The History of French Cuisine

Just like the French fashion dress is known as haute couture, French cuisine is termed as haute cuisine. The history of French cuisine has evolved through several centuries of political and social changes, the Middle Ages were famous for cuisine of Taillevent, a famous chef in those times. Still, many French citizens remained poor farmers until the storming of the Bastille in 1789 and the birth of a new-look France after the revolution. This political change led to the emergence of an upper class that started considering gourmet food as a status symbol. The French cuisine contents underwent a change. The use of spices became reduced, while usage of herbs increased. Cooking techniques were refined. This change in French cuisine started with La Varenne and was continued by other dignitaries such Marie-Antoine Careme and the chef of Napoleon. However, more than 70% of French farmers continued to languish in malnutrition and poverty.

Modern Developments in French Cuisine
The two World Wars integrated the country with a common culture and the cuisine of the various regions also became blended into the national mainstream of French cuisine. The economic growth of the country also helped the spreading of haute cuisine custom to all the Frenchmen. The modern French cuisine pays importance to quality, appearance, and flavor in food items. Serving of French cuisine and wine has developed into an art of its own, instead of just providing food. In spite of a fair amount of integration of various regional cuisines, the French dishes and their ingredients still vary from one region to another in the country. Many dishes have become national, while some still remain regional. Still, the major role played by wine and cheese in French food continues unabated.
History of French Cuisine during Middle Ages
The medieval French cuisine witnessed banquets among the aristocratic people. Multiple courses were prepared and served in a unique style, termed as service en confusion, meaning all at once. Eating of food was normally with hands only. Thick and highly seasoned sauces were prepared with mustards of heavy flavor. Pies were among the major banquet items. The shortcrust pie emerged only towards the end of the Middle Ages. The banquets were concluded with issue de table that became the dessert in later centuries. The medieval desserts primarily consisted of spiced lumps made of hardened honey or sugar that were called dragees, spiced wine and aged cheese.
In the beginning of winter, the slaughtering of livestock took place, with beef kept as salted and pork kept as salted and smoked. Sausages and beacon were smoked in the chimney. The hams and tongue were salted and dried. Fruits, root vegetables, and nuts were boiled in honey for preservation. Whales, porpoise, and dolphins were classified as fish and meats of such sea animals were also part of medieval food.
The most famous chef of the Middle Ages was Guillaume Tirel, with the pet name of Taillevent. In the fourteenth century, he was the chef to Philip VI and then chief cook for King Charles V. His cooking career was a long and reputed one, lasting 66 years. This period also witnessed two groups of guilds. The first guild represented suppliers of food raw materials like grain merchants, gardeners, butchers, and fishmongers. The second guild consisted of persons who supplied prepared food items, such as bakers, caterers, poulterers, pastry cooks, and sauce makers.
Emergence of Haute Cuisine
During the seventeenth century, the famous chef, La Varenne, published the first two authentic French cookbooks and his recipes became popular as haute cuisine. The first book described food items for meat days and cuisine for fasting days. The second book codified the standards for pastries and desserts. In the beginning of the eighteenth century, another chef, Francois Massialot published a book on French cuisine, which was republished in 1712 as two volumes. He was the first chef to list the recipes in alphabetical order. This book was the first one to mention special French recipes like marinade and the stew named Ragout.
The French Revolution was instrumental in the expansion of French cuisine due to the removal of guilds. The notable chefs in this period were Marie-Antoine Careme and Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord, the chief cook for Napoleon Bonaparte. In the late nineteenth century, Georges Escoffier was the key chef who organized and modernized the haute cuisine to derive a common national French cuisine. The middle of the twentieth century brought fresh innovations in French cuisine with the arrival of Portuguese immigrants. This period is noted for the appearance of 'Nouvelle Cuisine', though this term was used in the past also during the 1740s and later during the 1890s.
However, in the 1960s, the cooking of chefs like Paul Bocuse, Michel Guerard, Pierre Troisgros, Jean Troisgros, Raymond Oliver, and Roger Verge were described as 'Nouvelle Cuisine' by two French authors, Christian Millau and Henri Gault. These chefs departed from the traditional cuisine of Escoffier by rejecting the excessively complicated cooking methods. The cooking time was reduced and steaming became the new trend. Shorter menus replaced large menus. Strong marinades and heavy sauces were given up. Dishes were seasoned with fresh herbs, lemon juice, quality butter, and vinegar. Regional dishes, new cooking techniques, and modern equipment became part of this 'Nouvelle Cuisine'.
Regional Cuisines of France
The major regional cuisines of France can be classified as food items of the following regions. They are 1) Paris and lle-de-France, 2) Champagne, Lorraine, and Alsace, 3) Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Picardy, Normandy, and Brittany, 4) Loire Valley and Central France, 5) Burgundy and Franche-Comte, 6) Lyon-Rhone-Alps, 7) Poitou-Charentes and Limousin, 8) Bordeaux, Perigord, Gascony, and Basque Country, 9) Toulouse, Quercy, and Aveyron, 10) Roussillon, Languedoc, and Cevennes, 11) Provence and Cote d'Azur, and 12) Corsica. Each one of these 12 regions has its own special French recipes, though some of the items are common to a few regions.
Eating Habits of France
French are accustomed to a quick breakfast of French bread, croissants, or pastry with tea or coffee for breakfast. Lunch intervals used to last 2 hours but have been reduced to one hour at present. Majority of workers and students eat lunch at company and school cafeterias, while others prefer restaurants for lunch. Dinner is an elaborate affair with 3-course meals that include the introductory course known as hors d'oeuvre or entrée, which is usually a soup, the main course called plat principal, and a final dessert or cheese course. The traditional drinking of wine is also slowly being replaced by beer or other alcoholic drinks.

S. Hafez
I have been in the food and beverage industry for 28 years holding every position in the from dishwasher to owner of a multi-unit concept. To share my experiences and knowledge of the business I now am a free lance writer and have developed a special food and beverage site fbliveonline [http://fbliveonline.com/]. A food and beverage industry resource, information exchange and meeting place.

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