Quick and Easy French Cuisine
Julia Child wouldn’t have known what to do with all the free time on her hands.
If you frequent our Culture Blog, you may remember from “The Absence of French Take Out” that finding authentic French cuisine in a speedy package is no easy task, but this may all change for residents of Portland, Oregon. French Nutrition Coach, Laura Dubroca, has created French Fast Food: a new service that “provides customers with easy and delicious French dinner plans, recipes, and grocery lists with nutrition and flavor in mind.”
For those on the go, this is the solution for healthy meal planning that incorporates traditional French cooking techniques using fresh ingredients and recipes, and easy-to-follow steps. Think of it as France’s answer to Blue Apron if you will.
Fast French Food works as follows:
Every Thursday, customers that are participating in the program will receive a notification about the five dinner recipes that have been planned for the upcoming week. The five recipes will always include one vegetarian recipe, one extra-fast recipe, and nutrition advice from Laura herself. They will log in to their personal dashboard to access their recipes and printable grocery list.
Throughout the week, customers will use the easy-to-follow recipes to prepare simple, healthy, and delicious French meals. Each recipe includes a main dish and a side, a combination of herbs that can be used with each meal (to allow for less food waste), and seasonal vegetables and fruits. Recipes average 5-15 minutes of active cooking time, and can be finished and ready to eat within 10-45 minutes total.
Fast French Food provides the tools to create simple budget-friendly meals, and the knowledge for how to live a healthier lifestyle through cooking at home.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about how French Fast Food is helping people create Quick and Easy French Cuisine! What are your thoughts on this culinary breakthrough for lovers of French food? Join the conversation below!
France's Fast Food Epidemic
A global culinary capital is quickly succumbing to the convenience of a burger mcdo.
French food is known to be so amazing that UNESCO has declared it an important part of the world’s cultural heritage. While France’s eating habits have been known around the world for portion control, the use of basic foods and very few processed or fast foods, late last month a new report suggest that 30 million people could be obese in the country by 2030 due to fast food giants such as McDonalds that have begun to be a popular choice in many areas of both urban and suburban France.
Twenty years ago, José Bové, a sheep farmer, famously dismantled a half-built McDonald’s at Millau in southern France starting a national crusade against “la malbouffe” or junk food. However, it has been proven that France loves burgers as a survey published earlier this year by Gira Conseil has shown that the country’s 66 million people consumed 1.46 billion of them in 2017 and that the famous American export is featured on the menus of 85% of French restaurants. Bernard Boutboul, Gira Conseil’s managing director, describes the burger’s seemingly unstoppable rise in France as “a euphoria, a craze” that has now started to verge on “hysteria.”
France’s 32,000 fast-food outlets now represent 60% of the entire French restaurant business as healthy food is very rarely cheap in France. The country’s food processing and distribution firms are big and powerful and French eating habits are no longer a model of good eating.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about France’s Fast Food Epidemic. What are your thoughts on the changing landscape of modern French eating habits? Join the conversation below!
3 Must Try French Comfort Foods
They’re not guilty pleasures, they’re French.
The French are known across the globe as the masters of decadent dishes. We’ve even highlighted the fact that there is no real French take out in our article “The Absence of French Takeout.” While most American foodies are familiar with baguettes, croissants and crêpes, French cuisine spans much further. If you're planning a trip to France be sure not to skip these 3 must have dishes.
Soupe Au Pistou
Soupe au pistou originates in Provence as an example of a vegetarian-friendly dish in the French cuisine. In its original form, the soup includes pancetta, but can be altered to be completely vegan while maintaining the flavors from the tomatoes, white beans, and pasta. Be sure to remember the cup of pistou (the French equivalent to pesto) at the end of the recipe before serving!
Flamiche
Most Americans are familiar with the brunch standard, quiche, which is basically a pie made of fluffy eggs. Fortunately, French cuisine features many variations on this winning formula, such as flamiche - a French leek pie. Originating in Northern France, flamiche is comprised of a flaky crust (loaded with butter) and a filling that's stuffed with leeks and light on the egg. Unlike a quiche, the flamiche's crust covers the whole pie, so you’ll be able to savor the pastry in every bite.
Canelés
Wine may be Bordeaux’s claim to fame, but the region also brought us the delightful custard-filled pastry bites known as canelés. The mini dessert found throughout France contains caramelized rum and vanilla and a soft, yielding, custardy interior and pairs exceptionally well with espresso or a café au lait.
