There are a couple of
places that foodies dream of visiting, and France surely is one of the top
contenders. It has a rich history of being a leader in culinary excellence. For
those of us who are inspired by the legacy of Julia Child, learning how to cook French food
properly is a lofty goal. We’ve built dreams around the idea of trips to France
where we can experience this amazing food first-hand.
Which is why it's so
devastating to learn about the downward spiral of French food. Up to 70 percent
of French restaurants serve pre-packaged foods now. The idea that McDonald's is
popular in France ruins the perception of French food culture. It's
disappointing to learn that only 10 percent of French cheeses are currently made
using traditional methods (such as starting with raw cheese), and that French
consumption of wine has fallen drastically. In fact, Paris is no longer
considered by many to be a very exciting food city to visit.
These disappointing
discoveries can make food dreams come crashing down. We have plenty of
pre-packaged
food fed to us at restaurants in
America. We don’t need to travel to France to experience the
same!
A new hope for French
food
But there is a glimmer of
hope. A recent New York Times' article explores the revival
of French food, and the source of this
revival is a surprising one: foreign chefs. Here’s the most interesting part, at
least to me: When I first heard that it was foreign chefs leading the way, I
assumed they were bringing quality foreign food to France, but many of them are
focused on classic French food.
While some French chefs may
have given up on reviving their traditions, foreign chefs are interested in
bringing them back.
The New York Times reports,
“Suddenly, though, Paris is showing signs of renewed vigor, much of it coming
from an unexpected source: Young foreign chefs.
The city’s most-sought-after
tables now are at places like Spring, whose chef, Daniel Rose, is American, and
Bones, whose chef, James Henry, above, is Australian.
These are not restaurants serving
foreign dishes; they are restaurants serving French fare that happens to be
produced by non-French chefs. At the same time, the most talked-about French
chef in Paris these days, Gregory Marchand, did much of his training in New York
and London and brings a distinctly Anglo-American sensibility to cooking and
hospitality. As a group, these chefs are reviving an artisanal spirit that had
largely vanished from French food culture, composing menus based entirely on
what’s available in the market on a given day and cultivating relationships with
individual vendors.”
Food is not
static
Is the France that Julia Child
experienced available to us? Not really, because cultures (including food
cultures) are not static. We adapt, and adapt, and adapt — and our food adapts
with us. With more open communication between countries, we share food
traditions and mix and match them more. After reading the NY Times article, I
have adapted my dream of what it would be like to visit Paris. I can’t expect to
visit the Paris of 60 years ago, but I can visit an updated Paris that just may
inspire and wow me yet.
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