
vegetables and pâtés was greatly reduced in an attempt to preserve the natural
flavors. Steaming was an important trend from this characteristic. The third
characteristic was that the cuisine was made with the freshest possible ingredients.
Fourth, large menus were abandoned in favor of shorter menus. Fifth, strong
marinades for meat and game ceased to be used. Sixth, they stopped using heavy
sauces such as espagnole and béchamel thickened with flour based "roux", in favor
of seasoning their dishes with fresh herbs, quality butter, lemon juice, and vinegar.
Seventh, they used regional dishes for inspiration instead of haute cuisine dishes.
Eighth, new techniques were embraced and modern equipment was often used;
Bocuse even used microwave ovens. Ninth, the chefs paid close attention to the
dietary needs of their guests through their dishes. Tenth and finally, the chefs were
extremely inventive and created new combinations and pairings.

Some have speculated that a contributor to nouvelle cuisine was World War II when
animal protein was in short supply during the German occupation. By the mid-1980s
food writers stated that the style of cuisine had reached exhaustion and many chefs
began returning to the haute cuisine style of cooking, although much of the lighter
presentations and new techniques remained

2. CHARACTERISTICS

The characteristics of French cuisine, varying by region, include innovative flavors

and elegant presentation. The southern regions feature rich flavors with garlic,
herbs, duck and mushrooms, while the northern cuisine consists of country-style
dishes with fresh local produce, dairy, sausage and beer.

The haute cuisine of France has intricate presentation and precise technique. In
contrast, the nouvelle cuisine, which came into style after 1970, features lighter
dishes with fewer ingredients. Many professional chefs consider the mastery of
French cuisine to be the pinnacle achievement in the culinary arts.

In the metropolitan areas of France, citizens eat a wide variety of regional dishes,
although older citizens tend to favor the regions of their origin. Some common
produce in France includes berries, leeks, mushrooms, apples and squash. A
variety of artisan cheeses and wines are abundant in all regions of France, as are
fresh baguettes, croissants, yogurt and strong coffee.

The sophistication of French cuisine is due to the influence of Italy. Before the 15th
century, French cuisine was rustic and used seasonings to disguise the taste of
spoiled food. In the mid-15th century, with the arrival of Catherine of Medici, the
cuisine of the French court became more elaborate in presentation and utilized
more creative combinations of ingredients from other cultures.

3. MAIN DISHES

Soupe à l’oignon

This is a traditional French soup made of onions and beef stock, usually served with
croutons and melted cheese on top. The soup’s origin can be traced as far back as
the Romans – it was typically a poor dish – although the current version dates from
the 18th century. The remarkable taste
in French onion soup is from the
caramelisation of the onions, to which
sometimes brandy or sherry is added at
the end of the slow-cooking process.
The liquid is typically meat stock,
although variations include using just
water, adding milk or thickening it with
eggs or flour.

For another popular French soup, try

the traditional fishermen’s soupe de
poisson à la rouille from Marseille, characterised by a dollop of garlic and saffron
mayonnaise (rouille) on top.
Coq au vin

This quintessential French food was

popularised by Julia Child through her
television show and book and seen as
one of her signature dishes. It is a dish
of chicken braised with wine,
mushrooms, salty pork or bacon
(lardons), mushrooms, onions, often
garlic and sometimes with a drop of
brandy. Although the name translates as ‘rooster or cock in wine’ – and braising is
ideal for tougher birds – the recipe usually uses chicken or capon. A red Burgundy
wine is typically used, although French regional variations exist using local wines, for
example coq au vin jaune (Jura), coq au Riesling (Alsace), coq au pourpre or coq au
violet (Beaujolais nouveau) and coq au Champagne (Champagne).

Cassoulet

Cassoulet is a comfort dish of white beans

stewed slowly with meat, typically pork or
duck but also sausages, goose, mutton or
whatever else the chef has around. This
peasant dish originates from southern
France and is popular
in Toulouse, Carcassonne and Castelnaudary. The name of the dish comes from the
pot (cassole) it’s traditionally baked in, which is typically shaped like an inverted cone
to give a crust shape. This is a rich, hearty meal perfect for colder months.
Flamiche

Flamiche means ‘cake’ in Flemish and this dish

originates from northern France, near the border with
Belgium. It has a puff-pastry crust filled with cheese
and vegetables and resembles a quiche. The
traditional French filling is with leeks and cream.
There is also a pizza-like version of flamiche, which is
without the top crust of the pie. For a southern French
twist, try the thin crusty pissaladière which is topped
with anchovies, onions and olives.