We hope you’ve enjoyed 3 Must Try French Comfort Foods. Planning a trip to experience France in all of it’s culinary glory? Our culturally immersive classes and native instructors can help ensure that your meal is ordered with perfect precision! Click below to learn more.
The Absence Of French Take Out
There’s one cuisine that’s still largely missing from the flood of food delivery options… French.
Let’s face it. We live in an on-demand world and, when it comes to our food, there is no exception. With the ever increasing options in food delivery services comes a hoard of dining trends attempting to appease users of the services. High-end restaurants are now offering customers transportable dining solutions to enjoy in the comfort of their own homes. However there’s one cuisine that’s still largely missing from the flood of food delivery options.
French Cuisine.
To understand why this is the case, one must get to the root of French eating traditions. A 2010 French survey found that 80% of all meals in France are enjoyed in groups and, the preparation is as much a part of the dining experience as the meal itself.
French culture is very restaurant-focused and it is a prevailing attitude in the community that dining is viewed more as an event rather than just a means for sustenance. The fashion in which the food is plated is also a huge aspect to French cuisine.
Joachim Borenius, head chef at Sydney’s French-leaning modern Australian restaurant, Bouche on Bridge, stated that he “[doesn’t] think there’s a lot of food that transports well…At the end of the day, I don’t think there’s any benefit for any type of food to be transported.” Borenius believes that while more “canteen-style” foods don’t go bad as quickly, stuffing any French dish into take-out containers would be a tragedy since “A lot of the meals are cooked to be enjoyed as soon as possible [&] when I plate food on the pass, I want it to be with the customer in the next few minutes."
We hope you've enjoyed learning about why there is an Absence Of French Take Out! What is your opinion on this phenomenon that seems exclusive to the French cuisine? Join the conversation below!
The Fight for Fast Food Employment
The mayor of Marseille fights to keep a McDonald’s chain open to keep jobs in a poverty-stricken neighborhood.
The French government are not known for their support of American imported fast food. However, in one French city, both the mayor and residents are teaming up to fight the closure of one of the most famous American fast food chains in the world, McDonalds. The land of fine dining is no stranger to pushing back against the importing of junk food, but the residents of Marseille are now fighting a legal battle to keep a McDonalds franchise that has become a massive job provider from closing their doors.
Jean-Claude Gaudin, the mayor of Marseille, and the city’s senator, Samia Ghali, have joined the campaign even though they are at political odds. If McDonalds continues with a plan to close its branch in Saint-Barthélémy, a north Marseille neighborhood which is wrought by gang violence, drug trafficking and high unemployment, the senator has vowed to “oppose its presence throughout Marseille.”
With a staff of 77 people, the McDonald’s is the second largest employer in Saint-Barthélémy, which has an unemployment rate of 30%. This unemployment rate is more than three times the national average and has become revered in the community by employing school dropouts and youth desperate for work after serving prison terms. The franchise-holder, Jean-Pierre Brochiero, has stated that the restaurant has not been profitable, but that he obtained a court order last week suspending sales based on the grounds that he had failed to comply with a legal obligation to consult employees.
The radical French farmer, José Bové, made headlines by bulldozing a McDonalds in a protest against US taxes on Roquefort cheese nearly 20 years ago. This did not stop the rise of the the fast food giant which has become one of the most profitable restaurants of its kind in the French market.
We hope you've enjoyed The Fight for Fast Food Employment! Do you think this lawsuit will be effective at keeping jobs at home in Marseille? Join the conversation below!
6 Floors of French Cuisine
Old school French cooking meets new school Silicon Valley tech.
San Francisco is putting French food on the map in one of the most innovative ways imaginable. James Beard and chef Claude Le Tohi’s new 6 floor restaurant ONE65, is set to open this coming fall.
ONE65 Patisserie has filled the first and second floors with classic French pastries as well as breakfast and lunch offerings. The third floor will house a casual California/French comfort food, and finally the ONE65 Lounge on floors five and six is the destination for cocktails, fine wine, and spirits, accompanied by fine dining.
Le Tohic left his role as executive chef of Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand in 2016 after working to earn the restaurant 3 Michelin stars. He then joined the Alexander’s Steakhouse team in 2016 before landing a role in the all star team of ONE65. Le Tohic has designed the bistro’s kitchen entirely around induction cooking. “It’s very comfortable when you work,” meaning it doesn’t get too hot, “and it’s very precise.” This will be supplemented with a charcoal oven and grill which is known for perfectly circulating heat at scorching temperatures. From a front of house perspective, it is estimated that it will take nearly 150 people to effectively run the restaurant. However, a group of very hard working, state-of-the-art dumbwaiters will keep drinks and dishes flowing between all the floors. On the fourth floor lounge, the dumbwaiter will even open into the wine cellar so the team can use it to ferry bottles and glasses up and down.
