6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

French cuisine
French cuisine (French: Cuisine française) consists of the
cooking traditions and practices from France. Its cuisine has
been influenced throughout the centuries by the many
surrounding cultures of Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany
and Belgium, in addition to its own food traditions on the long
western coastlines of the Atlantic, the Channel and inland.

In the 14th century, Guillaume Tirel, a court chef known as

"Taillevent", wrote Le Viandier, one of the earliest recipe A nouvelle cuisine presentation
collections of medieval France. In the 17th century, chefs
François Pierre La Varenne and Marie-Antoine Carême
spearheaded movements that shifted French cooking away
from its foreign influences and developed France's own
indigenous style.

Cheese and wine are a major part of the cuisine. They play
different roles regionally and nationally, with many variations
and appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) (regulated
appellation) laws.[1]

Culinary tourism and the Guide Michelin helped to acquaint French haute cuisine presentation
commoners with the cuisine bourgeoise of the urban elites and
the peasant cuisine of the French countryside starting in the
20th century. Gascon cuisine has also had great influence over
the cuisine in the southwest of France. Many dishes that were
once regional have proliferated in variations across the
country.

Knowledge of French cooking has contributed significantly to

Western cuisines. Its criteria are used widely in Western
cookery school boards and culinary education. In November
2010, French gastronomy was added by the UNESCO to its
lists of the world's "intangible cultural heritage".[2][3] French wines are usually made to
accompany French cuisine

Contents
History
Middle Ages
Ancien Régime
Late 18th century – early 19th century
Late 19th century – early 20th century
National cuisine
Regional cuisine
Paris and Île-de-France
Champagne, Lorraine, and Alsace

[Link] 1/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

Nord Pas-de-Calais, Picardy, Normandy, and Brittany

Loire Valley and central France
Burgundy and Franche-Comté
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Poitou-Charentes and Limousin
Bordeaux, Périgord, Gascony, and Basque country
Toulouse, Quercy, and Aveyron
Roussillon, Languedoc, and Cévennes
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Corsica
French Guiana
Specialties by season
Foods and ingredients
Structure of meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Beverages and drinks
Christmas
Food establishments
History
Restaurant staff
See also
References
Further reading
External links

History

Middle Ages

In French medieval cuisine, banquets were common among the aristocracy. Multiple courses
would be prepared, but served in a style called service en confusion, or all at once. Food was
generally eaten by hand, meats being sliced off in large pieces held between the thumb and two
fingers. The sauces were highly seasoned and thick, and heavily flavored mustards were used.

Pies were a common banquet item, with the crust serving primarily as a container, rather than as
food itself, and it was not until the very end of the Late Middle Ages that the shortcrust pie was
developed.

Meals often ended with an issue de table, which later changed into the modern dessert, and
typically consisted of dragées (in the Middle Ages, meaning spiced lumps of hardened sugar or
honey), aged cheese and spiced wine, such as hypocras.[4]: 1–7

[Link] 2/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

The ingredients of the time varied greatly according to the

seasons and the church calendar, and many items were
preserved with salt, spices, honey, and other preservatives.
Late spring, summer, and autumn afforded abundance, while
winter meals were more sparse. Livestock were slaughtered at
the beginning of winter. Beef was often salted, while pork was
salted and smoked. Bacon and sausages would be smoked in
the chimney, while the tongue and hams were brined and
dried. Cucumbers were brined as well, while greens would be
packed in jars with salt. Fruits, nuts and root vegetables would
be boiled in honey for preservation. Whale, dolphin and
porpoise were considered fish, so during Lent, the salted meats
of these sea mammals were eaten.[4]: 9–12

Artificial freshwater ponds (often called stews) held carp, pike,

tench, bream, eel, and other fish. Poultry was kept in special
yards, with pigeon and squab being reserved for the elite.
Game was highly prized, but very rare, and included venison,
boar, hare, rabbit, and fowl.
John, Duke of Berry enjoying a
grand meal. The Duke is sitting with
Kitchen gardens provided herbs, including some, such as
a cardinal at the high table, under a
tansy, rue, pennyroyal, and hyssop, which are rarely used
luxurious baldaquin, in front of the
today. Spices were treasured and very expensive at that time—
fireplace, tended to by several
they included pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and mace.
servants, including a carver. On the
Some spices used then, but no longer today in French cuisine
table to the left of the Duke is a
are cubebs, long pepper (both from vines similar to black
golden salt cellar, or nef, in the
pepper), grains of paradise, and galengale. shape of a ship; illustration from
Très Riches Heures du Duc de
Sweet-sour flavors were commonly added to dishes with
Berry, circa 1410.
vinegars and verjus combined with sugar (for the affluent) or
honey. A common form of food preparation was to thoroughly
cook, pound, and strain mixtures into fine pastes and mushes, something believed to be beneficial
to make use of nutrients.[4]: 13–15

Visual display was prized. Brilliant colors were obtained by the addition of, for example, juices
from spinach and the green part of leeks. Yellow came from saffron or egg yolk, while red came
from sunflower, and purple came from Crozophora tinctoria or Heliotropium europaeum.

Gold and silver leaf were placed on food surfaces and brushed with egg whites. Elaborate and
showy dishes were the result, such as tourte parmerienne which was a pastry dish made to look
like a castle with chicken-drumstick turrets coated with gold leaf. One of the grandest showpieces
of the time was roast swan or peacock sewn back into its skin with feathers intact, the feet and
beak being gilded. Since both birds are stringy, and taste unpleasant, the skin and feathers could
be kept and filled with the cooked, minced and seasoned flesh of tastier birds, like goose or
chicken.[4]: 15–16

The most well known French chef of the Middle Ages was Guillaume Tirel, also known as
Taillevent. Taillevent worked in numerous royal kitchens during the 14th century. His first
position was as a kitchen boy in 1326. He was chef to Philip VI, then the Dauphin who was son of
John II. The Dauphin became King Charles V of France in 1364, with Taillevent as his chief cook.
His career spanned sixty-six years, and upon his death he was buried in grand style between his
two wives. His tombstone represents him in armor, holding a shield with three cooking pots,
marmites, on it.[4]: 18–21

[Link] 3/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

Ancien Régime

Paris was the central hub of culture and economic activity, and as such, the most highly skilled
culinary craftsmen were to be found there. Markets in Paris such as Les Halles, la Mégisserie,
those found along Rue Mouffetard, and similar smaller versions in other cities were very
important to the distribution of food. Those that gave French produce its characteristic identity
were regulated by the guild system, which developed in the Middle Ages. In Paris, the guilds were
regulated by city government as well as by the French crown. A guild restricted those in a given
branch of the culinary industry to operate only within that field.[4]: 71–72

There were two groups of guilds—first, those that supplied the raw materials: butchers,
fishmongers, grain merchants, and gardeners. The second group were those that supplied
prepared foods: bakers, pastry cooks, sauce makers, poulterers, and caterers. There were also
guilds that offered both raw materials and prepared food, such as the charcutiers and rôtisseurs
(purveyors of roasted meat dishes). They would supply cooked meat pies and dishes as well as raw
meat and poultry. This caused issues with butchers and poulterers, who sold the same raw
materials.[4]: 72–73

The guilds served as a training ground for those within the industry. The degrees of assistant cook,
full-fledged cook and master chef were conferred. Those who reached the level of master chef were
of considerable rank in their individual industry, and enjoyed a high level of income as well as
economic and job security. At times, those in the royal kitchens did fall under the guild hierarchy,
but it was necessary to find them a parallel appointment based on their skills after leaving the
service of the royal kitchens. This was not uncommon as the Paris cooks' guild regulations allowed
for this movement.[4]: 73