Nicoise salad

Salade niçoise is a typical French salad from the

Provence region, which can be served as a side
dish or a light meal on its own. It’s typically a
combination of lettuce, fresh tomatoes, boiled
eggs, (canned or fresh) tuna, green beans, Nicoise
Cailletier olives and anchovies, although many
variations exist.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille is another internationally recognised French

dish, hailing from the southeastern French region of
Provence. It is a stewed vegetable recipe that can be
served as a side dish, meal or stuffing for other dishes,
such as crepes and omelettes. The vegetables are
generally first cooked in a shallow pan on a high heat
with a small amount of fat, and then oven-baked in a
dish. French chefs continually debate the correct way to
cook ratatouille: some do not agree with sauteing all the
vegetables together, such as Julia Child, and argue that
the vegetables should be cooked separately and layered into a baking dish. The
ingredients consist of tomatoes, garlic, onions, zucchini, eggplant, carrots, bell
peppers, basil, marjoram, thyme and other green herbs. A similar dish popular in the
French Basque country is piperade, which typically adds ham and sometimes eggs to
the stewed vegetable mix.
 4. DESSERTS

Tarte tatin

They say this French apple tarte was made by

mistake in 1898 by Stephanie Tartin when trying to
make a traditional apple pie. When she accidentally
left the apples in sugar and butter too for long in the
pan, in a hurry to rescue the dessert she put the
pastry base on top of the burning fruit and placed
the pan in the oven. She supposedly served the
upside-down tart to her guests at Hôtel Tatin and the result turned into the hotel’s
signature dish. Although the tarte’s origin is disputed, the delicious result is not.

Chocolate soufflé

The word soufflé derives from the French verb to

‘blow out’ and is an airy, egg-baked dish with origins
dating back to early 18th-century France. Soufflé is
eaten savoury or sweet in France, and you’ve likely
found chocolate soufflé on dessert menus worldwide.
The crispy chocolate crust with an oozing, creamy
chocolate centre gives this dessert a sweet surprise.
 5. PERSONAL OPINION ABOUT THE FRENCH

GASTRONOMY.

Fancy, famous, embarrassingly expensive three-star French restaurants will, of course,

legally apply the logo to just about everything. But the one-time national treasure,

mom-and-pop operations that relied on nearby sources and cooking in a style that was

both regional and personal, has become rare. And this law won’t change that.

America doesn’t have that kind of tradition, although the cooking of our diners and

other greasy spoons was once honest and often enjoyable. But they’re gone, too,

because the problems are fundamental.

CONCLUSION

French food is known globally for its finesse and flavour. Guide your palete through this

list of top 10 French foods, with do-it-yourself recipes of delicious French cuisine.

Traditional French food relies on simple combinations that enhance the rich, natural

flavours of basic ingredients. Many French chefs have earned international acclaim for

turning French food into haute cuisine and influencing the gastronomic scene

worldwide. Food in France has become such an integral part of French culture that it

was added to UNESCO’s world list of intangible cultural heritage in 2010.

Anyone’s first step into the world of French cuisine should start with experimenting with

diverse French cheese and wine. France is renowned for some of the world’s best

wines and cheeses, and wine and food pairing is taken seriously in France, even at

informal dinner parties. In many French restaurants you can order a platter of soft,

semi-cured, pressed and blue cheeses, although in France it is typically served after

the main course and before dessert.

Beyond French wine and cheese is a mixture of traditionally peasant and bourgeois

French dishes, many of which come with detailed history, regional variations and

modern adaptations. From simple, traditional recipes to complex dishes, it’s not difficult

to find a top French food to suit your taste. Many French recipes are surprisingly

simple as well, and it’s not as hard as you would think to introduce French food
specialties into your weekly menu. Here is a list of top 10 French foods you simply

must try.

Bon Appetit!
BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.expatica.com/fr/about/cuisine/top-10-

french-foods-with-recipes-106720/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cuisine