As a guest, one can expect an evening of decadence starting immediately after embarking on the elevator to the second floor, which will be flooded by the scent and sight of nothing but chocolate. A glass-walled room will showcase the restaurant’s chocolatiers as they make over 24 types of bon bons. “Chocolate is something people like to see,” as Le Tohic says.
Be sure to check the official ONE65 Website as new developments are released.
We hope you've enjoyed learning about the newest exciting addition to the world of French cuisine in the states with 6 Floors of French Cuisine! Which floor are you most excited to visit? Join the conversation below and let us know!
The Cost of Meat
Veganism has finally caught on in a country with a meat-heavy diet, but the fight will be a long one.
The food culture in France has always been one of extremes. From having their food recognized by the international community to fighting outside influence, the French are very proud of what they have to bring to the world of gastronomy. However, vegan activists in France are going for blood, literally, by splashing themselves with fake blood and stoning butchers shops to the point where the French butchers' lobby has sought police protection.
"French consumers are finally waking up, decades after everybody else," Geoffroy Le Guilcher, author of a book on abattoirs and publisher of another on animal rights activism, said. "A new generation of activists is making people realise that even in the land of meat, there is very little that makes the case for having it."
Animal welfare, promoted by prominent figures such as Brigitte Bardot and the magazine 60 Millions d'Amis (60 Million Friends) have lacked broad support in France as animal cruelty is still presented as an unavoidable path to fine gastronomy.
Also, it must be noted that the animal-products industry generates nearly $41.5 billion in revenue annually and has created thousands of jobs. Organisations such as L214 seek to change that, including video-taping and releasing evidence of animal mistreatment.
Greenpeace, which pushes for vegetarian meals in school cafeterias, reported that most of them in France offer meat at each and every meal. France's CFBCT penned a letter to the interior ministry, which represents butchers, said it was worried about media attention to vegan habits and about increasing violent acts against meat vendors. While the French remain among the world's largest consumers of meat, demand has declined gradually for the last 2 decades due to rising health concerns about cancer, cholesterol, and diabetes. Vegetable protein is becoming a substitute, with supermarket sales surging by 80% in 2016. This is all taking place while the government is putting continued restrictions on how “fake” meat can be labeled, however it hasn’t stopped companies such as Fleury Michon from adding vegan products to their roster.
This dietary trend hasn’t caught on with everyone, especially the butchers' lobby who state that: "a whole part of French culture owes so much to artisan butchers, farmers, fishmongers and cheese shops". And that threat is now right at their doorsteps.
We hope you've enjoyed learning about how the French are navigating the social ramifications of The Cost of Meat! What do you think about the direction French food companies are taking as a reaction to the growing trend of vegetable based diets and meat substitutions? Join the conversations below!
The Autonomous Pizzaiolo
You can program the pie-spinning, but not the amore.
Robots have become an integral part of almost every industry in the modern world, so it should come as no surprise that pizza robots are now a thing (not robots made of pizza, but ones that make them).
French start-up, Ekim, is leading the way with the new concept of a pizzaiolo robot. This specific robot, usually sighted in car manufacturing plants, is capable of executing all the steps of preparing, cooking, and boxing the perfect pie. In fact, the robot’s gestures have been synchronized on those of a real-life pizzaiolo (a person who makes pizzas in a pizzeria).
The pizza-making robot can deliver a pizza every 30 seconds and up to 120 pizzas per hour, while a human can, on average, deliver only 40 per hour.
CEO of Ekim, Phillippe Goldman has stated: “Oddly, we are not faster than a pizzaiolo as we make a pizza in 4 minutes and 30 seconds, because the pizzas are made on demand in front of the customer, we take time to cook them well, to put the ingredients. But the robots have three arms, can co-ordinate their tasks and make several pizzas at once.”
Photo: REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer
But it’s not all about being fast. All the ingredients offered to the customers are organic and carefully selected in France and Italy.
