It is difficult to find another such exquisite and luxurious cuisine as French. The names of the dishes alone are like the sounds of a Parisian accordion: croissant, bechamel, foie gras, meringue, blancmange…
French cuisine is at the top of the culinary arts, and its chefs are true fans of their craft, perfectionists, a little crazy, like all geniuses. Ordinary French are, as a rule, gourmet, that is, they understand the intricacies of gourmet food. The appearance of the first restaurant in Paris in 1672 marked the beginning of modern French cuisine. Conventionally, it can be divided into regional cuisine, common and aristocratic, formed at the Bourbon court.
The cuisine of the regions is determined by geography and climate. Normandy is known for its apples and Camembert cheese, in Brittany they love thin and strong openwork pancakes – crepes, in the Perigord region the most expensive mushrooms in the world – truffles grow, and the famous delicacy foie gras is also made there. The south of France is dominated by Mediterranean dishes, Burgundy boasts wine and snails. Provence is a heavenly place, the birthplace of Provencal mayonnaise and bouillabaisse soup.
In French cooking, there are more than three thousand sauces! A variety of sauces is achieved through spices and herbs: tarragon, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, parsley, Provence herbs and many others.
France is rich in cheeses, there are more than 200 types. Among vegetables, artichokes, asparagus, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, garlic are popular. The famous vegetable dish is ratatouille.
For breakfast, almost no Frenchman can do without a fresh croissant or a slice of crispy baguette. By the way, the omelette, which many people around the world eat for breakfast, was also invented in France.
For the preparation of meat dishes (for example, fricassee, stew or galantina), beef, lamb, veal, turkey, chicken, duck, game (rabbit, partridge, quail and others) are used. Frog legs are a famous delicacy.
France is justifiably proud of its fabulous desserts: eclairs, profiteroles, millefeuille, creme brulee, grillage, jelly, tart tatin, soufflé and dozens of other sweet masterpieces.
In addition, this is the land of fine wine, cognac, liqueur and Calvados apple vodka. Often alcohol becomes an important ingredient in the preparation of a dish, for example, kok-o-vein (rooster in wine).
