Famous French Food

Famous French food has a style of cooking derived from the nation of France. Cheese and wine are a major part of the cuisine. I love French food. There are so many things you can do with a quiche recipe, a crepe recipe and a fondue recipe fondue alone, not to mention the rest of the famous French food! Probably the fact that they both involve lots of cheese contributes to my excitement about French food. I also love all the heavy, cream sauces. ( I know! ) As all regional foods, recipes are based on regional availability. And that’s what I love about eating away from home. When you travel, always find out what the freshest, local ingredient is so you can order accordingly.

Classical French cuisine which is also known in France as cuisine bourgeoise, includes the foods that are rich and filling, with many dishes using cream-based sauces.

Haute cuisine is classical French cuisine taken to its most sophisticated and extreme. This is the "fancy" famous French food! Food is elegant, elaborate and generally rich. Meals tend to be heavy, especially due to the use of cream. There is a strong emphasis on presentation. The finest ingredients are used, and the meal is correspondingly expensive.

Cuisine Nouvelle is famous French food that was developed in the seventies, as a reaction against the classical school of cooking. The food is simpler and lighter. Portions are smaller and less rich and the heavy cream sauces of the classical approach are particularly avoided. Cooking is less elaborate and quicker, with more emphasis on local and seasonal ingredients.

Cuisine du terroir focuses on regional specialties and is somewhat more rustic in nature. Local produce and food traditions are the main focus of this famous French food.

Ingredients and dishes vary by region. The French Mediterranean uses olive oil, herbs and tomatoes in many of its dishes because it's near Italy. The cuisine of northwest France uses butter, soured cream which in French is "crème fraiche" and apples. The cuisine of northeast France has a strong German influence which includes beer and sauerkraut. Throughout the south in general there tends to be more use of vegetables and fruit (in part due to the favorable climate). The southwest part of France is known as the Midi. Nearest to Spain, the Spanish influences of chile peppers and salted fish are evident. Lamb, snails, foie gras, duck, and organ meats are also common. But the classic concoction of the Midi is cassoulet, a stew made from white beans and any combination of duck confit, (duck cooked in it’s own fat), lamb, pork products, and sometimes even partridge. Every town in the Midi has it’s own unique recipe. Cassoulet is the French epitome of comfort food. Southwest France is also the home of Bordeaux wine and the famed brandies Armagnac and Cognac, all of which find their way into the cooking.

Near the Atlantic coast and the Mediterranean there is a greater consumption of sea food, while inland areas favored by rivers use more fresh water fish.

And that brings us to Burgundy, sometimes considered the "heart of France". Burgundy is of course known for its stellar wine but that is only the beginning. Charolais cattle, highly prized for their exceptional meat, render Burgundy the mecca of beef production and consumption in France. "Beef Bourguignonne" is a hearty stew braised in wine which, along with coq au vin, (chicken in red wine), are the signature dishes of the area. Other ingredients characteristic of Burgundian cuisine include wild game, mushrooms, cream, Dijon mustard, freshwater fish, crayfish, pork, pastry, and cassis, a liqueur made from black currants.

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