The idea sprouted in the heads of two French engineers as they were still in university. Fed up with eating low-quality fast food – the only meals they could afford at the time – they started thinking about a solution which could reconcile rapidity and quality at any hour of the day. Taking inspiration from the vending options available for coffee and snacks, this new system will allow anyone to order a freshly cooked pizza on demand.
The robot pizza hasn’t left its showroom just outside Paris but Ekim is currently looking for a permanent home for the autonomous pizza maker with plans to franchise their concept in 2019.
As troubling as this may seem to pizzaiolos around the world, Vittorio Monti, head chef of O’Scia pizzeria in central Paris, assures pizza lovers that the art form of the traditional Italian delicacy can not be reproduced by a robot. Although he admits a human will always be more of a financial investment than their robotic counterpart, there is simply no way a robot can truly adapt to the living ingredients necessary to make the perfect pie.
We hope you've enjoyed learning about The Autonomous Pizzaiolo! Don't want to wait for Ekim's creation to make it's way to the states? Our culturally infused group classes and native instructors can make sure speaking your way around France is "easy as pie!"
3 Ways Loi Alimentaton Is Changing The French Food Industry
Policies meant to protect French food producers may increase the average grocery bill.
The French government has recently announced a new bill looking to change the habits of French consumers and hopefully improve the lives of French farmers.
The provisions included in the "loi alimentaton" or food industry bill, may be received in a positive light by those who consider themselves health conscious shoppers, but those who are more concerned with their food purchases being budget-friendly may be in for a rude awakening. The new bill, which was yet to pass in the parliament, intends to "strike a balance between commercial relations in the agricultural and food sector and a healthy and sustainable food industry" according to France's Agriculture Minister Stéphane Travert.
Below are 3 of the most prominent provisions that French consumers can expect if the loi alimentaton passes:
No More Non-Meat “Meat“
Manufacturers of soybean steaks or tofu steaks will be forced to rename and repackage their products (as you may have seen in our previous article, “What’s In A Label?”) because their names are deemed misleading by the government.
Food producers will no longer have the right to use "steak", "fillet", "bacon", "sausage" or any other meaty term to describe products that have a meat composition of 0%.
French Honey Must Be Labeled as Such
Only approximately 25% of the honey consumed in France is produced in France, so the government wants for the country of origin of each honey to be marked prominently on the bottles’ labels in the hope that it encourages French honey consumers to buy 'Made in France' honey, thus benefitting local producers.
Putting a Stop the Price Wars
In an effort to stop a “price war” that is “destroying value and impoverishing producers,” the government has announced that it will be reshaping the way discounts on food products are organized. In other words there will no more mass-discount promotions. For instance, buy BOGO (one get one free), half price, or even 70% off promotions will be illegal.
The Minister of Agriculture Stéphane Travert stated, “Today, it is the distributors who pull in most of the value of products and who gain from the margins.” The government will also introduce a higher resale threshold for wholesale distribution at a loss of 10 percent, meaning supermarkets will be obliged to sell a food product for the minimum of the price they bought it, plus 10 percent.
While opponents of the bill fear this will mean a price increase for consumers, Travert has assured that the consumer is "ready to pay a few cents extra if he/she knows that the product bought will pay farmers better."
We hope you've enjoyed learning about 3 Ways Loi Alimentaton Is Changing The French Food Industry! Do you think this move is an effective measure or a waste of time? Join the conversation below!
Healthy Habits of French Cooking
Learn the secrets to the French diet for maintaining a healthy and happy lifestyle.
There are a number of habits that the French keep on a daily basis to maintain a happy and healthy lifestyle, from daily trips to the food market to eating smaller portions. French people have a great understanding of a well-balanced diet! With that, we hope you enjoy reading 6 Healthy Habits of French Cooking below! Bonne Santé!
1. The French find pleasure in their meals
There is no such thing as 'fearing' what you eat in France because, culturally, the French take pleasure in their culinary experiences. Food textures, wine 'notes,' and wafting smells of French ingredients are common topics of conversation over the dinner table.
Sitting with a friend or a loved one and sharing a meal together that looks and tastes great is truly the joie de vivre in France. Et voila! Now you know the ultimate secret to eating like a French person...enjoy every minute of it!
2. Daily shopping at the market
Having fresh ingredients is a must for French people. Unlike the United States, there isn't a huge issue of chemically-induced, processed foods. They can thank their government for that because of strict laws and policies for food distributors and farmers. Even without the laws, shopping at the market with a French person isn't about filling up the shopping cart with boxes of macaroni and cheese or frozen dinners. Rather, it is a thoughtful process of grabbing essential ingredients which are used to make meals from scratch. Also, instead of going to the grocery store once a week to fill up the pantry, French people go daily to the supermarket to make smaller purchases for the essentials (like a french baguette or a few fresh tomatoes). Fresh food is best obtained by daily shopping.
