Submitted by Lindsay Kaslow on the 2016 fall semester study abroad program in Paris, France…
The food.
That’s one way everyone stereotypes France: bread, wine, cheese, pastries.
Although, I have consumed very large amounts of all four of those things, there is a lot more to how the French eat which is why gastronomy is so important to them. These include the thought behind the meal, the presentation of it, the ceremonial aspect and the variety.
Here, we don’t eat until about 8:00 pm every day. My Culture and Gastronomy professor was amazed that Americans typically eat so early – she asked how we can eat at 6:00 pm and then stay up for another five-six hours.
“Don’t you get hungry?” she asks. And it’s true, we do. But here, by the time we finish and have evening coffee, it’s about 9:30 at night. You don’t feel the need to be eating again later.
The ceremony of the meal is just as important; it typically follows an entrée, main dish, cheese, dessert order – this is true every night in my house. I find that I like it a lot because a) I get to try more new foods, b) there’s less down-time while you wait for your meal to cook and c) it gives you more time to talk as a family and enjoy each other’s company. After all, my host parents are at work when I get up and they don’t come home until 7:00 pm, so dinner time is a great time for me to see them and practice my French.
What we eat has really been an adventure. We DO eat lots of bread, cheese and wine. Sundays are my favorite because we get fresh bread and every day we put out a plate of five different cheeses. Also, with boulangeries (bakeries) on every corner, it’s a struggle to not spend an absurd amount of money on pastries. But, there really is a lot more to the French food culture.
I don’t consider myself a picky eater, but this trip has had me eating things I would’ve turned down without a thought if I were in the States. Exhibit A: foie-gras which is duck liver. Ciboulette which is in the chives/onion/garlic family. I’ve found myself trying all sorts of cooked vegetables, three different kinds of cheeses per night and French sausages. Fish and figs from Portugal and the list goes on. The most important thing is that I have liked absolutely everything that I have tried. It gives me lots of ideas about what I can take back to the States in a couple months, but it has also simply made me be more open-minded.
Most of all, I’m lucky to be on a homestay program instead of living in dorms. Gastronomy plays a huge part in French culture and by living with a family, I’m not missing a second of it.
