What the French love to drink for lunch. What do Americans, British and French eat for breakfast? Traditions of French cuisine - video recipe

The French are famous in the world as true gourmets. Who, no matter how they are, knows a real sense in the kitchen and understands the subtle combination of products and the variety of tastes. Further in the article, we will tell you not only about what the French love to eat, but also provide information about the food that, most likely, they would not eat.

True gourmets

Food is an integral part of the life of this people, a kind of ritual, of course, food is necessary for all people, but ... with the French, everything is different. They, first of all, look at it from the aesthetic side - for them it is a kind of creative object. Moreover, everything should be beautiful - both the inner gustatory content and the outer beauty of serving food.

Understanding what the French love to eat, first of all, it is worth mentioning that they do not have ordinary dishes - even the simplest ones have their own flavor. This is a standard of delicate taste and a special, unique sophistication. So what do the French like and what they don't like to eat?

Russian dishes that they would not try

Each nation has its own food preferences: what is good for one, for another may go beyond all reason, or, at best, will not be something tasty. Russian and French cuisines, of course, differ from each other, and they have certain dishes that our people will not understand and will not accept, and the same on their part.

For example, the French do not like herring, but in our country it is a very common product that is in good demand. And the inhabitants of France call it nothing but "rotten fish".

The next product is jellied meat, although it is incomprehensible not only to foreigners, but even not all Russians find it appetizing. Confused by its strange consistency, smell and color. Buckwheat with milk is also beyond their understanding. Many of the French have never tried this cereal at all, and even more so in combination with milk.

Lard is also a controversial product. They eat it, but not in its pure form - most often it is bacon, with a small layer of fat. Kissel also did not like the French - in consistency it resembles the same jellied meat, for the same reasons it was rejected from the list of taste preferences.

Now it will be interesting to consider what the French eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

How does the morning start?

It is customary for Russians to have a hearty meal in the morning, but the French are deprived of this habit. Their breakfast is as light as possible. In the classical sense, it looks like this: orange juice, croissants, and also ... coffee. Also on this list may be dried bread, honey, confiture, butter. Naturally, not everyone eats like this, but this is, so to speak, breakfast in its classic form.

Let's see what's for lunch

A standard French lunch has three parts:

• entrance (first) dish;
• main;
• dessert.

Many deviate from this rule and can order one thing: a sandwich, salad, some dish or soup. The latter, it should be noted, began to lose its popularity. However, it is still used as an entry dish. The most popular of them are onion and white cabbage. Mashed soups are in the greatest demand:

• vegetable;
• from leeks with potatoes;
• from young peas;
• gazpacho soup, originally from Italy.

Aperitif

A traditional homemade lunch begins with an aperitif (whiskey, etc., or just juice). The aperitif is delivered to the table with the so-called des amuse-gueule. Their role is played by salty cookies, canapes, salty nuts.

On the first

And now the turn has come for the entrance dish, which is often played by some kind of salad. The list of the most popular looks like this:

• "Nicoise" (it contains green beans, tuna, olives, lettuce, boiled eggs, tomatoes);
• tomato salad;
• green salad (mixture of greens);
• grated carrots with dressing;
• eggs with mayonnaise;
• beet salad.

Then different types of pâté (pate), sharkutri (sausages, cervelat) are served along with gherkins. Open cakes are also popular here, for example, with cheese, leeks, jambon, as well as those made according to an individual recipe.

Another dish appreciated by the French is snails (Burgundy) with garlic, for us this is definitely an unusual dish. Of course, seafood is also worth noting - oysters, scallops, mussels, shrimps, crabs.

A favorite of the French table is the Fruy de Mare dish - a salad with shrimps, mussels and salmon, dressed with yogurt. Sardines with olive oil and lemon juice are also popular.

By the way, for the curious, the recipe for Nicoise salad is as follows: 140 g of tuna (canned food), 10 olives, 200 g of green beans, 8 anchovies, 4 tomatoes, 2 eggs, 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, salad - taste, 1.5 tbsp. l. wine vinegar.

