In order to fully appreciate the cuisine of a country, one must first understand its origins.
The first signs of food in France appear during Ice Age when small groups of hunter-gatherers lived with plants as their primary food source as well as some game, such as reindeer. Around 7000 BCE, pastoral communities began to pop up with goats, pigs, sheep, and cows being domesticated and crops like wheat, rye, and barley were grown. By 2000 BCE, the Greeks brought wine to France in exchange for grain and set up southern enclaves. At this time, the Celts—tribes of farmers and metalworkers who were expert cheese and sausage makers—pressed into France before much of southern France became a Roman colony. Under this Roman reign, diets shifted as Romans used a wide variety of spices in order to create with strong flavor in order to mask the metallic flavor from the use of lead pots and began to grow grapes and produce wine. In the 5thand 6thcenturies, Visigoths and Franks influenced cuisine with their diets consisting of milk, cheese, meats, and ale. By now, Christianity had led to the increased importance of bread and wine in French culture.
The Middle Ages saw the introduction of sweets, made from newly imported cane sugar, and fine dining as the wealthy folks of the royal court held lavish feasts while the poor struggled for food. The Renaissance saw the introduction of turkey which quickly found favor and vegetables began to take a vital place in the French diet. Spices fell out of style as chefs focused more on the natural flavor of food and restaurants were first established. By now, the French cuisine based on naturalness, authenticity, and health has taken shape with large meals with many dishes being replaced by a few, typically hotter dishes. All of this history helped shape the importance of taste and pleasure in French cuisine.
Overall, I am very excited to dive into the cuisine of France. It was interesting to see the large quantity of cultures that had influence over the food customs seen in modern day France. I was most surprised to read that the French, while healthy eaters, are more focused on pleasure rather than obsessing over every unhealthy meal consumed. I am especially looking forward to comparing the taste of the American cuisine I am used to with the French cuisine to see how the dishes differ.
Delicious France 