During the 16th and 17th centuries, French cuisine assimilated many new food items from the New
World. Although they were slow to be adopted, records of banquets show Catherine de' Medici
(1519–1589?) serving sixty-six turkeys at one dinner.[4]: 81 The dish called cassoulet has its roots in
the New World discovery of haricot beans, which are central to the dish's creation, but had not
existed outside of the Americas until the arrival of Europeans.[4]: 85

Haute cuisine (pronounced [ot kɥizin], "high cuisine") has foundations during the 17th century with
a chef named La Varenne. As author of works such as Le Cuisinier françois, he is credited with
publishing the first true French cookbook. His book includes the earliest known reference to roux
using pork fat. The book contained two sections, one for meat days, and one for fasting. His recipes
marked a change from the style of cookery known in the Middle Ages, to new techniques aimed at
creating somewhat lighter dishes, and more modest presentations of pies as individual pastries
and turnovers. La Varenne also published a book on pastry in 1667 entitled Le Parfait confitvrier
(republished as Le Confiturier françois) which similarly updated and codified the emerging haute
cuisine standards for desserts and pastries.[4]: 114–120

Chef François Massialot wrote Le Cuisinier roïal et bourgeois in 1691, during the reign of Louis
XIV. The book contains menus served to the royal courts in 1690. Massialot worked mostly as a
freelance cook, and was not employed by any particular household. Massialot and many other
royal cooks received special privileges by association with the French royalty. They were not
subject to the regulation of the guilds; therefore, they could cater weddings and banquets without
restriction. His book is the first to list recipes alphabetically, perhaps a forerunner of the first
culinary dictionary. It is in this book that a marinade is first seen in print, with one type for poultry
and feathered game, while a second is for fish and shellfish. No quantities are listed in the recipes,
which suggests that Massialot was writing for trained cooks.[4]: 149–154

[Link] 4/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

The successive updates of Le Cuisinier roïal et bourgeois include important refinements such as
adding a glass of wine to fish stock. Definitions were also added to the 1703 edition. The 1712
edition, retitled Le Nouveau cuisinier royal et bourgeois, was increased to two volumes, and was
written in a more elaborate style with extensive explanations of technique. Additional smaller
preparations are included in this edition as well, leading to lighter preparations, and adding a third
course to the meal. Ragout, a stew still central to French cookery, makes its first appearance as a
single dish in this edition as well; prior to that, it was listed as a garnish.[4]: 155

Late 18th century – early 19th century

Shortly before the French Revolution, dishes like bouchées à la

Reine gained prominence. Essentially royal cuisine produced
by the royal household, this is a chicken-based recipe served on
vol-au-vent created under the influence of Queen Marie
Leszczyńska, the Polish-born wife of Louis XV. This recipe is
still popular today, as are other recipes from Queen Marie
Leszczyńska like consommé à la Reine and filet d'aloyau
braisé à la royale. Queen Marie is also credited with
introducing Polonaise garnishing to the French diet.

The French Revolution was integral to the expansion of French

cuisine, because it abolished the guild system. This meant
anyone could now produce and sell any culinary item they
wished.
The Polish wife of Louis XV of
Bread was a significant food source among peasants and the France, Queen Marie Leszczyńska,
working class in the late 18th century, with many of the influenced French cuisine.
nation's people being dependent on it. In French provinces,
bread was often consumed three times a day by the people of
France.[5] According to Brace, bread was referred to as the basic
dietary item for the masses, and it was also used as a foundation for
soup. In fact, bread was so important that harvest, interruption of
commerce by wars, heavy flour exploration, and prices and supply
were all watched and controlled by the French Government. Among
the underprivileged, constant fear of famine was always prevalent.
From 1725 to 1789, there were fourteen years of bad yields to blame
for low grain supply. In Bordeaux, during 1708–1789, thirty-three bad
harvests occurred.[5]

Marie-Antoine Carême was born in 1784, five years before the

Revolution. He spent his younger years working at a pâtisserie until
he was discovered by Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord; he Marie-Antoine Carême was
would later cook for Napoleon Bonaparte. Prior to his employment a French chef and an early
with Talleyrand, Carême had become known for his pièces montées, practitioner and exponent of
which were extravagant constructions of pastry and sugar the elaborate style of
cooking known as grande
architecture.[6]: 144–145
cuisine
More important to Carême's career was his contribution to the
refinement of French cuisine. The basis for his style of cooking was his
sauces, which he named mother sauces. Often referred to as fonds, meaning "foundations", these
base sauces, espagnole, velouté, and béchamel, are still known today. Each of these sauces was
made in large quantities in his kitchen, then formed the basis of multiple derivatives. Carême had
over one hundred sauces in his repertoire.

[Link] 5/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

In his writings, soufflés appear for the first time. Although many of his preparations today seem
extravagant, he simplified and codified an even more complex cuisine that existed beforehand.
Central to his codification of the cuisine were Le Maître d'hôtel français (1822), Le Cuisinier
parisien (1828) and L'Art de la cuisine française au dix-neuvième siècle (1833–5).[6]: 144–148

Late 19th century – early 20th century

Georges Auguste Escoffier is commonly acknowledged as the central

figure to the modernization of haute cuisine and organizing what
would become the national cuisine of France. His influence began
with the rise of some of the great hotels in Europe and America during
the 1880s-1890s. The Savoy Hotel managed by César Ritz was an
early hotel in which Escoffier worked, but much of his influence came
during his management of the kitchens in the Carlton from 1898 until
1921. He created a system of "parties" called the brigade system,
which separated the professional kitchen into five separate stations.

These five stations included the garde manger that prepared cold
dishes; the entremettier prepared starches and vegetables, the
rôtisseur prepared roasts, grilled and fried dishes; the saucier
prepared sauces and soups; and the pâtissier prepared all pastry and
desserts items. Georges Auguste Escoffier
was a French chef,
This system meant that instead of one person preparing a dish on restaurateur and culinary
one's own, now multiple cooks would prepare the different writer who popularized and
components for the dish. An example used is oeufs au plat updated traditional French
Meyerbeer, the prior system would take up to fifteen minutes to cooking methods
prepare the dish, while in the new system, the eggs would be prepared
by the entremettier, kidney grilled by the rôtisseur, truffle sauce made
by the saucier and thus the dish could be prepared in a shorter time and served quickly in the
popular restaurants.[6]: 157–159

Escoffier also simplified and organized the modern menu and structure of the meal. He published
a series of articles in professional journals which outlined the sequence, and he finally published
his Livre des menus in 1912. This type of service embraced the service à la russe (serving meals in
separate courses on individual plates), which Félix Urbain Dubois had made popular in the 1860s.
Escoffier's largest contribution was the publication of Le Guide Culinaire in 1903, which
established the fundamentals of French cookery. The book was a collaboration with Philéas
Gilbert, E. Fetu, A. Suzanne, B. Reboul, Ch. Dietrich, A. Caillat and others. The significance of this
is to illustrate the universal acceptance by multiple high-profile chefs to this new style of
cooking.[6]: 159–160

Le Guide Culinaire deemphasized the use of heavy sauces and leaned toward lighter fumets, which
are the essence of flavor taken from fish, meat and vegetables. This style of cooking looked to
create garnishes and sauces whose function is to add to the flavor of the dish, rather than mask
flavors like the heavy sauces and ornate garnishes of the past. Escoffier took inspiration for his
work from personal recipes in addition to recipes from Carême, Dubois and ideas from Taillevent's
Le Viandier, which had a modern version published in 1897. A second source for recipes came
from existing peasant dishes that were translated into the refined techniques of haute cuisine.

