10 fascinating things about French food tradition

The French take their food very seriously.

They relish every single meal with a gusto and treat their food everyday with respect. It is something intrinsic to the French tradition and history.

All the delicacies like cheese, bread, and wine have such an eclectic list of facts attached with them.

With the influence of French cuisine all over the world, there are some things about the French food that are not very well known.

From the weird to the wonderful, here are 10 fascinating and fun things about the French food tradition:

1. The famed long lunch-breaks of the French
One of the most important things for the French is their food. They love to eat and therefore, their lunches can last as long as two hours. It is frequent that they enjoy extraordinary long meals. This is a phenomenon which may not be very frequently seen in the bigger cities but do not be surprised if you encounter all the offices and places shut down for two hours in other towns and cities.

2. Snails and Oysters are massively popular dishes
It may be difficult for some to understand how snails and oysters can be such wonderful delicacies. With their developed palate and history of their food tradition, French simply love them. One of the common dishes is Escargots, which is nothing but snails boiled and served with a butter and parsley sauce. Another popular dish is raw oysters. They are served with such elements as cheese, bread and butter, salt and pepper, and lemon, and paired with a delightful glass of wine.

3. It is unlawful to throw away spare food in France
Apart from their love for wonderful and hearty dishes, French believe in not wasting any food. The French supermarkets cannot dispose off and throw away the unsold items nearing their expiry date. These items have to be donated to charity so that they can be fed to the poor or those who are not able to provide for themselves. It not only reduces the wastage of food but also ensures that more people do not go hungry at the end of the day.

4. France’s massive consumption of cheese
If there’s something which defines French cuisine and food traditions, it is cheese. Cheese is something that French appreciate and relish in all their varieties and types. You would be surprised to know that there are over 365 different types of cheeses there which may amount to over 1000 varied kinds with their different variations. Even if you try a new cheese everyday, it would take years to try them all.

5. France’s love for frog’s legs
Perhaps one of the weirdest things that the French love are frog’s legs. Cuisses de grenouilles are a delicacy which is often eaten with baguette. It is estimated that the French eat an estimated 80 million a year which would amount to about 160 million frog legs. This dish is particularly popular in eastern France, especially in the Vosges region.

6. France’s huge production and consumption of alcohol
France is one the largest alcohol producers in the world. Apart from the high standards of the French cuisine, French export massive amounts of liquor. Big production brings slashed prices as well. Along with the production, French are also one the biggest per-capita alcohol consumers too. As we know that the French love their wine, it is not surprising that they consume 60 litres of wine per person a year which is more than any other country in the world.

7. France has quite a flexible drinking age
French are one of the most liberal people when it comes to the consumption of alcohol. The legal drinking age of liquor containing more than 21% alcohol is just 18, while that of all the other alcoholic beverages is only 16. Most teenagers enjoy beer and wine with their parents at home and in cafes and restaurants. Comparatively, the legal drinking age is 21 in America and different states in India have their own respective laws for the same (only if they are not “dry” states).

8. France has a diverse taste based on the different regions
French food is not defined by one set of meals and its most popular dishes only. Like India, France has a diverse cuisine. Each region has its own distinctive cuisine and style of food. From the cheese-based dishes of the French Alps with such popular names as fondue and raclette to the Provencal food which specialises in the use of herbs, tomatoes, and olive oil, there is something for everyone in the widely diverse food enjoyed in France.

9. Breakfast is not as important as lunch and dinner
It is often repeated that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But French food traditions do not abide by that adage. The main meals generally are Lunch and Dinner, especially in a place like Paris. Breakfasts are usually small and one of the most staple pairings like croissant and coffee are enjoyed for the first meal. Lunch is a bit on the heavier side and dinners are social occasions to spend quality time with your loved ones and may last for a long period of time.

10. Baguette has to be of specific proportions
French food is known for its wonderful breads, but nothing beats the glory of a freshly baked Baguette. Baguettes are so abundant that it is not surprising that about ten billion baguettes are baked and sold in France every year. Most cafes and restaurants in Paris would even serve baguette free of cost on the side. These much-cherished baguettes have to be of specific proportions too. Strict laws govern their production and for it to be called a baguette, it must only contain flour, salt, and yeast as the three ingredients, and it must weigh exactly 250 grams.