1. First, you need to prepare the sauce using olive oil, wine vinegar, freshly ground pepper, garlic, basil leaves, salt. All this must be thoroughly mixed and set aside for now.
2. Now you need to boil the beans in salted water over low heat. Rinse it off with cold water. To make it tastier, you can fry it a little for 1-2 minutes with olive oil and garlic.
3. Tomatoes and boiled eggs must be cut, and preferably in the same way - this will look more beautiful. Olives, if small, do not need to be chopped.
4. Let's get down to the final part. Place the torn lettuce leaves on the bottom of the plate. Next come thin onion feathers and pour a little sauce. Distribute the beans over the dish and again a little dressing on top. We put the tuna in a slide in the center. We put slices of eggs and tomatoes, as well as anchovies around. You can add freshly ground pepper and cooked sauce to taste.

Main dish

We looked at the options for entré, and now we turn to the main dish, which, of course, must contain protein and carbohydrates. It can be a piece of meat or fish with a side dish. Beef cutlets, fried chicken steak, baked veal, tartare, salmon fillet, flounder, duck breast - in general, there can be many options here.

The garnish is traditionally served with french fries, cauliflower, beans, artichokes, lentils, pasta, rice, steamed vegetables. As a seasoning - sauce, sour cream, butter or olive oil, spices.

After the second course, cheese platter will be used, and as you know, this product is simply very popular in the country. Here they are produced in a wide variety of forms and for every taste.

Dessert

And finally, if you go to a French lunch, coffee and dessert in creams, pastries and fruits will await you. Moreover, fruits can be in different forms, for example, flambéed in cognac, rum or strong wine.

Consider now what the French prefer for dessert. Melting chocolate dessert (fondant au chocolat) is among the leaders. Also on this list are chocolate mousse, pancakes - again with chocolate, banana and even cognac.

Simple in execution, but no less tasty dessert "Floating Islands", made from whipped proteins, milk, vanilla sugar and caramel, you can also add the famous tiramissa, yogurt with sugar or jam and also "strawberry".

How does it look like zhin?

What do the French like to eat for dinner? The French prefer to dine at home, as well as dine, but as an exception, they can go to a bistro or restaurant. Unlike lunch, which they pay much attention to, they eat light meals in the evening.

It can be anything from vegetables for the first time, in the cold season they can be replaced by hot soups, as well as the main course is added to them, dessert or cheese is added to the end.

Differences in French cuisine by region

There are differences in the same recipe in different regions of the country. However, regardless of the region, there are common features that are inherent in French dishes. As a rule, a lot of vegetables and root vegetables are used, and also there is generally very little use of dairy products (with the exception of cheeses). So what do the French like to eat in different parts of the country?

For example, Lyon cuisine is famous for its delicious onion soup - gratine; in Lorraine, open pies with slices of smoked bacon and ham with melted cheese, as well as stewed cabbage with pork and smoked breast are popular dishes in Lorraine.

In Burgundy, wine is used in many dishes for cooking - it is added to sauces and gravies. Wine pickled snails are served without shells with onions and parsley.

In Provencal cuisine, various vegetables, garlic and all kinds of seasonings are widespread. Meat consumption is limited here. Vegetable dishes are prepared here very satisfying. They often eat fish - halibut, pike, carp. They love seafood - mussels and oysters.

Desserts are in great demand here: traditionally chocolate, nuts, nougat, crème brлеlée, cookies and cakes are always present on the table.

What do the French like to eat in Normandy? Here dairy products are used in the preparation of dishes - butter, cream and camembert cheese. Even meat and fish are always cooked with cream.

We now know what the French like to eat, but still each part of the country has its own characteristics, and this is how they differ from each other.

Some of the most famous dishes

What other dishes are worth trying when you find yourself in the country of true connoisseurs of gourmet cuisine? Reviews of gourmets about the cuisine of France indicate that the dishes here have a unique combination of flavors, in addition to this, they look very aesthetically pleasing. Only fresh products are used for cooking, attention is paid to detail and decoration.

The favorite dish of the French is foie gras. It is a very popular delicacy that you can also prepare at home. There are many recipes for it, and we will consider the most common. It is easy to prepare and requires a minimum of ingredients.

Fried foie gras requires 500 g of duck or goose liver, lettuce, pepper and salt.