Expensive ingredients would replace the common ingredients, making the dishes much less
humble. The third source of recipes was Escoffier himself, who invented many new dishes, such as
pêche Melba.[6]: 160–162 Escoffier updated Le Guide Culinaire four times during his lifetime, noting

[Link] 6/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

in the foreword to the book's first edition that even with its 5,000 recipes, the book should not be
considered an "exhaustive" text, and that even if it were at the point when he wrote the book, "it
would no longer be so tomorrow, because progress marches on each day."[7]

This period is also marked by the appearance of the nouvelle cuisine. The term "nouvelle cuisine"
has been used many times in the history of French cuisine which emphasized the freshness,
lightness and clarity of flavor and inspired by new movements in world cuisine. In the 1740s,
Menon first used the term, but the cooking of Vincent La Chapelle and François Marin was also
considered modern. In the 1960s, Henri Gault and Christian Millau revived it to describe the
cooking of Paul Bocuse, Jean and Pierre Troisgros, Michel Guérard, Roger Vergé and Raymond
Oliver.[8] These chefs were working toward rebelling against the "orthodoxy" of Escoffier's cuisine.
Some of the chefs were students of Fernand Point at the Pyramide in Vienne, and had left to open
their own restaurants. Gault and Millau "discovered the formula" contained in ten characteristics
of this new style of cooking.[6]: 163–164

The first characteristic was a rejection of excessive complication in cooking. Second, the cooking
times for most fish, seafood, game birds, veal, green vegetables and pâtés was greatly reduced in
an attempt to preserve the natural flavors. Steaming was an important trend from this
characteristic. The third characteristic was that the cuisine was made with the freshest possible
ingredients. Fourth, large menus were abandoned in favor of shorter menus. Fifth, strong
marinades for meat and game ceased to be used.[6]: 163–164

Sixth, they stopped using heavy sauces such as espagnole and béchamel thickened with flour
based "roux" in favor of seasoning their dishes with fresh herbs, quality butter, lemon juice, and
vinegar. Seventh, they used regional dishes for inspiration instead of haute cuisine dishes. Eighth,
new techniques were embraced and modern equipment was often used; Bocuse even used
microwave ovens. Ninth, the chefs paid close attention to the dietary needs of their guests through
their dishes. Tenth, and finally, the chefs were extremely inventive and created new combinations
and pairings.[6]: 163–164

Some have speculated that a contributor to nouvelle cuisine was World War II when animal
protein was in short supply during the German occupation.[9] By the mid-1980s food writers
stated that the style of cuisine had reached exhaustion and many chefs began returning to the
haute cuisine style of cooking, although much of the lighter presentations and new techniques
remained.[6]: 163–164

When the French colonized Vietnam, one of the most famous and popular dishes, Pot-au-feu was
subsequently introduced to the local people. While it didn't directly create the widely recognizable
Vietnamese dish, Pho, it served as a reference for the modern-day form of Pho.

National cuisine
There are many dishes that are considered part of French national cuisine today.

A meal often consists of three courses, hors d'œuvre or entrée (introductory course, sometimes
soup), plat principal (main course), fromage (cheese course) or dessert, sometimes with a salad
offered before the cheese or dessert.

Hors d'œuvre

[Link] 7/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

Basil salmon terrine Bisque is a smooth Foie gras with Croque monsieur
and creamy French mustard seeds and
potage. green onions in
duck jus

Plat principal

Pot-au-feu is a Steak frites is a Blanquette de veau

cuisine classique simple and popular
dish. dish.

Pâtisserie

Typical French Mille-feuille Macaron Éclair

pâtisserie

Dessert

[Link] 8/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

Crème brûlée Mousse au chocolat Crêpe Floating island

Regional cuisine
French regional cuisine is characterized by its extreme
diversity and style. Traditionally, each region of France has
its own distinctive cuisine.[10]

Paris and Île-de-France

Paris and Île-de-France are central regions where almost

anything from the country is available, as all train lines
meet in the city. Over 9,000 restaurants exist in Paris and
almost any cuisine can be obtained here. High-quality
Michelin Guide-rated restaurants proliferate here.[11]
The 22 regions and 96 departments of
metropolitan France include Corsica
Champagne, Lorraine, and Alsace
(Corse, lower right). Paris area is
expanded (inset at left).
Game and ham are popular in Champagne, as well as the
special sparkling wine simply known as Champagne. Fine
fruit preserves are known from Lorraine as well as the
quiche Lorraine.[12] As region of historically Allemanic German culture Alsace has retained
Elements of German cuisine, especially similar to those from the neighboring Palatinate and
Baden region, but has implemented French influences since France first took control of the region
in the 17th century. As such, beers made in the area are similar to the style of bordering Germany.
Dishes like choucroute (French for sauerkraut) are also popular.[11]: 55 Many "Eaux de vie"
(distilled alcohol from fruit) also called schnaps are from this region, due to a wide variety of local
fruits (cherry, raspberry, pear, grapes) and especially prunes (mirabelle, plum).[9]:259,295

[Link] 9/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

Flute of Champagne Alsatian Quiche Choucroute garnie

wine Flammekueche

Andouillette

Nord Pas-de-Calais, Picardy, Normandy, and

Brittany

The coastline supplies many crustaceans, sea bass, monkfish

and herring. Normandy has top-quality seafood, such as
scallops and sole, while Brittany has a supply of lobster,
crayfish and mussels.
"Carte Gastronomique de la France"
Normandy is home to a large population of apple trees; apples
belong to the outset of the "Cours
are often used in dishes, as well as cider and Calvados. The
Gastronomique" by Charles Louis
northern areas of this region, especially Nord, grow ample
Cadet de Gassicourt (1809).
amounts of wheat, sugar beets and chicory. Thick stews are
found often in these northern areas as well.

The produce of these northern regions is also considered some of the best in the country, including
cauliflower and artichokes. Buckwheat grows widely in Brittany as well and is used in the region's
galettes, called jalet, which is where this dish originated.[11]: 93

[Link] 10/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

Crème Chantilly, Camembert, cheese Crêpe and Cider, Lille Waffles

created at the specialty from specialty from
Château de Normandy Brittany
Chantilly.

Belon oysters

Loire Valley and central France

High-quality fruits come from the Loire Valley and central France, including cherries grown for
the liqueur Guignolet and Belle Angevine pears. The strawberries and melons are also of high
quality.

Fish are seen in the cuisine, often served with a beurre blanc sauce, as well as wild game, lamb,
calves, Charolais cattle, Géline fowl, and goat cheeses.

Young vegetables are used often, as are the specialty mushrooms of the region, champignons de
Paris. Vinegars from Orléans are a specialty ingredient used as well.[11]: 129, 132

Burgundy and Franche-Comté

Burgundy and Franche-Comté are known for their wines. Pike, perch, river crabs, snails, game,
redcurrants, blackcurrants are from both Burgundy and Franche-Comté.

Amongst savorous specialties accounted in the Cuisine franc-comtoise from the Franche-Comté
region are Croûte aux morilles, Poulet à la Comtoise, trout, smoked meats and cheeses such as
Mont d'Or, Comté and Morbier which are best eaten hot or cold, the exquisite Coq au vin jaune
and the special dessert gâteau de ménage.

