SGO: Role of Food: France and the USA

The idea for my SGO came from my trip to Paris last year, and my observations about how food is treated and revered. We stayed in Paris for about ten days, and were able to observe the French, more specifically the Parisian culture from up close. We stayed near the city center, and every morning in the same spot there was a small market. Farmers set up their tents every morning, early in the morning, setting out their fresh produce, fresh fruits and vegetables, and fish. All the locals would come out around 8 in the morning. We would watch this ritual from a table outside a cafe. They all have their empty shopping bags to fill with what they would need for the day. The would walk through the market, touching and picking up the produce, smelling the items, and talking with the merchants at each spot. Then some would walk to the patisserie and pick up some pastries and fresh bread. Then they would disperse. 

This is what we observed in Paris. So many different behaviors about food. When I came back to the states, I was chatting with a lady at work, Simone, who is from Paris. I asked her about this, she said, "In France, people go shopping almost everyday to get the freshest food and vegetables. Why would you go out to the grocery store once a week, to buy vegetables to eat 7 days later, no, no, no." In my family at least, my mother hates to grocery shop, she goes once a week and stocks up on frozen and box foods. 

The role of food for the French is to savor, enjoy each morsel on the tongue. She told me, "You don't want to clutter the dish with to much flavor. You want to enjoy the natural flavors of what you are cooking." My discussion with her and my trip made me reflect about French culture in comparison to ours. I thought about my own relationship with food, and how my culture of food was passed down to me. What is the role of food in our culture? Is it something feared, enjoyed, simple or complex, fresh or not? How as a society do we pass down the idea of food. One of the first memories that came to mind was when i was a child. I hated my vegetables! Especially Lima beans. I would eat everything else, non vegetable off my plate, but my dad would sit down with me at the table, until I ate every single one of my plate. In our culture, healthy food has to be forced down our children's' mouth. I thought about those Lima beans. I love my mom, but those Lima beans were taken from a bag out of the freezer, put in a bowl and microwaved then put on my plate! of Course i would not eat them. God knows how long they had been frozen for! They had not been picked the morning or the day before, chosen with care and prepared to taste savory and delicious.

Food that is good for you is seen as tasting bad, and food that is bad for you taste so good. But that is not the case in french culture. No food is seen as bad, unless it is prepared incorrectly. The French make time for food. It is important where the food comes from and what ingredients they are putting in their mouth. The french love fat! it is what gives the food taste. The idea for french eating is moderation and savor. If you are enjoying each bite, you can not pig out. French cuisine is simple with high quality ingredients and considerable preparations.

Food plays such a large part of the french culture on wikipedia there is a list of all the types of restaurants for the french to indulge in their food: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cuisine

Another big aspect of French culture of food is seasonality and region. They eat what food is in season, in the specific regions they are from. In Paris it is different because the are the metropolitan area, and most trains and means of transportation come through there. In summer more fruits and vegetables are eaten, and in the fall, mushrooms and wild game are served. And menus in restaurants reflect this seasonality. In comparison, as an American i could not really tell you what fruits and vegetables are available in what seasons! Or even where the fruits and vegetables i eat are grown. 

Wine and cheese are also a big part of French culture. It is a standard part of every day meals. This also offset the meals in the french culture. Breakfast is a light and quick meal, usually a pastries and coffee. Lunch or dejeuner is the larger more substantial meal in the French culture, then there is dinner which is a lighter meals. For the French it is quality over quantity, Americans seem to think of quantity over quality. The role of food in American culture is quite different then the French, and i think the term fast food culture sums up that difference. Instead of savoring, or enjoying preparing and eating food, Americans want food and they want it fast. I had a friend come from Paris and we took her out to dinner, she was completely shocked and amazed by the food. She found the portions to be completely absurd, and she said the food was completely to salty, and busy with tastes. The food served in a culture says a lot about the culture and what is important in the culture. The French culture is about pleasure, leisure and . Understanding French food is understanding the culture. Food is what nourishes the body and for the French it nourishes the soul.