1. First, the liver must be carefully rinsed and divided into parts.
2. Place the pieces in the refrigerator for a while.
3. Then season with pepper and salt, place in a skillet and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side.
4. After the golden crust appears, you need to remove the liver from the pan. In this case, you do not need to add oil, because it itself is very oily.
5. The toasted foie gras must be placed in a baking dish and brought to readiness in the oven.
6. The delicacy is placed on a plate, which is decorated with lettuce leaves, and served immediately to the table.

Naturally, in addition to this dish in the national cuisine, there are still many others who will answer the question of what the French actually eat and what else do they prefer:

• "Bloody steak" - the meat is fried on the outside, but at the same time it remains half-baked on the inside. Served with potatoes and vegetables;
• roti - beef roast;
• kok-o-ven - cock in wine;
• frog legs are a famous French delicacy. The legs of these amphibians are fried in breadcrumbs or deep-fried. However, not everyone dares to try them;
• escargot is an exquisite dish made from snails.

And here is another popular dish - ratatouille. Let's take a closer look at this vegetable dish, simple, but very tasty.

To prepare ratatouille, you need to take one eggplant and zucchini, 4 tomatoes, a third of red pepper, 3-4 cloves of garlic, half a head of onion, vegetable oil, black pepper, salt, bay leaf, herbs.

1. Next, cut the zucchini, eggplant and three tomatoes into thin circles.
2. We put the vegetables in a greased form. Moreover, they should alternate in color. Add bay leaves, pepper, sprinkle with oil.
3. Cut the onion and pepper into small cubes, which then need to be fried in oil.
4. The remaining tomato must be peeled, finely chopped and mixed with pepper and onion. Pour half a glass of water. Cook the sauce for 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic and herbs to it, as well as salt and pepper to taste.
5. Pour vegetables with this very sauce and bake them in the oven for an hour at 180 ° C.
6. And now you need to lay it out beautifully in the center of the dish and pour over the sauce. Bon Appetit!

It should be noted that this is a feature of the national cuisine: almost all dishes are served with sauce. There are thousands of recipes for sauces, and for the French this is not just a sauce for a dish, but a very complex recipe and a certain mystery. However, it is customary here to treat the preparation of any dish that way, putting your soul into creating incredible combinations of tastes that conquer the world.

French cuisine can rightfully be called the most exquisite in the world, and the process of cooking is a real art. Knowing this will help you understand that the French love to eat.

The food system in France is directly opposite to the sensational rule: eat breakfast yourself, share lunch with a friend, and give dinner to the enemy.

The French breakfast is very modest and not without reason is called a small breakfast. (le petit déjeuner)... Most often, it is limited to a cup of coffee and a small bun, bagel or sandwich. It is interesting to note that the French prefer sweet sandwiches for breakfast - often bread with butter and jam / jam.

Lunch (in French terminology "breakfast", le déjeuner) starts at 12 noon. It usually consists of snacks, green salad, meat or fish dishes, cheese and coffee.

Evening meal, at 6 - 7 pm, called lunch (le dîner) and also provides several dishes: an aperitif, a green salad, a hot dish (meat with a side dish), a cheese plate (several types of cheese cut into small pieces and laid out on a plate specially provided for this) and coffee with sweets (often with chocolates, cookies).

The culinary traditions of the French have been preserved not only in good restaurants, but also in ordinary families. At festive family dinners, and especially at dinners with guests, you can perfectly see the main features of French cuisine.

Before dinner, guests are offered an “aperitif” - alcoholic drinks with nuts, almonds or dry biscuits - to stimulate the appetite. The actual dinner, as in the 16th century, begins with an "introduction": vegetable, meat or fish snacks. Soup is now rarely eaten, more often in the village. Fish, meat or poultry with matching white or red wines form the basis of a festive city meal.

Abroad, the French are considered to be frog lovers, and it is no coincidence that the French really willingly eat the tender white meat of the frog's hind legs, which tastes like chicken meat. However, for a family dinner, this is quite an expensive pleasure, so they do not feast on frog legs every day.

In an ordinary French family, they most often eat a steak and chips, a stew with vegetables, a rabbit stew or. Along with beef steak, horse meat steaks are prepared, which is sold in special butcher shops.