Charolais beef, poultry from Bresse, sea snail, honey cake, Chaource and Epoisses cheese are
specialties of the local cuisine of Burgundy. Dijon mustard is also a specialty of Burgundy cuisine.
Crème de cassis is a popular liquor made from the blackcurrants. Oils are used in the cooking
here, types include nut oils and rapeseed oil.[11]: 153, 156, 166, 185

[Link] 11/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

Bœuf bourguignon Coq au vin Escargots, with Beaujolais wine

special tongs and
fork

Dijon mustard Comté cheese and Gâteau de ménage

Vin jaune

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

The area covers the old province of Dauphiné, once known as the
"larder" of France, that gave its name to gratin dauphinois,[13]
traditionally made in a large baking dish rubbed with garlic. Successive
layers of potatoes, salt, pepper and milk are piled up to the top of the
dish. It is then baked in the oven at low temperature for 2 hours.[14]
Grand sechoir, Museum
Fruit and young vegetables are popular in the cuisine from the Rhône of the Walnut in Vinay,
valley, as are wines like Hermitage AOC, Crozes-Hermitage AOC and Isère
Condrieu AOC. Walnuts and walnut products and oil from Noix de
Grenoble AOC, lowland cheeses, like St. Marcellin, St.
Félicien and Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage.

Poultry from Bresse, guinea fowl from Drôme and fish

from the Dombes, a light yeast-based cake, called Pogne
de Romans and the regional speciality, Raviole du
Dauphiné, and there is the short-crust "Suisse", a
Valence biscuit speciality.

Lakes and mountain streams in Rhône-Alpes are key to

the cuisine as well. Lyon and Savoy supply sausages while
the Alpine regions supply their specialty cheeses like
Salade lyonnaise
Beaufort, Abondance, Reblochon, Tomme and
Vacherin.[15][16][17][18]

[Link] 12/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

Mères lyonnaises are female cooks particular to this

region who provide local gourmet establishments.[19]
Celebrated chefs from this region include Fernand Point,
Paul Bocuse, the Troisgros brothers and Alain Chapel.[20]
Drome apricots
The Chartreuse Mountains are the source of the green
and yellow Digestif liquor, Chartreuse produced by the
monks of the Grande Chartreuse.[11]: 197, 230

Since the 2014 administrative reform, the ancient area of

Auvergne is now part of the region. One of its leading
chefs is Regis Marcon.

Sweet chestnuts

Gratin dauphinois Bleu du Vercors-

Sassenage

Chartreuse Elixir Salade de ravioles Condrieu wine Suisse de Valence

Végétal biscuit

[Link] 13/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

Bleu de Bresse Poulet de Bresse Rosette de Lyon Noix de Grenoble,

chicken salad charcuterie unusual trilaterally
symmetric walnut

Beaufort cheeses
ripening in a cellar

Poitou-Charentes and Limousin

Oysters come from the Oléron-Marennes basin, while mussels come from the Bay of Aiguillon.

High-quality produce comes from the region's hinterland, especially goat cheese. This region and
in the Vendée is grazing ground for Parthenaise cattle, while poultry is raised in Challans.

The region of Poitou-Charentes purportedly produces the best butter and cream in France. Cognac
is also made in the region along the river Charente.

Limousin is home to the Limousin cattle, as well as sheep. The woodlands offer game and
mushrooms. The southern area around Brive draws its cooking influence from Périgord and
Auvergne to produce a robust cuisine.[11]: 237

Bordeaux, Périgord, Gascony, and Basque country

Bordeaux is known for its wine, with certain areas offering specialty grapes for wine-making.
Fishing is popular in the region for the cuisine, sea fishing in the Bay of Biscay, trapping in the
Garonne and stream fishing in the Pyrenees.

The Pyrenees also has lamb, such as the Agneau de Pauillac, as well as sheep cheeses. Beef cattle
in the region include the Blonde d'Aquitaine, Boeuf de Chalosse, Boeuf Gras de Bazas, and
Garonnaise.

Free-range chicken, turkey, pigeon, capon, goose and duck prevail in the region as well. Gascony
and Périgord cuisines includes pâtés, terrines, confits and magrets. This is one of the regions
notable for its production of foie gras, or fattened goose or duck liver.
[Link] 14/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

The cuisine of the region is often heavy and farm based. Armagnac is also from this region, as are
prunes from Agen.[11]: 259, 295

Confit de canard A terrine of foie gras Black Périgord Tourin, a garlic soup
with a bottle of Truffle from Dordogne
Sauternes

Toulouse, Quercy, and Aveyron

Gers, a department of France, is within this region and has poultry, while La Montagne Noire and
Lacaune area offer hams and dry sausages.

White corn is planted heavily in the area both for use in fattening ducks and geese for foie gras and
for the production of millas, a cornmeal porridge. Haricot beans are also grown in this area, which
are central to the dish cassoulet.

The finest sausage in France is saucisse de Toulouse, which also part of cassoulet of Toulouse. The
Cahors area produces a specialty "black wine" as well as truffles and mushrooms.

This region also produces milk-fed lamb. Unpasteurized ewe's milk is used to produce Roquefort
in Aveyron, while in Laguiole is producing unpasteurized cow's milk cheese. Salers cattle produce
milk for cheese, as well as beef and veal products.

The volcanic soils create flinty cheeses and superb lentils. Mineral waters are produced in high
volume in this region as well.[11]: 313 Cabécou cheese is from Rocamadour, a medieval settlement
erected directly on a cliff, in the rich countryside of Causses du Quercy.

This area is one of the region's oldest milk producers; it has chalky soil, marked by history and
human activity, and is favourable for the raising of goats.

Cassoulet Aligot Roquefort cheese

[Link] 15/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

Roussillon, Languedoc, and Cévennes

Restaurants are popular in the area known as Le Midi. Oysters come from the Étang de Thau, to be
served in the restaurants of Bouzigues, Mèze, and Sète. Mussels are commonly seen here in
addition to fish specialties of Sète, bourride, tielles and rouille de seiche.

In the Languedoc jambon cru, sometimes known as jambon de montagne is produced. High
quality Roquefort comes from the brebis (sheep) on the Larzac plateau.

The Les Cévennes area offers mushrooms, chestnuts, berries, honey, lamb, game, sausages, pâtés
and goat cheeses. Catalan influence can be seen in the cuisine here with dishes like brandade
made from a purée of dried cod wrapped in mangold leaves. Snails are plentiful and are prepared
in a specific Catalan style known as a cargolade. Wild boar can be found in the more mountainous
regions of the Midi.[11]: 349, 360

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

The Provence and Côte d'Azur region is rich in quality citrus, vegetables, fruits and herbs; the
region is one of the largest suppliers of all these ingredients in France. The region also produces
the largest amount of olives, and creates superb olive oil. Lavender is used in many dishes found in
Haute Provence. Other important herbs in the cuisine include thyme, sage, rosemary, basil,
savory, fennel, marjoram, tarragon, oregano, and bay leaf.[21] Honey is a prized ingredient in the
region.

Seafood is widely available throughout the coastal area and is heavily represented in the cuisine.
Goat cheeses, air-dried sausages, lamb, beef, and chicken are popular here. Garlic and anchovies
are used in many of the region's sauces, as in Poulet Provençal, which uses white wine, tomatoes,
herbs, and sometimes anchovies, and Pastis is found everywhere that alcohol is served.

