A very yummy article on French food

French food,

by Samia , Salima et Hassiba

How important is food in France? What is a typical meal like (starters, desserts) ? How long does a typical meal usually lasts? What are the occasions for a good meal? What are the traditional dishes in France? What are they in our place of origin?

The importance of food in France is great; it takes a lot of space in commercials and advertisements in order to take into account the fact that French food allows good results in terms of good health. A famous motto in the commercials say: “Eat five fresh fruit and vegetables a day”.

A typical meal in France usually starts with a raw vegetable (such as grated carrots or sliced tomatoes in a tasty oil seasoning, or a fresh melon, etc.); then, the entrée includes a source of animal protein (eg meat, fish, eggs), plus a serving of starchy foods (eg rice, potatoes, pasta, etc.); and to finish, we have a dairy product (eg some cheese or a yoghurt), followed with a fresh fruit, either plain or in a salad, or a “patisserie”or pastry cake. A French meal doesn’t come without a loaf of crusty baguette bread, to go with the dish seasoning or with the cheese.

In French schools, the cafeteria chef has to respect properly balanced diets to make sure the students eat healthy food. There is a commission once a month to check these healthy diets are respected. The commission includes the school’s chef, the school’s nurse, a teacher, an administrator and a parent.

A typical meal in France usually lasts about one hour to one and a half hour.

The opportunities for a good traditional meal in France are numerous, like Christmas, during a meal with our family or good friends, to celebrate someone’s birthday.

Every region in France has its traditional dishes, like the cassoulet (in Toulouse), the roasted duck breast (in Lyon ), the pork sausages, the Foie Gras, the crêpe (in Britain), the olive purée or tapenade (in the southeastern region), etc. ..

And we also have lots of dishes of foreign origins, such as Algerian origin: the couscous, the loubia (a bean dish), the chorba (a very tasty and sometimes spicy soup) , the Pastilla pastry dish (a pancake stuffed with chicken and almonds, yummy!!), the Mahjouba (a pancake stuffed with onions, tomatoes and peppers ), etc.

These are so many French people of Algerian origin in France that these popular dishes in Algerian culture have become very popular in French culture too!

Also: not all French people eat frogs! We have never tasted one before! What about you?

Presentation by Samia , Salima et Hassiba.