Writer: Joy Oh
Bon Appétit! When you hear this, you can then start having your meal. Proper french cuisine is noticeably laid back consisting of multiple courses. Full of flavour and joy, anyone would leave with the table with their stomach satisfactorily full. In France, dining can also be seen as an opportunity to build relationships and bonds with each other as well as consume healthy nutrients. Special characteristics and manners are what make french meals unique and distinguished.
Did you know that 43% of French people spend more than 45 minutes eating lunch every day (Ditton, 2016)? Of the 14 countries surveyed, this was by far the largest percentage. As the numbers suggest, food and meal times are a substantial part of the french eating culture. A formal French meal is composed of 7 courses: L’Aperitif(Aperitif) and L’Entree/Hors D’oeuvres(Appetizers); Le Potage(Soup); Le Poisson(Fish); Le Plat Principal(Main course); La Salade(Salad); Le Fromage(Cheese); and Le Dessert(Dessert). It could be finished with a digestif after the dessert as well(Deshpande, 2020). However, a typical, every-day-meal would be slightly simpler than traditional cuisine. School isn’t an exception to this. According to Pastiche(2020), most schools in France serve 3 courses daily. The sophistication of cuisine in France clearly shows their keen attitude towards food and the time dedicated to it.
Etiquettes or silent rules should be kept when dining in the style. “Baguettiquette” is an interesting etiquette french people keep when having their baguettes. They never put their baguette on their plates, they would place them on the table right next to the plate(Warren, 2021). Keeping the knife in your right hand and the fork in your left hand, and putting them parallel on the right side are table manners to keep(Chinery, 2016). Importantly, your hands should be placed on the table. Never place your hands under the table, they should be on the table in a relaxed manner. A respectable style of manners can be shown through the adequate etiquette french people show while enjoying their meals. This is a decent way of showing appreciation to the one you are spending time with at the table.
Upon further review, the courses and etiquette demonstrate how keen and serious the people of France are regarding their cuisine. We can also conclude that their food and manners are also focused on connection and communication between people, strongly bonding their relationship through lengthy, unhurried cuisine with guaranteed appetite.
References
Ditton, H. (2016). Why do the French take such long lunch breaks? [online] The Local France. Available at: https://www.thelocal.fr/20160428/why-do-the-french-take-such-long-lunch-breaks/
Deshpande, S. (2020). A Seven Course French Meal. [online] LingoThoughts. Available at: https://medium.com/lingothoughts/french-in-seven-course-meal-5d73147a7829
Pastiche. (2020). WHAT MAKES FRENCH CUISINE UNIQUE. [online] Available at: https://www.pastichebistro.com/chefs-news-pastiche-bistro-best-milwuakee-french-food-wine-fine-dining/what-makes-french-cuisine-unique
Warren, K. (2021). Baguettiquette: Weird things the French do with bread. [online] The Local France. Available at: https://www.thelocal.fr/20190516/weird-things-the-french-do-with-baguettes/
Chinery, A. (2016). The Essential Guide To French Dining Etiquette (Or, How To Survive A Dinner In Paris) – BonAppetour. [online] Bonappetour.com. Available at: https://www.bonappetour.com/blog/french-dining-etiquette-guide/