The cuisine uses a large amount of vegetables for lighter preparations. Truffles are commonly seen
in Provence during the winter. Thirteen desserts in Provence are the traditional Christmas
dessert,[22] e.g. quince cheese, biscuits, almonds, nougat, apple, and fougasse.

Rice is grown in the Camargue, which is the northernmost rice growing area in Europe, with
Camargue red rice being a specialty.[11]: 387, 403, 404, 410, 416 Anibal Camous, a Marseillais who lived
to be 104, maintained that it was by eating garlic daily that he kept his "youth" and brilliance.
When his eighty-year-old son died, the father mourned: "I always told him he wouldn't live long,
poor boy. He ate too little garlic!" (cited by chef Philippe Gion ([Link]
80815155113/[Link]

[Link] 16/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

Ratatouille Salade niçoise Bouillabaisse Daube

Pissaladière Pan bagnat Vacqueyras wine Bourride de fruits de

mer

Salade Mesclun Pieds paquets

Corsica

Goats and sheep proliferate on the island of Corsica, and lamb are used to prepare dishes such as
stufato, ragouts and roasts. Cheeses are also produced, with brocciu being the most popular.

Chestnuts, growing in the Castagniccia forest, are used to produce flour, which is used in turn to
make bread, cakes and polenta. The forest provides acorns used to feed the pigs and boars that
provide much of the protein for the island's cuisine. Fresh fish and seafood are common.

The island's pork is used to make fine hams, sausage and other unique items including coppa
(dried rib cut), lonzu (dried pork fillet), figatellu (smoked and dried liverwurst), salumu (a dried
sausage), salcietta, Panzetta, bacon, and prisuttu (farmer's ham).

Clementines (which hold an AOC designation), lemons, nectarines and figs are grown there.
Candied citron is used in nougats, while and the aforementioned brocciu and chestnuts are also
used in desserts.

[Link] 17/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

Corsica offers a variety of wines and fruit liqueurs, including Cap Corse, Patrimonio, Cédratine,
Bonapartine, liqueur de myrte, vins de fruit, Rappu, and eau-de-vie de châtaigne.[11]: 435, 441, 442

French Guiana

French Guianan cuisine or Guianan cuisine is a blend of the different cultures that have
settled in French Guiana. Creole and Chinese restaurants are common in major cities such as
Cayenne, Kourou and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. Many indigenous animal species such as caiman
and tapir are used in spiced stews.

Specialties by season
French cuisine varies according to the season. In summer, salads and fruit dishes are popular
because they are refreshing and produce is inexpensive and abundant. Greengrocers prefer to sell
their fruits and vegetables at lower prices if needed, rather than see them rot in the heat. At the
end of summer, mushrooms become plentiful and appear in stews throughout France. The hunting
season begins in September and runs through February. Game of all kinds is eaten, often in
elaborate dishes that celebrate the success of the hunt. Shellfish are at their peak when winter
turns to spring, and oysters appear in restaurants in large quantities.

With the advent of deep-freeze and the air-conditioned hypermarché, these seasonal variations
are less marked than hitherto, but they are still observed, in some cases due to legal restrictions.
Crayfish, for example, have a short season and it is illegal to catch them out of season.[23]
Moreover, they do not freeze well.

Foods and ingredients

French regional cuisines use locally grown vegetables, such as pomme de terre (potato), blé
(wheat), haricots verts (a type of French green bean), carotte (carrot), poireau (leek), navet
(turnip), aubergine (eggplant), courgette (zucchini), and échalotte (shallot).

French regional cuisines use locally grown fungi, such as truffe (truffle), champignon de Paris
(button mushroom), chanterelle ou girolle (chanterelle), pleurote (en huître) (oyster mushrooms),
and cèpes (porcini).

Common fruits include oranges, tomatoes, tangerines, peaches, apricots, apples, pears, plums,
cherries, strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants, blackberries, grapes, grapefruit, and
blackcurrants.

Varieties of meat consumed include poulet (chicken), pigeon (squab), canard (duck), oie (goose,
the source of foie gras), bœuf (beef), veau (veal), porc (pork), agneau (lamb), mouton (mutton),
caille (quail), cheval (horse), grenouille (frog), and escargot (snails). Commonly consumed fish
and seafood include cod, canned sardines, fresh sardines, canned tuna, fresh tuna, salmon, trout,
mussels, herring, oysters, shrimp and calamari.

Eggs often eaten as: omelettes, hard-boiled with mayonnaise, scrambled plain, scrambled haute
cuisine preparation, œuf à la coque.

Herbs and seasonings vary by region, and include fleur de sel, herbes de Provence, tarragon,
rosemary, marjoram, lavender, thyme, fennel, and sage.

[Link] 18/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

Fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as fish and meat, can be purchased either from supermarkets or
specialty shops. Street markets are held on certain days in most localities; some towns have a more
permanent covered market enclosing food shops, especially meat and fish retailers. These have
better shelter than the periodic street markets.

Herbes de provence Charolais cattle Champignon de Haricots verts

Paris

Piments d'Espelette Fleur de sel de Grappe de raisin Poulet de Bresse

Guérande

Blé (Wheat) Black Périgord

truffle

Structure of meals

Breakfast

Le petit déjeuner (breakfast) is traditionally a quick meal consisting of tartines (slices) of French
bread with butter and honey or jam (sometimes brioche), along with café au lait (also called café
crème), or black coffee, or tea[24] and rarely hot chicory. Children often drink hot chocolate in
bowls or cups along with their breakfasts. Croissants, pain aux raisins or pain au chocolat (also
named chocolatine in the south-west of France) are mostly included as a weekend treat. Breakfast
of some kind is always served in cafés opening early in the day.
[Link] 19/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

There are also savoury dishes for breakfast. An example is le

petit déjeuner gaulois or petit déjeuner fermier with the
famous long narrow bread slices topped with soft white cheese
or boiled ham, called mouillettes,[25] which is dipped in a soft-
boiled egg and some fruit juice and hot drink.

Another variation called le petit déjeuner chasseur, meant to

be very hearty, is served with pâté and other charcuterie
products. A more classy version is called le petit déjeuner du Café with a croissant for breakfast
voyageur, where delicatessens serve gizzard, bacon, salmon,
omelet, or croque monsieur, with or without soft-boiled egg
and always with the traditional coffee/tea/chocolate along fruits or fruit juice. When the egg is
cooked sunny-side over the croque-monsieur, it is called a croque-madame.

In Germinal and other novels, Émile Zola also reported the briquet: two long bread slices stuffed
with butter, cheese and or ham. It can be eaten as a standing/walking breakfast, or meant as a
"second" one before lunch.

In the movie Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis, Philippe Abrams (Kad Merad) and Antoine Bailleul (Dany
Boon) share together countless breakfasts consisting of tartines de Maroilles (a rather strong
cheese) along with their hot chicory.

