Food History of French Cuisine: Geography to Table

The geographic location of France makes it an ideal place for agriculture, which in turn profoundly shapes its cuisine. France's climate is mild and the growing season is long, which means farmers can grow more food throughout the year and that fresh ingredients are available for cooking and eating in every season. It does not often get too cold in France, and in summer it can get quite warm, helping food ripen and mature.

The countryside is also fairly level and has good soil, creating excellent growing conditions. If you have ever watched the Tour de France bicycle race as it winds through the French countryside, you will see miles of farmland, vineyards, dairies, and other agricultural land. France's variety of geographical features — coastline, mountains, valleys, and rivers — all offer different types of food. Because the country has abundant food sources, its cooks have more choices when it comes to cuisine.

In addition, France is home to hundreds of microclimates — small geographic areas with a climate distinct from their surroundings. The Napa Valley in California offers a useful analogy: the northern end is hotter and drier while the southern end is cooler and more coastal, and the two areas produce different grape varieties that yield different wines. France works the same way. As one expert explains, "First, the microclimate, and the unique characteristics of the land in any given location determines which food products can be cultivated. Second, proximity to certain natural food sources (oceans, forests, etc.), as well as to the influence of neighboring cultures, will shape a region's culinary destiny" (Vogel). Because France contains so many different microclimates, it offers exceptional variety in both food and wine, all of which finds its way into the country's cooking.

Historically, the Italians had the most significant influence on French cuisine. In fifteenth-century Renaissance Europe, food was becoming increasingly important as more than mere sustenance. Art, literature, and education were flourishing, and with them a keen interest in fine food and drink. Wealthy Italians in Florence elevated cooking to a higher standard, using fresh ingredients and creating remarkable dishes such as layered pasta (lasagna, manicotti), soups, breads, and desserts. They also developed better methods of food preservation and began incorporating ingredients such as truffles, garlic, and mushrooms (Hartman).

This culinary innovation reached France through the famous Medici family. Catherine de Medici married France's King Henry II in the mid-sixteenth century and brought Italian food culture to the French court. As historian Fromkin notes, "Catherine de Medici, coming from Florence to wed the French king Henry II a century later, is said to have introduced Paris to the culinary wonders for which Italy was then known" (Fromkin 72). Dining in France consequently grew in importance and formality. Like the Italians, the French came to decorate their tables with fine china, glassware, and serving ware, and dinner, according to one critic, became "theater" (Hartman).

In 1652, the first French cookbook — Le Cuisinier François, written by the celebrated chef La Varenne — demonstrated how thoroughly French cuisine had become a leading culinary tradition in Europe. The book codified many cooking techniques, including the preparation of a roux, a mixture of flour and butter used for thickening soups and sauces. Historian Tannahill underscores the roux's broader significance: "The roux was such a convenient, all-purpose solution to so many culinary problems that it gained general popularity very quickly at all levels of society" (Tannahill 238). Before this innovation, cooks had simply added bread to soups as a thickener (Hartman). Changes such as these established French cooking as the dominant culinary style in Europe and, eventually, the world.

Other European regions also contributed to French cuisine. As Fromkin observes, "Other countries, too, made their contributions. From the sixteenth century on, France was open to food influences 'from the four corners of Europe'" (Fromkin 72). The Alsace region, which borders Germany, shows clear German influences in its cooking, including sauerkraut, sausage, and the origins of Quiche Lorraine. Each area of France has something unique to contribute to the country's overall culinary identity.

Author Hartman says that dining in France is "theater," and that means that dinner and food preparations are rituals in France. Eating is to be enjoyed, shared, and most of all, filled with fabulous food. The food must be pleasing to the palate, but pleasing to the eye as well — how food is presented on the plate is considered very important in French cooking.

Wine is an integral part of French dining and is carefully paired to match each dish served. In an elaborate French meal, wine accompanies every course. A light, bubbly Champagne may enhance the appetizer; a dry white wine may accompany the soup; a robust red might be served with the main course; and a light, sweet dessert wine rounds out the meal alongside the dessert or cheese plate. The French are masters of food and wine pairing, and it is considered an essential element of their meals.

Another dining ritual is that salad is served after the main course, functioning as a light transition before a richer dessert. The French also invented the practice of cleansing the palate between courses with a light sorbet or ice.

There are so many ingredients, seasonings, styles, and procedures associated with French cooking that it is difficult to know where to begin.