French cuisine is characterised by its extreme diversity. It is renowned as one of the most refined and elegant ways to cook – and eat! Many of the world’s best chefs, such as Taillevent, La Varenne, Escoffier, or Bocuse are masters of french cuisine. Furthermore, French savoir-faire has been a major influence on almost every type of cooking in the western world – almost all other schools draw from its basics. And certainly any French person will assure you that France makes the best food in the world.  

Traditionally each region has its own cuisine :

The North-West uses butter, apples and cream –essential produce in Normandy

The South-West uses goose fat, foie gras (fattened goose or duck liver), cèpe mushrooms and armagnac

The South-East is marked by italian influences, and uses olive oil, aromatic herbs and tomatoes

The North with its flemish influences uses potatoes, pork, endives (a slightly bitter leaf vegetable) and beer

The East is influenced by its german neighbours and uses salted pork, sausages, sauerkraut and beer

 

As well as these five primary regional zones, there are many other more localised styles of cooking, such as the cuisine of the Loire valley (famous for its fish with white wine), Basque cuisine (for its use of tomato and chilli), and the cuisine of Roussillon which approaches catalane gastronomy, but also cooking from the central region with its game, its pâté de Pâques et de pomme de terre en creuse, its wine and its freshwater fish (in Brenne), or the cuisine of the Alps where melted cheese, potatoes and ham and salamis are the rule. Nowadays with the shifting of populations these regional differences tend to weaken, but they remain clearly apparent and a person travelling through France will notice significant changes in the way locals cook and in the dishes they serve. Moreover, the attraction of local products is greatly increasing in the French consumer’s awareness, and regional cuisine is witnessing a strong renaissance in this new century as the slow food movement increases in popularity.

Outside of France, French cuisine is often stereotyped as the haute cuisine served in expensive restaurants. This enormously refined way of cooking is usually inspired by the regional cuisine of the Lyon area, or by that of the north of France. However, the French do not eat or cook like this in their everyday lives. Generally, elderly people tend to consume the dishes from the region where they live or from the region they grew up in, whereas young people are inclined to eat specialities from other regions or, needless to say, from other countries.

French wines and cheeses are an integral part of French cuisine as a whole, where they are used as ingredients and accompaniments. France is famous for its wide selection, and every area has its own special varieties.

Finally, exotic dishes such as couscous from North Africa or spicy dishes from the French Caribbean have also found their place in France.