Lunch

Le déjeuner (lunch) is a two-hour mid-day meal or a one-hour lunch break. In some smaller towns
and in the south of France, the two-hour lunch may still be customary. Sunday lunches are often
longer and are taken with the family.[26] Restaurants normally open for lunch at noon and close at
2:30 pm. Some restaurants are closed on Monday during lunch hours.[27]

In large cities, a majority of working people and students eat their lunch at a corporate or school
cafeteria, which normally serves complete meals as described above; it is not usual for students to
bring their own lunch to eat. For companies that do not operate a cafeteria, it is mandatory for
employees to be given lunch vouchers as part of their employee benefits. These can be used in
most restaurants, supermarkets and traiteurs; however, workers having lunch in this way typically
do not eat all three courses of a traditional lunch due to price and time constraints. In smaller
cities and towns, some working people leave their workplaces to return home for lunch. Also, an
alternative, especially among blue-collar workers, is eating sandwiches followed by a dessert; both
dishes can be found ready-made at bakeries and supermarkets at budget prices.

Dinner

Le dîner (dinner) often consists of three courses, hors d'œuvre or entrée (appetizers or
introductory course, sometimes soup), plat principal (main course), and a cheese course or
dessert, sometimes with a salad offered before the cheese or dessert. Yogurt may replace the
cheese course, while a simple dessert would be fresh fruit. The meal is often accompanied by
bread, wine and mineral water. Most of the time the bread would be a baguette which is very
common in France and is made almost every day. Main meat courses are often served with
vegetables, along with potatoes, rice or pasta.[26]: 82 Restaurants often open at 7:30 pm for dinner,
and stop taking orders between the hours of 10:00 pm and 11:00 pm. Some restaurants close for
dinner on Sundays.[27]: 342

Beverages and drinks

[Link] 20/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

In French cuisine, beverages that precede a meal are called apéritifs (literally: "that opens the
appetite"), and can be served with amuse-bouches (literally: "mouth amuser"). Those that end it
are called digestifs.

Apéritifs

The apéritif varies from region to region: Pastis is popular in the south of France, Crémant
d'Alsace in the eastern region. Champagne can also be served. Kir, also called Blanc-cassis, is a
common and popular apéritif-cocktail made with a measure of crème de cassis (blackcurrant
liqueur) topped up with white wine. The phrase Kir Royal is used when white wine is replaced
with a Champagne wine. A simple glass of red wine, such as Beaujolais nouveau, can also be
presented as an apéritif, accompanied by amuse-bouches. Some apéritifs can be fortified wines
with added herbs, such as cinchona, gentian and vermouth. Trade names that sell well include
Suze (the classic gentiane), Byrrh, Dubonnet, and Noilly Prat.

Digestifs

Digestifs are traditionally stronger, and include Cognac, Armagnac, Calvados, Eau de vie and fruit
alcohols.

Christmas
A typical French Christmas dish is turkey with chestnuts. Other common dishes are smoked
salmon, oysters, caviar and foie gras. The Yule log (bûche de Noël) is a very French tradition
during Christmas. Chocolate and cakes also occupy a prominent place for Christmas in France.
This cuisine is normally accompanied by Champagne. Tradition says that thirteen desserts
complete the Christmas meal in reference to the twelve apostles and Christ.[28][29][30][31]

Food establishments

History

The modern restaurant has its origins in French culture. Prior

to the late 18th century, diners who wished to "dine out" would
visit their local guild member's kitchen and have their meal
prepared for them. However, guild members were limited to Yule log, a French Christmas
producing whatever their guild registry delegated to tradition
them.[32]: 8–10 These guild members offered food in their own
homes to steady clientele that appeared day-to-day but at set
times. The guest would be offered the meal table d'hôte, which
is a meal offered at a set price with very little choice of dishes,
sometimes none at all.[32]: 30–31

The first steps toward the modern restaurant were locations

that offered restorative bouillons, or restaurants—these words
being the origin of the name "restaurant". This step took place
during the 1760s–1770s. These locations were open at all times
of the day, featuring ornate tableware and reasonable prices.
These locations were meant more as meal replacements for
those who had "lost their appetites and suffered from jaded
palates and weak chests."[32]: 34–35 Cooks at work

[Link] 21/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

In 1782 Antoine Beauvilliers, pastry chef to the future Louis XVIII, opened one of the most popular
restaurants of the time—the Grande Taverne de Londres—in the arcades of the Palais-Royal.
Other restaurants were opened by chefs of the time who were leaving the failing monarchy of
France, in the period leading up to the French Revolution. It was these restaurants that expanded
upon the limited menus of decades prior, and led to the full restaurants that were completely
legalized with the advent of the French Revolution and abolition of the guilds. This and the
substantial discretionary income of the French Directory's nouveau riche helped keep these new
restaurants in business.[32]: 140–144

Restaurant Le Train Bleu, in Paris

A bouchon, Le tablier (the apron), in

Vieux Lyon

Café de Flore, in Paris

[Link] 22/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

Categories
English French Description
Restaurant More than 5,000 in Paris alone, with varying
levels of prices and menus. Open at certain
times of the day, and normally closed one day of
the week. Patrons select items from a printed
menu. Some offer regional menus, while others
offer a modern styled menu. Waiters and
waitresses are trained and knowledgeable
professionals. By law, a prix-fixe menu must be
offered, although high-class restaurants may try An estaminet in Lille
to conceal the fact. Few French restaurants
cater to vegetarians. The Guide Michelin rates
many of the better restaurants in this
category.[11]: 30
Bistro(t) Often smaller than a restaurant and many times
using chalk board or verbal menus. Wait staff
may well be untrained. Many feature a regional
cuisine. Notable dishes include coq au vin, pot-
au-feu, confit de canard, calves' liver and
entrecôte.[11]: 30
Bistrot à Vin Similar to cabarets or tavernes of the past in
France. Some offer inexpensive alcoholic drinks,
while others take pride in offering a full range of
vintage AOC wines. The foods in some are
simple, including sausages, ham and cheese,
while others offer dishes similar to what can be
found in a bistro.[11]: 30
Bouchon Found in Lyon, they produce traditional
Lyonnaise cuisine, such as sausages, duck pâté
or roast pork. The dishes can be quite fatty, and
heavily oriented around meat. There are about
twenty officially certified traditional bouchons,
but a larger number of establishments
describing themselves using the term.[33]
Brewery Brasserie These establishments were created in the 1870s
by refugees from Alsace-Lorraine. These
establishments serve beer, but most serve wines
from Alsace such as Riesling, Sylvaner, and
Gewürztraminer. The most popular dishes are
choucroute and seafood dishes.[11]: 30 In
general, a brasserie is open all day every day,
offering the same menu.[34]
Café Primarily locations for coffee and alcoholic
drinks. Additional tables and chairs are usually
set outside, and prices are usually higher for
service at these tables. The limited foods
sometimes offered include croque-monsieur,
salads, moules-frites (mussels and pommes
frites) when in season. Cafés often open early in
the morning and shut down around nine at
night.[11]: 30
Salon de Thé These locations are more similar to cafés in the
rest of the world. These tearooms often offer a
selection of cakes and do not offer alcoholic
drinks. Many offer simple snacks, salads, and
sandwiches. Teas, hot chocolate, and chocolat à
l'ancienne (a popular chocolate drink) are
offered as well. These locations often open just
prior to noon for lunch and then close late
afternoon.[11]: 30

[Link] 23/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

Bar Based on the American style, many were built at

the beginning of the 20th century (particularly
around World War I, when young American
expatriates were quite common in France,
particularly Paris). These locations serve
cocktails, whiskey, pastis and other alcoholic
drinks.[11]: 30
Estaminet Typical of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, these
small bars/restaurants used to be a central place
for farmers, mine or textile workers to meet and
socialize, sometimes the bars would be in a
grocery store.[35] Customers could order basic
regional dishes, play boules, or use the bar as a
meeting place for clubs.[36] These estaminets
almost disappeared, but are now considered a
part of Nord-Pas-de-Calais history, and therefore
preserved and promoted.