Of the dishes exotic for the Russian people, the French love shells and snails. Some shells are eaten raw - they resemble oysters. Others are specially cooked - their meat is similar to that of crabs or crayfish. A very tasty dish is obtained from large grape snails "escargot": they are baked in oil with parsley and garlic and served right in the sink.

For the main family holiday - Christmas - in the old days they cooked fried wild boar. Then he was replaced by a pig, now more and more often a turkey. The Christmas table is usually decorated with a dish with oysters and a special, oblong-shaped cake - "Christmas log" ... The final part of the festive lunch consists of green salad leaves, cheese, fruits, sweets and coffee. After coffee, guests are offered cognacs or liqueurs; they are collectively called "digestive" - ​​facilitating digestion. If the aperitif opens the festive dinner procedure, then the digestif completes it.

These are the simple traditions of an ordinary French table! Don't forget to check out our French recipes page. This is a selection of fairly simple and easy to implement culinary recipes for which you do not have to spend a lot of money on unique spices and ingredients. You can easily cook everything yourself!

In the preparation of the article, materials from the book by V.P. Smirnov "France: traditions, people, impressions"

France is a gourmet country. She is rightfully considered a trendsetter both in the fashion world and in the culinary arts. Cafes and restaurants of large cities are included in guidebooks along with museums and architectural monuments, and markets and small shops are not inferior to parks, gardens and cathedrals in terms of attendance. There is a food culture here.

To explore the gastronomy of France, one has to explore region by region. The climate and geography have shaped the cultural mosaic in every corner of the country for years, and each part of it has preserved its own traditions. So, eel, poultry, mushrooms, cream cheeses, beans, honey, mustard, potato and pork dishes are popular in the north of the country. And sweet and marinated meat in white wine, sausages, garlic, all offal stewed or baked in the oven with onions and vinegar and potato casseroles are eaten in the east. Oysters, beef stew, fish with garlic sauce, cod and anchovies, creme brulee - then head south. Desserts, fish and other seafood, vegetables, fruits, jams are the prerogative of the West.

But fresh baked goods and bread is something that is loved in every corner of the country. Typical French breakfast - in Paris or the countryside, in the north and south of the country, as a rule, it consists of freshly baked bread - a baguette or bun, croissant or tartlet, greased with butter. In addition to them, both at home and in restaurants, jam is always served - strawberry or apricot, less often cherry.

A heavier breakfast may include eggs. In 80% it will be a hard-boiled egg and less often - poached or fried, or an omelet.

Your morning meal is always accompanied by a glass of orange juice, followed by coffee. Interestingly, there are not many variations in French breakfasts: if pastries, then a crispy baguette, butter cannot be replaced by anything, jams - one or two flavors to choose from, if the juice is refreshing orange, and coffee is mostly black.

It is not uncommon to find in various articles that the French breakfast consists of crepes. Of course, these thin pancakes are loved and eaten in France, but in large cities they can often be found as urban street food, and in families they are prepared for lunch or weekend lunch. And if you don't need special recipes for a classic French-style breakfast - just a proven bakery, your favorite juice and a cup of strong coffee, then we'll give you a recipe for a weekend brunch.

Crepes are large, thin pancakes native to the French province of Brittany. The filling can be used as a variety of jams and confitures, as well as more satisfying ingredients - eggs, meat, fish and seafood.

How to make crepes

Ingredients

½ cup wheat flour
½ cup buckwheat flour
2 eggs
2 cups milk
vegetable oil for frying

France has rightfully earned the reputation of a trendsetter of the culinary arts. Food for the French is not just an opportunity to satisfy hunger, but also an important element of the way of life that characterizes a person from all sides.

History of French cuisine

Classic French cuisine dates back to King Francis I, who ruled in the 16th century. At this time, the so-called "bourgeois cuisine" appeared, which is something between the cuisine of the common people and the "highest culinary".

An ordinary bourgeois dinner began with an introduction (appetizers and the first course), then the main part (meat and fish dishes) was served, and cheeses and fruits were consumed as the end of the meal.

Already at this time, high-class Parisian restaurants appeared, the clients of which were the French aristocracy and noble foreigners.