3. Meals are separated into courses
A proper French meal can easily add up to about 6-courses. That's because each plate is something to appreciate and pay attention to. Having a TV on in the background or a laptop open on the table while eating would be quite shocking in France. Instead, French people separate the meal into courses to appreciate the flavors and ingredients while allowing for proper digestion before moving on to the next plate. This is also why a 6-course meal sometimes lasts about 6 hours long!
4. The French menu includes organ meats
That's right, popular items like Liver Paté are top on the list of French food items for a reason. Why you ask? To start, they are nutrient-dense. The paté, for example, is typically made of liver, egg yolks, and cream or butter. This provides the B vitamins and minerals from the liver and the fat-soluble vitamins found in eggs yolks and dairy. Other common organ meats include brains, tripe, kidneys, heart, and tongue. This is not only a part of the traditional French diet for nutrition and flavor, these items are typically inexpensive and help stretch the grocery budget.
5. Variety is a key element of surprise
Instead of being hyper-focused on the calorie count in food items, French people find pleasure in the food varieties at the supermarket. For example, the variety of greens in the lettuce section or the hundreds of cheeses in the cheese department. This excitement is something that can brings new flavor and variation to each meal.
French appetizer with salmon and herb cream
6. Small Portions
The popular phrase 'less is more' is key here. Instead of filling a plate with massive portions of food, French people plate a pleasurable and delicious amount to savor during each course. Because of appropriate portion sizes, the French feel zero guilt for divulging in their favorite sugary delights.
We hope you enjoyed reading Healthy Habits of French Cooking! Do Have any additional tips you want to add? Leave them in the comment's section below. If you would like to learn more about French language and culture, check out our Group Classes and Private Lessons at JP Linguistics by clicking here. Merci et à bientôt!
French Recipes For a Holiday Party
Everything you need for easy, at-home dishes that will wow your holiday guests.
When it comes to throwing an amazing holiday party, food can make or break your guest's experience. So why not impress them with some delicious French hors d’oeuvres, main courses, and desserts? Pictured below are some yummy French recipes we love and found while scouring the web. Give them a try and make sure to post your photos online using hashtag #JPLingo. Bonne lecture et bonne cuisine!
Entrée (Appetizer)
Smoked Salmon on Toast
This classic French snack is usually a favorite for guests to nibble on before the main course. Jamie Oliver's recipe below utilizes smoked salmon, horseradish and cress toasts...yum!! Click here for the recipe.
Recipe and photo credit: Jamie Oliver
Recettes Saint Jacques
Want to WOW your guests? Try making these elegant starters from L'atelier Des Chefs. Click here for the recipe (as pictured below).
Recipe and photo credit: L'atelier Des Chefs
Pain Surprise
Pain Surprise could include a number of different ingredients depending on which surprise you would like inside of the bread. One simple and delicious option is ham and cheese (as pictured below). This recipe comes from CuisineAZ and can be found by clicking on this link.
Recipe and photo credit: CuisineAZ
Les Plats Principaux (The Main Course)
Dinde Aux Marron (purée de céleri)
This main dish is ideal for the holiday season. As with most French dishes, the sauce is a big component in bringing flavor to the meal. The recipe below includes a celery puree which is a perfect compliment to this dish. Check it out by visiting this link from Journal Des Femmes.
Recipe and photo credit: Journal des Femmes
Gambas
If your guests enjoy seafood, then this shrimp filled platter is a perfect option. It features sweet and spicy to give a nice kick to your overall meal. The image and recipe below comes from Voyage Gourmand and you can visit their site here to learn how to make a great gambas.
Recipe and photo credit: Voyage Gourmand
Gigot D'agneau
This roasted lamb is another classic for the holidays. It is often called the Easter Lamb and can be found on the EasyFrench website here.
Recipe and photo credit: EasyFrench
Les Desserts (Dessert)
Buches De Noel
This dessert is one you will commonly see in the shape of a log at a holiday party. You can be creative by adding fun decorations like mushrooms atop the log (as seen in the image below). Check out the recipe from Marmiton here.
