Okay…what comes to mind when you think of French cuisine?  Sumptuous food?  Cream and butter? Red wine? Pastry?  Big price tag?  There are many aspects to French food and cooking.  First of all, there is no one type of French cuisine.  The nature of French cooking, just like Italian, is highly dependent on the particular region of the country in question. However, technique, culinary history, and stylistic trends do play a unifying role in shaping the scale of French cooking.
The Middle Ages brought lavish banquets to the upper class with ornate, heavily seasoned food prepared by chefs such as Guillaume Tirel. The era of the French Revolution, however, saw a move toward fewer spices and more liberal usage of herbs and refined techniques, beginning with François Pierre La Varenne and further developing with Napoleon Bonaparte and other dignitaries, Marie-Antoine Carême.

In the 20th century French cuisine was codified by Georges Auguste Escoffier to become the modern version of haute cuisine. Escoffier’s major work, however, left out much of the regional character to be found in the provinces of France. Gastro-tourism and the Guide Michelin helped to bring people to the countryside during the 20th century and beyond, to sample this rich bourgeois and peasant cuisine of France. Basque cuisine has also been a great influence over the cuisine in the southwest of France.

Ingredients and dishes vary by region. There are many significant regional dishes that have become both national and regional. Many dishes that were once regional, however, have proliferated in different variations across the country in the present day. Cheese and wine are also a major part of the cuisine, playing different roles both regionally and nationally with their many variations and Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) (regulated appellation) laws.
It is no surprise then that the cuisine of Brittany & Normandy, on the northwest coast of France, is dominated by seafood.  However, the land here is suitable to raising cattle and apple trees.  Thus, dairy products, cheeses and various apple preparations, (including the infamous apple brandy Calvados), play an integral role.
The food of Alsace, which borders Germany in the northeast, is clearly infiltrated with German influences, most notably the dish Choucroute garni, which is sauerkraut combined with pork and/or sausages.  Provence is located on the southeast coast and naturally reflects the flavors of the Mediterranean.  Here we depart from the French stereotype of fat, cream and butter. In Provence, olive oil is king, as well as greater use of vegetables, herbs, and seafood. 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. And that brings us to Burgundy, considered by many as the gastronomic 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.
Interestingly, some feel it was the Italians who taught the French how to cook. Catherine De Medicis, a Florentine princess, married Henry duc d’Orleans, (later King Henry II of France) in 1533.  She brought an entourage of Italian chefs to France who introduced a myriad of dishes, food preparations, and dining practices.

Like any other nations of the world, it is interesting to note that France’ cuisine is influence by its neighboring nations like Italy and Spain.

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