HISTORY
OF FRENCH CUISINE
When many Americans think of French
cuisine the notion of expensive restaurants and French fries may come to mind.
Like many Cuisines of foreign countries,
French cuisine is much different then our own. It boasts its own rich history
that evolved over time from the middle ages to present day. It has been revered
as one of the world’s most refined culinary locations, and there are over 9,000 restraints in Paris alone.
The history of French cuisine dates
back to the middle ages. During this time French meals where very similar to
Moorish Cuisine, and were served in a style called service en confusion,
meaning that meals were served all at once. Meals consisted of spiced meats
such as pork, beef, poultry, and fish. In many cases meals where determined by
the season, and of what food was in abundance. Meats were salted and smoked to
preserve, and vegetables were also salted and put in jars to preserve for the
winter months. During this time the presentation of the meal was also very important.
The more lavish and colorful the display, the better, and cooks would use
edible items such as saffron, egg yolk, spinach, and sunflower for color. One
of the most extravagant dinners of this time was a roast swan or peacock, which
was sewn back into its skin and feathers to look intact. The feet and beak were
gilded with gold to complete the spectacle.
During the 15th & 16th
centuries the French where influenced greatly by the advancing culinary arts in
Italy. Much of this influenced was do Catherine De Medicis (a Florentine
princess) who married Henry duc d'Orleans (who became King Henry II of France).
Italian chefs where light years of ahead of French culinary experts, and had
already begun creating dishes such as lasagna, manicotti, and had experimented
using ingredients like truffles, garlic, and mushrooms. When Catherine married
King Henry II, she brought along with her Italian chefs who in turn introduced
Italian culinary practices to the French court. Even though the culinary
cultures of these two countries have taken different roads, the French owe much
of their culinary development to the Italians and their intervention in the
1500s.
The period between the 16th and
18th centuries was also known as the Ancient Regime, and during this
time Paris was referred to as “the central hub of culture and economic activity
and as such the most highly skilled culinary craftsmen were to be found there.”
During the Ancient Regime food distribution was regulated by the city
government in the form of guilds, and these guilds put in place restrictions
that allowed certain food industries to operate in assigned areas. Guides were
separated into two groups: people who supplied the raw materials to make food,
and the people who sold already prepared items. The restrictions that were put
in place by guilds hampered the development of culinary arts during this time,
by restricting certain chefs to assigned areas.
Between the 17th and 18th
century there was a development in Haute Cuisine or “High Cuisine”, and its origins
can be found in the recipes of a chef named La Varenne. Varenne was the author
of what is known today as the first “true French cookbook”. Unlike the cooking
styles of the middle Ages, Verenne’s cookbook (Cvisinier François) contained
new recipes which focused on more modest and less extravagant meals. This was
an ongoing trend throughout the history of French cuisine, with more and more
chefs continuing to tone down on the abundance of a meal, and focusing on the
ingredients in the meal.
The French Revolution also brought
about a turning point in the French food industry, because it led to the fall
of guilds. With guilds no longer in place any French chef could produce and
sell any type of food product he or she wished. This lead to a type of enlightenment
within the French food industry, and more chefs began to experiment with
different types of ingredients and dishes.
One of the most prominent chefs of
the 18 th and 19 th century was Marie-Antoine Carême. Carême based his cooking
around the development of what he called his “mother sauces”. These sauces were
made up of espagnole, velouté, as well as béchamel, and where also known as
fonds or “base sauces”. Carême over the span of his career created hundreds of
sauces, many of which are still being used today in French cuisine.
In the late 19th century and
early 20th century there began a modernization of haute cuisine.
Much of this new cuisine owes its development to Georges Auguste Escoffier.
Escoffier was chef and an owner of many restaurants, as well as a culinary
writer. Much of Escoffier methods in modernizing haute cuisine were drawn from
the recipes of Carême. By simplifying Carême recipes as well as adding his own
touches Escoffier was able to develop a new modern French cuisine. In his
efforts to modernize French cuisine Escoffier also developed a system to
organize and manage a professional kitchen. The system was called a “brigade
system” and separated the kitchen into five sections. In this system each
member of a designated section created a specific part of the dish. The
sections included the "garde manger" that prepared cold dishes; the
"entremettier" prepared starches and vegetables, the
"rôtisseur" prepared roasts, grilled and fried dishes; the
"saucier" prepared sauces and soups; and the "pâtissier"
prepared all pastry and desserts items. By reorganizing the manufacturing of
dishes within the kitchen Escoffier was able to cut down on the time that was
required to prepare a dish, in turn making professional kitchens more efficient.
Escoffier is a legend in the world of French Cuisine and he has written many
famous cookbooks, his most famous being Le Guide Culinaire which includes over
5,000 recipes.
Since the days of Escoffier there have
been many changes in the anatomy of French Cuisine. Over time new techniques
have evolved, and chefs have become more inventive. There has been a tendency
to shy away from larger menus, and the focus has changed from the abundance
food included in a dish, to the quality of the ingredients in the dish. Present
day French meal structure is divided into Le petit déjeuner, Le déjeuner, and
Le dîner (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner). Breakfast often consists of “tartines”
which are small slices of French bread which are then spread with jelly, and or
pastries. Lunch was once known as one of the largest meals of the day, and in
many professional situations workers would be allowed a two hour lunch break.
Though in today’s French society many French workers are allotted an hour for
lunch, which most use to eat out or at the business or school’s cafeteria.
Dinner in most cases consists of three courses: the entrée, the plat principal
or main course, and the cheese or desert course. Some popular French dishes
include Blanquette de veau (blanquette of veal), Coq au vin (rooster in red
wine), Bouillabaisse (fish soup), and Boudin blanc (Delicate flavored sausage
similar to bockwurst). Wine is essential item in French meals, and it to has a
rich history in France. In many cases a different wine is paired with each
course in a meal, and each wine is picked depending on what is being served for
each course. Though France is know for its wine, there has been a 60 percent
drop in the consumption of wine during meals throughout France. Instead there
has been a rise in fruit juice, water, and beer consumption, as well as other
alcoholic drinks mixed with cider or other mixers.
French cuisine has a rich history, and
like many other native cuisines, French cuisine owes it development to
brilliant chefs as well as the some helpful influences from neighboring
countries. It can be assured that French cuisine will continue to evolve and
change and that in years to come brilliant French culinary experts will
continue to push the boundaries of the culinary world. Like many cultures it
has taken many years for the French to perfect their cuisine, with each
generation adding something new to the mix. Yet it is because of the chefs of
the past generations that a country’s cuisine can develop to what it is now.
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