In the 18th century, France began to occupy one of the leading roles in Europe, as a result of which French cuisine spread among the entire European aristocracy.

French chefs were very much appreciated in the courts of other countries, as they were able to change the taste of a product almost beyond recognition by combining various ingredients and create a luxurious table setting.

Under Louis XIV (the sun king), the ceremony of serving any dish turned into a solemn procedure. The king liked to eat well, and usually his meal consisted of the first, second, large number of salads, dessert and a few glasses of Burgundy wine diluted with water.

The whole world knows the names of outstanding French chefs: Savarena, Dugleret, Escoffier, Karema... Antoine Karen cooked for Talleyrand, Emperor Alexander I, Baron Rothschild.

The great masters conveyed their experience in books. Karen compiled The Art of French Cuisine, and Escoffier published a cookbook containing over a thousand recipes describing the many subtleties of cooking.

French food traditions

Regardless of material and social status, food plays a very important role in the life of the French. French chefs traditionally cook only from the freshest ingredients, trying to preserve all the characteristics of the product after heat treatment.

Dairy products are practically not used in French cuisine. The exception is cheese, dearly beloved by the French.

The country produces dozens of different types of cheese from goat, cow and sheep milk. The French almost never eat cereals.

The inhabitants of the country are very fond of fresh vegetables and fruits. Popular dishes include spinach, various types of cabbage, eggplant, potatoes, beans, tomatoes, artichokes, asparagus, and leeks.

The peculiarities of French cuisine include the use of lean meats: lamb, veal, chicken and game. In addition to traditional cooking methods, the French often cook meat over charcoal or open fire. An honorable place in the menu is given to seafood and fish dishes.

When preparing meat and fish dishes, alcoholic beverages are necessarily used - cognac and wine, which give a unique aroma and specific taste.

The main feature that distinguishes French cuisine is the presence of several hundred different sauces. The use of sauces helps to enhance the flavor of even the most common dishes. If a French woman has broth in the refrigerator, it will not be difficult for her to whip up an original sauce for the main dish.

What do the French prefer for breakfast, lunch and dinner

For breakfast, French housewives often prepare omelets with mushrooms, ham, cheese and lots of greens. Also, most of the country's inhabitants prefer orange juice, fresh baguette, butter, jam, cereal, yogurt, hot chocolate and, of course, coffee in the morning. The French are real coffee lovers and cannot imagine the beginning of the day without this invigorating drink.

Contrary to popular belief, the French do not eat croissants as often for breakfast, as these pastries are very high in calories.

Modern residents of French cities most often dine outside the home. Lunch usually consists of first and second courses, and cheese or fruit for dessert.

For dinner, the whole family usually gathers, so a large number of various dishes are put on the table - meat, fish, various salads, vegetables and fruits.

Favorite drinks of the French

France is one of the favorites in wine production. The French themselves cannot imagine a full meal without wine, but recently its consumption has dropped significantly. This is most likely due to the fact that many people in France are overworked and cannot afford to relax with a glass of wine during the day.

The most popular in the country is dry wine, which is also used for making sauces, marinades and baked goods. Residents of the country choose from strong drinks cognac, absinthe, calvados.

Young French people prefer beer... During a meal on the table, the French always have mineral water... For breakfast, many people prefer freshly squeezed orange juice.

National dishes of France

French recipes can delight any real gourmet. Of all the variety of dishes, one can single out the traditional ones, the most accessible to most people.

One of these dishes is steak with blood served with fried potato garnish. Stews made with white meat and white sauce are very popular.

A special place is given to pate made from chicken, pork and goose liver, as well as from rabbit meat with pork and duck. The French are very fond of fish and seafood, which are most often baked or fried.

The legendary French dish known all over the world is snails... Burgundy snails are usually served in their shells with butter, onions, garlic and herbs.

Oysters are a favorite food among gourmets

They are very popular with connoisseurs of gourmet cuisine. It is believed that these mollusks can be eaten only during the months, in the names of which there is the letter "r". Oysters are served live and eaten sprinkled with lemon juice.

Everyone knows that in France a special meat breed of frogs is used for food. Frog legs can be purchased at any supermarket. Before use, they are pickled, doused in flour and fried until golden brown.

