The Paris Café Preservation
A city-wide movement to preserve the famed cultural melting pots.
A new campaign has been launched to encourage UNESCO to award cultural heritage status to Paris’s bistros and café terraces referencing to the role they played in bringing people together in the aftermath of the 2015 terror attacks.
The dossier will be forwarded to the Ministry of Culture, which is responsible for submitting such applications to UNESCO, this coming September to raise awareness both in France and abroad of "the role that bistros and café terraces play in bringing people and cultures together, and their role as intellectual and artistic melting pots". The new association has stated that following the attacks on November 13, 2015,
"Parisians crowded onto the terraces... to show that they regarded them as places of cultural cross-fertilisation, of freedom and of the art of living."
The association has also said that the culture of Paris' world-famous cafés and bistros was increasingly "under threat", not only from soaring rents in the French capital, but also from multinational companies in the food & beverage industries.
The association's head, Alain Fontaine stated that “In a society that is becoming increasingly standardised, there are still places for families that make a real contribution to popular culture.” Similar campaigns have recently started to put both the French baguette (which can be read about in our previous article, Battle of the Baguette) and the iconic green "bouquinisites" book stalls in Paris on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.
We hope you've enjoyed learning about The Paris Café Preservation! Planning a trip to experience the treasured bistros and café terraces in person? Our culturally immersive classes taught by native instructors will ensure you are able to order whatever you heart may desire with ease! Click below for more info!
Sampling Goût de France
Celebrating the taste of French cuisine with 3000 chefs worldwide.
Now on it’s 4th year as a tradition, restaurants around the world will be joining forces to celebrate French cuisine by offering French-inspired meals as part of "Goût de France / Good France.”
With 3000 chefs in attendance, Goût de France / Good France aims to unite all types of restaurants from around around the world. The first edition of the international event took place in 2015 soon after UNESCO placed the country’s "Repas gatsronomique des Français" on the World Intangible Heritage list.
Under the program, participating chefs give diners a unique "art de vivre" experience. Each menu will have the opportunity to add diversity to French gastronomy, as chefs are allowed to integrate quality produce from their own country to their menu proposals.
As stated by the official Gout de France website, the goal of the event is to:
"PROMOTE FRENCH TOURISM — in an effort to promote France, this one of a kind diner will take advantage of international visibility, and aim to send a strong message to the world, through dynamic and creative chefs. CARRY THE COLORS OF FRENCH CUISINE WITH PRIDE — it will send messages of strong added values: The message that French cuisine is CONTEMPORARY — Traditional French cuisine is not a dominion of the 21st century culinary scene. Participating chefs are encouraged to blend their own culinary culture to that of France, rather than discounting it. The message that French cuisine is EXCELLENCE — Healthy, Innovative, and Responsible: In addition to representing the heartiness associated with the pleasures of eating, food also becomes the symbol of France’s positive values. Healthy dishes prepared from fresh, seasonal, and local produce, with low fat, salt, and sugar content; Meals for everyone, from bistro to gourmet dining."
Participants can expect quite the dining experience as each guest will have access to:
One traditional French aperitif : champagne and gougeres (stuffed or not) or - iced cognac with foie gras
One cold appetizer
One hot appetizer
One fish or shell-fish based course
One meat or poultry based course
One or a selection of French cheeses
One chocolate dessert
A selection of French wines
One French liqueur
For a full list of restaurants participating in the event, click below!
We hope you have enjoyed about how the world is Sampling Goût de France! Which is your favorite of the menu listings being offered at this delicious yearly event? Leave a comment below!