Recipe and photo credit: Marmiton
Café Gourmand
Café Gourmand includes desserts consumed with coffee at the end of the meal. There are many options to include with coffee and you can find a nice selection of recipes from L'express Styles here. (All images and recipes below are copyright of L'express Styles).
We hope you enjoyed this delicious array of recipes in French Recipes For a Holiday Party! We hope you have a wonderful (French-inspired) holiday season with your guests. If you are looking to learn more French language and culture, don't forget to check out our French Private Lessons, French Group Classes, and our cultural events on our JP Linguistics website. Bonne Journée!
Why The French Don't Get Fat
Diving into the secrets of a long-held, kind-of-true stereotype.
For the French, playing outside and eating healthy is part of their cultural blood to maintain a healthy diet and enjoy nutritious foods. It's imperative to know that French people sincerely enjoy food and nutrition. It's seen as a pleasure, not a chore. That's why I'd like to shed some light on Why The French Don't Get Fat. Of course, we're being very general here as we cannot speak for ALL French people, but we can invite you into a few secrets of how the French stay so skinny. Sit back, get cozy, and enjoy the read. Who knows, it might just inspire a few new healthy habits just in time for fall?
Some of you might be thinking how unfair it is to travel around France only to be surrounded by slender, form-fitted fashionistas divulging in butter-soaked croissants and delicious whipped cream patisseries... none of them seeming to gain an inch of fat during the aftermath. In order to understand this 'phenomenon,' it makes most sense to start at the very beginning, to dive into what French children are taught at very young ages about food. Let's consider the school cafeteria as our starting grounds.
School lunches in French are often considered a pedagogical tool in which kids are fed a wide variety of dishes, fruits, vegetables - all monitored by the strict Ministry of National Education which ensures that fried foods are not served more than once per month, for example. Kids are taught to only drink water during their lunch and to use condiments, such as ketchup, only with dishes that require it. Vending machines are banned from schools which mean that soda pop and processed foods are not over consumed. Sweet treats, such as a chocolate mousse, are only served once per week in the cafeteria which teaches kids that a treat is a treat. French adults, parents and teachers believe that a child can be taught how to eat properly, just like learning to read. Thus, it is considered one of the most important skills to develop during childhood.
In addition to having strict policies regarding food consumption for kids, cultural etiquette plays a big role into food schedules for kids. Parents are expected to teach their children to eat only 3 times per day, with 1 additional snack permitted under a strict schedule each day (called 'the goûter'). Portion sizes are much smaller than the U.S. and children typically eat the same foods as the adults (complaining is prohibited). This includes eating items like radishes, grated carrot salad, endives, plenty of fish, and stinky cheeses. For the 'picky eaters,' research shows that in order for a child to accept eating something new, it must be tasted at least 7 times. Further tasting is necessary in order for a child to learn to like the food item. As this knowledge has quietly weaved itself into the French culture, parents and school teachers take the necessary steps to teach kids to love healthy foods. Instead of forcing a kid to eat something healthy, they simply incorporate the food item into meals 7 times + at a young age. This has proven to help kids learn to love healthy foods.
As children grow older, these instinctual habits help to form a respect and understanding for food. This is why French culture allows for food to be consumed under a 'pleasure principle,' meaning that food is seen as something to celebrate and enjoy rather than something to feel anxious about. A study done by Paul Rozin (a University of Pennsylvania Psychologist) and Claude Fischler (a French sociologist) surveyed 4 countries - France, Japan, Belgium, and the U.S. In the survey, they found that the U.S. associates food with 'health,' not 'pleasure,' and worries the most about food choices in comparison to the other countries in the study. When shown a picture of heavy cream, for example, the Americans associated it with the word 'unhealthy,' whereas the French associated it with the word 'whipped.' When shown a picture of a chocolate cake, Americans most frequently responded with 'unhealthy' and 'calories,' whereas the French associate it with the terms 'celebration' and 'pleasure.' The idea here is that focusing on the joy that food brings, French people are able to appreciate the foods they eat and savor them as something pleasureful.
Food education starts at a very young age in France and thus it the common thread for Why The French Don't Get Fat. There is a great book that you can read called 'French Kids Eat Everything' by Karen Le Billon, who inspired this article. Check it out and continue to read more about ways the French are a good example of great eating habits.
If you would like to learn more about French culture or how to speak French, don't forget to check out our Private Lessons & Group Classes taught by native instructors at www.jplinguistics.com. Also, we'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject, so leave a comment below and share this link with others using #jplingo @jplinguistics. Merci!