French cuisine differs depending on which region of the country it is prepared in. Some culinary delights get their name from the locality in which they were developed.

These dishes include Périgord pate, Bayonne ham, Provencal tomatoes, beans and sausages in pot Toulouse. The Marseilles ear called bouillabess... Also from the first courses French chefs most often prepare onion soups and thick puree soups.

Normandy is famous for Camembert cheese and apple calvados, and Burgundy - dijon mustard... Chefs in Brittany make wonderful crepe crepes with a wide variety of fillings. Burgundy has always been famous for collection wine, rare types of cheese, dishes of truffles and beef.

The French have a big sweet tooth, so many dessert recipes can be found in their cuisine. Even people who watch their weight will not be able to resist cherry pie clafoutis, open cakes with fruits, various soufflés, jellies and creams.

Traditions of French cuisine - video recipe

Try making a leg of lamb with honey, chickpeas and aromatic Moroccan spices.

The recipe in this video

No national cuisine can surpass the French in originality and sophistication. What is eaten in France is different from the food in other countries. Cooking for the French is an art. Each dish is prepared according to its own recipe, adding its own flavor even to well-known recipes.

French cuisine

The French brought real luxury into everyday cuisine. High towers stand out from sweet dishes. Meat, oysters, fish are stacked on "pedestals". Compared to other European countries, French chefs use less dairy products. French cheeses are an exception. More than three thousand sauces are used in French dishes. All French dishes are prepared exclusively from fresh products, the quality of the products is preserved after heat treatment. French cuisine is multifaceted, in different regions of the country there may be disagreements regarding the recipes of some dishes. However, regardless of the area, French cuisine is replete with vegetables and root vegetables.

About Provence cuisine

Indispensable in Provencal cuisine are vegetables, garlic, spices: tarragon, marjoram, oregano, basil, dill, parsley, rosemary. Vegetables are used in hot and cold dishes. Vegetable dishes are prepared very satisfying, therefore sometimes they replace the main ones.

Cod, pike, halibut, carp, sardines decorate most Provencal dishes. Especially popular in France is bouillabaisse soup with small varieties of fish, seafood, vegetables, wine, spices. Mussels and oysters are in demand.

Meat in Provence is used with restraint. There are several dishes: beef stew, lamb stew, suckling pig, Parma ham, which are on the tables of the French.

Dessert in Provence is in great demand. There is always chocolate, nuts, nougat, dried fruits, cookies on the table. One of my favorite pies is clafoutis with apple-cherry-apricot filling. In any pastry shop there are always cakes, rolls, cakes, marmalade, sweets, crème brulee.

About the cuisine of Burgundy

In the cuisine of Burgundy, wine is used in many dishes. Wine is added to sauces, gravies. Meat and snails are marinated in wine. Snails are served without shells, adding parsley and onions.

About Normandy cuisine

Dairy products are valued in Normandy: cream, butter, Camembert cheese. In Normandy, meat and fish are always cooked with cream. And such dishes as Normandy beef flank with cream and mushrooms and Rouen duck can only be cooked so deliciously in Normandy.

About Lorraine cuisine

Lorraine is famous for its open tarts with slices of smoked bacon or ham and melted cheese. The national dish is Alsatian cabbage stew with pork and smoked breast.

About Lyon's cuisine

Lyon cuisine is famous for its extraordinarily delicious Lyons-style gratiné onion soup. A traditional Christmas dish is fried capon with chestnuts. Capons (young cockerels) are grown in cages, from which their meat becomes juicy, incomparable in taste.

French dishes

Every dish prepared in France can be remembered for a lifetime. The most famous dish prepared by French chefs is frog legs. France is also famous for its cheeses, they are produced in more than 500 different varieties: hard, soft, young, aged, with a crust, with mold. Also known are the "Burgundian snail", eggs "cocotte" with extragon. National dishes such as ratatouille, julienne, baguette, croissants are known not only in France. Often they also appear on the tables of Russians.

The French national drink is wine, the most famous is Bordeaux and Burgundy. Wine is served with almost every dish, and sometimes it is included in the cost of set meals. French champagne, cognac, calvados are no less famous in the world.