Restaurant staff

Larger restaurants and hotels in France employ extensive staff and are commonly referred to as
either the kitchen brigade for the kitchen staff or dining room brigade system for the dining room
staff. This system was created by Georges Auguste Escoffier. This structured team system
delegates responsibilities to different individuals who specialize in certain tasks. The following is a
list of positions held both in the kitchen and dining rooms brigades in France:[11]: 32

[Link] 24/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

Staff
Section French English Duty
Kitchen Chef de Head chef Responsible for overall management of kitchen. They supervise
brigade cuisine staff, and create menus and new recipes with the assistance of
the restaurant manager, make purchases of raw food items, train
apprentices and maintain a sanitary and hygienic environment for
the preparation of food.[11]: 32
Receives orders directly from the chef de cuisine for the
Sous-chef
Deputy Head chef management of the kitchen and often represents the chef de
de cuisine
cuisine when he or she is not present.[11]: 32
Responsible for managing a given station in the kitchen where
Chef de
Senior chef they specialize in preparing particular dishes. Those that work in
partie
a lesser station are referred to as a demi-chef.[11]: 32
This position is an independent one where they usually prepare
Cuisinier Cook specific dishes in a station. They may be referred to as a cuisinier
de partie.[11]: 32
Also works in a specific station, but reports directly to the chef de
Commis Junior cook
partie and takes care of the tools for the station.[11]: 32
Many times they are students gaining theoretical and practical
Apprenti(e) Apprentice training in school and work experience in the kitchen. They
perform preparatory or cleaning work.[11]: 30
Cleans dishes and utensils and may be entrusted with basic
Plongeur Dishwasher
preparatory jobs.[11]: 32

Pot and pan In larger restaurants, takes care of all the pots and pans instead
Marmiton
washer of the plongeur.[11]: 33
Prepares sauces, warm hors d'œuvres, completes meat dishes
Saucemaker/sauté and in smaller restaurants may work on fish dishes and prepare
Saucier
cook sautéed items. This is one of the most respected positions in the
kitchen brigade.[11]: 32
Manages a team of cooks that roasts, broils and deep fries
Rôtisseur Roast cook
dishes.[11]: 32
In larger kitchens this person prepares the grilled foods instead of
Grillardin Grill cook
the rôtisseur.[37]: 8
In larger kitchens this person prepares fried foods instead of the
Friturier Fry cook
rôtisseur.[37]

Poissonnier Fish cook Prepares fish and seafood dishes.[11]: 33

Prepares soups and other dishes not involving meat or fish,
Entremetier Entrée preparer
including vegetable dishes and egg dishes.[11]: 32
In larger kitchens, this person reports to the entremetier and
Potager Soup cook
prepares the soups.[37]
In larger kitchen this person also reports to the entremetier and
Legumier Vegetable cook
prepares the vegetable dishes.[37]
Responsible for preparation of cold hors d'œuvres, prepares
Garde
Pantry supervisor salads, organizes large buffet displays and prepares charcuterie
manger
items.[11]: 30
Spare hand/
Tournant Moves throughout kitchen assisting other positions in kitchen.
roundsperson
Prepares desserts and other meal end sweets, and in locations
Pâtissier Pastry cook without a boulanger also prepares breads and other baked items.
They may also prepare pasta for the restaurant.[11]: 33
Confiseur Prepares candies and petit fours in larger restaurants instead of

[Link] 25/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

the pâtissier.[37]
Prepares frozen and cold desserts in larger restaurants instead of
Glacier
the pâtissier.[37]
Prepares show pieces and specialty cakes in larger restaurants
Décorateur
instead of the pâtissier.[37]: 8–9
Prepares bread, cakes and breakfast pastries in larger
Boulanger Baker
restaurants instead of the pâtissier.[11]: 33
Butchers meats, poultry and sometimes fish. May also be in
Boucher Butcher
charge of breading meat and fish items.[37]
Takes orders from dining room and distributes them to the various
Announcer/
Aboyeur stations. This position may also be performed by the sous-chef de
expediter
partie.[37]

Communard Prepares the meal served to the restaurant staff.[37]

Performs preparatory and auxiliary work for support in larger
Garçon de cuisine
restaurants.[11]: 33
Dining Directeur de General manager Oversees economic and administrative duties for all food-related
room la business in large hotels or similar facilities including multiple
brigade restauration restaurants, bars, catering and other events.[11]: 33
Responsible for the operation of the restaurant dining room,
which includes managing, training, hiring and firing staff, and
Directeur de Restaurant
economic duties of such matters. In larger establishments there
restaurant manager
may be an assistant to this position who would replace this
person in their absence.[11]: 33
Welcomes guests, and seats them at tables. They also supervise
Maître d'hôtel the service staff. Commonly deals with complaints and verifies
patrons' bills.[11]: 33
Commonly in charge of service for the full dining room in larger
Chef de salle establishments; this position can be combined into the maître
d'hotel position.[37]
The dining room is separated into sections called rangs. Each
Chef de rang rang is supervised by this person to coordinate service with the
kitchen.[11]: 33
Demi-chef
de rang Clears plates between courses if there is no commis
Back server
commis de débarrasseur, fills water glasses and assists the chef de rang.[37]
rang
Clears plates between courses and the table at the end of the
Commis débarrasseur
meal.[11]: 33
In larger establishments, this person brings the different courses
Commis de suite
from the kitchen to the table.[11]: 33
Explains the menu to the guest and answers any questions. This
person often performs the tableside food preparations. This
Chef d'étage Captain
position may be combined with the chef de rang in smaller
establishments.[37]

Chef de vin Manages wine cellar by purchasing and organizing as well as

Wine server preparing the wine list. Also advises the guests on wine choices
Sommelier and serves the wine.[11]: 33
chef sommelier In larger establishments, this person will manage a team of
chef caviste sommeliers.[11]: 33

Serveur de Server This position found in smaller establishments performs the

restaurant multiple duties of various positions in the larger restaurants in the

[Link] 26/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

service of food and drink to the guests.[11]: 33

Responsable Manages the bar in a restaurant, which includes ordering and

de bar creating drink menus; they also oversee the hiring, training and
Bar manager
firing of barmen. Also manages multiple bars in a hotel or other
Chef de bar similar establishment.[11]: 33

Barman Bartender Serves alcoholic drinks to guests.[11]: 33

Coat room attendant who receives and returns guests' coats and
Dame du vestiaire
hats.[11]: 33
Parks guests' cars and retrieves them when the guests
Voituriers Valet
leave.[11]: 33

See also
Cuisine of Quebec Le Répertoire de la Cuisine
Acadian cuisine List of French cheeses
Cajun cuisine List of French desserts
French Americans List of French dishes
French Canadians List of French restaurants
French paradox List of French soups and stews
Larousse Gastronomique List of restaurants in Paris

