The French have long since been held in high esteem as everything the British are not when it comes to dining properly; refined, selective and passionate about food. There’s more than a little truth to the claim, as becomes starkly apparent when you consider some of the delectable highlights of the A-Z of French cuisine…
Le Petit Déjeuner – Now where better to start in our journey through some of the finest aspects of the French cuisine than breakfast? The French begin their days in fine fashion with wholesome baked goods such as croissants and brioche – that’s gotta beat your Golden Grahams or Weetabix. Also on the breakfast menu; freshly baked baguettes, tasty preserves, milk and fresh orange juice. A nice strong cafetiere of formidably strong coffee is also a fixture at many French breakfast tables.
Frogs legs and snails – Let’s get the potentially upsetting part out of the way nice and early on – yes, frogs legs and snails are indeed on the menu throughout much of France and they are widely considered to be a delicacy. Frogs legs are perhaps the tamer of the two unfamiliar foods – their flavour is not dissimilar to that of chicken. Escargot on the other hand, can be a little daunting. That being said, the experience of eating them is not unlike that of eating oysters, for instance, and many people would highly recommend the dish. Be ready for that texture mind you…
Wine – France’s wine is reason enough to love the country’s cuisine in itself. With a peerless lineage of vintners stretching back through the centuries and a sun-drenched heartland in which to house its healthy vineyards, this country is truly a wine-lovers Eden. There’s everything to be tasted here, from rich merlot to sharp pinot grigiot, frizzing champagne to playful rosé. To experience France’s many beautiful wines at their best, consider a vineyard tour which will allow you to drink some vintages on site by the vines from which they were made. Look into cheap flights if you want to make this expedition a little more affordable.
Brie – France is world renowned for its cheeses, and there are many varieties made here which could easily have made it onto this all-too-short list, but for us, the winner has to be brie. Creamy yet complex, comforting yet challenging, brie offers a combination of flavour sensation with extreme versatility and functionality. It lends the perfect foil to the sweetness of grapes, it’s an ideal spread for crackers and it lends a sumptuous moistness to sandwiches.
Garlic – The pairing of the French and garlic is something of a cliché, but these powerful bulbs really do play a considerable role in the nation’s cuisine, giving strong flavour to all manner of dishes from steaks to onion soups.
Ferdz Decena is an award-winning travel photographer, writer and blogger. His works has found print in publications such as Singapore Airlines’s Silver Kris, Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay, Cebu Pacific’s Smile and Seair InFlight. He has also lent his expertise to various organizations like the Oceana Philippines, Lopez Group Foundation, Save the Children and World Vision, contributing quality images for their marketing materials.
