Discover French Traditional Food Habits
France is a wonderful place to visit and even live. But unless you are aware of the various customs and rules of etiquette in place, chances are you will be less likely to enjoy fully your next trip there.  If you are planning on visiting France therefore, you are going to want to be aware of these sorts of things, so that you do not come across as being rude or ignorant. There are varrious French traditional food habits for instance, that you will want to know about, so that you can go out to dine in the beautiful French restaurants and cafe without standing out the traditional French crowd.
French Traditional Food Habits
If you didn’t know it before, this one is a priority: Food and the French go hand in hand. In fact, it is true to say that there is a certain complicity in this relationship, elevated somehow beyond the requirements of nourishment, for the French have a great respect for their food. They have surrounded their food with so reverence, that their relationship with food is personal, and at times even sensual. That is because it is not so much the food that they celebrate, but the occasion surrounding the meals, the joie de vivre in sampling meals that have been prepared with love and care. As such, food is certainly also viewed as a major art form. Chefs up and down the country are eager to feature as masters in their art by various publications such as “Le Guide Michelin†which can make or break the reputation of a Chef, whoever he or she might be! Innovations having to do with food are celebrated and talked about as though they were phases in the development of a style of painting or poetry, and so you need to understand and respect the food more when you are in France.
One of the most important aspects of French traditional food habits is to take your time when you eat. Food is not meant to be shoved down quickly, on the go, or sitting at one’s desk during lunch break. Food is meant to be enjoyed at a table, laid care and precision. Do not hesitate to sit your fork down between each bite, if you can remember to, and oh! A glass of wine a day is really what the Doctor has ordered.
French Chefs are known to for their temperament and their facility to loose their cool if they feel you do not enjoy their work of art. You are in their restaurants, their temple, and food is the object art being enjoyed. Most French chefs will take umbrage if you add condiments to a dish before even tasting it and it is also considered as being a grave insult if you ask for ketchup. This is because you are basically then telling the chef that their cooking is unsatisfactory, and it is unnecessary to add any flavoring to meals in France for the most part anyway because they are usually so well prepared.
Conversation at the meals’ table is another one of those important French traditional food habits. Talk to each other. Not with a mouth full of course, but make sure that you engage in conversation to make your meal even more memorable.
Sit up straight in your chair, don’t fold one of your legs underneath you and keep both your hands visible even though you might be dying to place one of your hands on the knees of that delightful French lady who is your guest at the table!
Go with the flow! French traditional food habit is a complex thing to learn and come to grips with, but by understanding the reasons behind those conventions, you will begin to appreciate your meals even more.