References
1. Miller, Norman (October 2014). "The ABCs of AOC: France's Most Prized Produce" ([Link]
[Link]/living-in-france/food-recipes/terroir/abcs-of-aoc/). FrenchEntree. Retrieved
13 May 2021.
2. Bon appétit: Your meal is certified by the UN ([Link]
ews/world/stories/DN-culture_17int.[Link]) Archived ([Link]
[Link]/web/20101120234633/[Link]
ies/DN-culture_17int.[Link]) 20 November 2010 at the Wayback
Machine Dallas Morning News
3. UNESCO (16 November 2010). "Celebrations, healing techniques, crafts and culinary arts
added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage" ([Link]
w/en/media-services/single-view/news/celebrations_healing_techniques_crafts_and_culinary_
arts_added_to_the_representative_list_of_the_intangible_cultural_heritage/). UNESCO.
Retrieved 4 June 2012.
4. Wheaton, Barbara Ketcham (1996). Savoring the Past: The French Kitchen and Table from
1300 to 1789 ([Link] New York: First Touchstone.
ISBN 978-0-684-81857-3.
5. Brace, Richard Munthe (1946). "The Problem of Bread and the French Revolution at
Bordeaux". The American Historical Review. 51 (4): 649–667. doi:10.2307/1843902 ([Link]
[Link]/10.2307%2F1843902). JSTOR 1843902 ([Link]
6. Mennell, Stephen (1996). All Manners of Food: eating and taste in England and France from
the Middle Ages to the present, 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-
06490-6.
7. Escoffier, Georges Auguste (2002). Escoffier: The Complete Guide to the Art of Modern
Cookery. New York: John Wiley and Sons. pp. Foreword. ISBN 978-0-471-29016-2.
8. Joyeuse encyclopédie anecdotique de la gastronomie, Michel Ferracci-Porri and Maryline
Paoli, Preface by Christian Millau, Ed. Normant 2012, France ISBN 978-2-915685-55-8
9. Hewitt, Nicholas (2003). The Cambridge Companion to Modern French Culture. Cambridge:
The Cambridge University Press. pp. 109–110. ISBN 978-0-521-79465-7.
[Link] 27/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

10. "French Country Cooking." ([Link]

[Link]) Archived ([Link]
[Link]/[Link]) 18 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine French-
[Link] ([Link] Archived ([Link]
[Link]/web/20110703220344/[Link] 3 July 2011 at
the Wayback Machine. Accessed July 2011.
11. Dominé, André (2004). Culinaria France. Cologne: Könemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbh.
ISBN 978-3-8331-1129-7.
12. "25 Authentic French Foods Everyone Must Try!" ([Link]
ods-of-france). Travel Food Atlas. 29 March 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
13. Fonvieille, René. (1983). La cuisine dauphinoise a travers les siècles. in 3 volumes. Grenoble:
Terre et Mer, see contents: [Link]
[Link]/cuisine_dauphinoise_fonvieille.html retrieved 12-23-2017
14. Arces, d', Amicie. & Vallentin du Cheylard, A. (1997). Cuisine du Dauphiné: Drôme . Hautes
Alpes . Isère - de A à Z. Paris: éditions Bonneton. ISBN 2-86253-216-9. See Introduction,
pp. 4–8. (in French) [Link]
id=YXOiD7R3pssC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Cuisine+du+Dauphiné:+Drôme,+Hautes-
Alpes,+Isère+:+de+A+à+Z&hl=fr&ei=ntk0Te3UIsrY4gaj2pnOCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result
retrieved 12-23-2017
15. "Lyon Sausage - : Whats on the menu?" ([Link] [Link].
Retrieved 10 June 2021.
16. "Véritable Saucisson de Lyon" ([Link]
[Link]/boutique/charcuterie-lyonnaise/veritable-saucisson-de-lyon/). Spécialités
Lyonnaises (in French). Archived from the original ([Link]
e/charcuterie-lyonnaise/veritable-saucisson-de-lyon/) on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 10 June
2021.
17. "The culinary heritage of the French mountains" ([Link]
ritage-french-mountains). [Link]. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
18. "10 fromages de montagne incontournables" ([Link] [Link] (in
French). Retrieved 10 June 2021.
19. Maier, Thomas, A. (2012). Hospitality Leadership Lessons in French Gastronomy: The Story of
Guy and Franck Savoy. Authorhouse. ISBN 9781468541083.p.19.
[Link]
id=MTts8MF4CRwC&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19&dq=Lyon+gastronomy&source=bl&ots=XXkyv-
EdAm&sig=boHw6EN2Ap6mSB_hEK0h8dRdXJw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwivk87336DYAhX
g4HhDoAQgyMAI#v=onepage&q=Lyon%20gastronomy&f=false retrieved 12-23-2017.
20. Buford, Bill. (2011). "Why Lyon is the Food Capital of the World". The Guardian, 13 February
2011. [Link] retrieved
12-23-2017
21. "Nice Cooking" ([Link]
cuisine-nicoise/). La Cuisine Niçoise. Archived from the original ([Link]
a-cuisine-nicoise/) on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
22. "Christmas traditions" ([Link]
[Link]. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
23. Imported crayfish are unrestricted, and many arrive from Pakistan.
24. Larousse Gastronomique. New York: Clarkson Potter. 2009. p. 780. ISBN 978-0-307-46491-0.
25. Larousse, Éditions. "Définitions : mouillette - Dictionnaire de français Larousse" ([Link]
[Link]/dictionnaires/francais/mouillette/52900). [Link]. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
26. Steele, Ross (2001). The French Way, 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
27. Fodor's (2006). See It. France. 2nd ed. New York: Fodor's Travel Publications.

[Link] 28/29
6/23/22, 6:01 PM French cuisine - Wikipedia

28. "10 traditions de Noël françaises - [Link]" ([Link]

09113740/[Link] 30
December 2014. Archived from the original ([Link]
aditions-noel-francaises/) on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
29. "Archived copy" ([Link]
[Link]). Archived from the original ([Link]
[Link]) on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
30. [1] ([Link]
31. "LES FETES DE NOEL EN FRANCE" ([Link]
-[Link]). [Link]. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
32. Spang, Rebecca L. (2001). The Invention of the Restaurant, 2nd Ed. Harvard University Press.
ISBN 978-0-674-00685-0.
33. Boudou, Evelyne; Jean-Marc Boudou (2003). Les bonnes recettes des bouchons lyonnais.
Seyssinet: Libris. ISBN 978-2-84799-002-7.
34. Ribaut, Jean-Claude (8 February 2007). Le Monde. "Les brasseries ont toujours l'avantage
d'offrir un service continu tout au long de la journée, d'accueillir les clients après le spectacle et
d'être ouvertes sept jours sur sept, quand les restaurants ferment deux jours et demi par
semaine."
"Brasseries have the advantage of offering uninterrupted service all day, seven days a week,
and of being open for the after-theatre crowd, whereas restaurants are closed two and a half
days of the week."
35. "Les Estaminets - Taverns" ([Link]
[Link]/page2_6estaminets.html). [Link]. Archived from the original (htt
p://[Link]/page2_6estaminets.html) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 6 July
2017.
36. Wytteman, JP, ed. (1988). Le Nord de la préhistoire à nos jours (in French). Bordessoules. p.
260.
37. The Culinary Institute of America (2006). The Professional Chef (8th ed.). Hoboken, New
Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-7645-5734-7.

Further reading
Patrick Rambourg, Histoire de la cuisine et de la gastronomie françaises, Paris, Ed. Perrin
(coll. tempus n° 359), 2010, 381 pages. ISBN 978-2-262-03318-7
Bryan Newman, "Behind the French Menu ([Link]

External links
France stages first-ever Gastronomy Day ([Link]
ges-first-ever-gastronomy-day) Radio France Internationale in English

Retrieved from "[Link]

This page was last edited on 12 June 2022, at 23:10 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0; additional terms may apply. By
using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

[Link] 29/29