A Trip Through France

December 2001

A Trip Through France

By Eric A. Lynch, C.E.C.

Walking through grocery stores over the last couple of years and seeing the product changes based on customer demand has been interesting, to say the least. Prepared food products have improved dramatically, becoming more upscale, more appealing and easier to use. One of the latest trends is the incorporation of authentic regional cuisine to entice the buyer. Though Southeast Asian (Thai), Indian, Central American and Mexican concepts have been hot lately, what better place to go, than the country that influences most Western cuisine and many consider the standard against which all cuisines are measured: France.

Today’s consumer is demanding better and more diverse foods because they have become more educated due to the ever-flowing stream of culinary information coming through the Internet, food-centered TV and other sources. In many cases, the quest for culinary knowledge has driven the consumer to take courses at a local cooking school. The food industry is now dealing with a consumer that knows what a demi-glace is, and knows how to make and use a roux. Most grasp how to sauté, broil, braise, grill and poach. And regardless if they have time or not, the consumer now expects a certain level of quality in the products they buy. This puts pressure on us in the food industry to offer new and exciting foods reflecting the needs of the well-informed consumer.

Though Caterina de Medici of Italy originally introduced high cuisine, or “haute cuisine,” into the French courts back in the 1500s, it was perfected by French chef Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935). Nouvelle cuisine, which arose in the 1970s, came about in reaction to the rich preparations of classic French cuisine. This new cuisine incorporates a more healthful cooking philosophy (the “French paradox” notwithstanding), including crisply cooked vegetables and fruit-based sauces, as opposed to heavier, richer butter and cream sauces.

Taking the tripFrom classic French cooking and nouvelle cuisine, to the many regional cooking styles throughout the country, France’s cuisine varies widely. Many differences have come about from the locally produced foods and the cooking of each region. Culinary traditions that have evolved over the years have turned French cooking into a major art form. Even simple country dishes require thoughtful preparation and an attention to detail not often found elsewhere.

French cooking can perhaps be best categorized based on the country’s geography. There is the butter- and cream-based cuisine of the north: Ile-de-France, Tours, and Normandy — the latter of which is home to the region’s great apple orchards. German influences arise in the cooking of Alsace and the Alps of eastern France with goose, pork sausages, sauerkraut and pâtés, as well as the Comté cheese of Franche-Comté and the walnuts of Savoy. Provence, with its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, features seafood, along with olive oil, garlic and olives. Mustard from Dijon, wine grapes and beef are abundant in Burgundy, which boasts the hearty, peasant-based cooking of central France, where local specialties include boeuf à la borguignonne and pot-au-feu. Foie gras and truffles are staples of Périgord in south central France, and provide much of the fat that saturates the white beans, or haricots, in the famous cassoulets of Languedoc.

Provence’s provenanceThe cuisine in Provence is different from the rest of France: a Mediterranean influence adds hotter spices and fresh seafood to the plate. Because of its mountainous terrain, it lacks rich farmlands and dairy herds, so Provençal cooking incorporates little of the milk and cream traditionally associated with French cooking. Instead, olive oil forms the base of many sauces, which often use garlic, olives and tomatoes, and goat cheese predominates. This makes Provence a great area to look to when developing heart-healthy items for your customers. The hearty seafood stew, bouillabaisse, comes from this region and is made from the various local fish catches. Here, too ,you’ll find Provençal olives ground into tapenades.

The region is also known for its herbs. “Herbes de Provence,” a legendary seasoning mix, includes thyme, savory, marjoram, rosemary, sage, basil, fennel and lavender flowers. Lavender adds a light perfume as well as a hint of citrus, which makes it perfect for fish, grilled meats and stews. It also can be used in red sauces for pasta or pizza, as well as marinades and dry rubs. Lavender crème brûlée also offers another fabulous flavor and creative option.

Heading for the mountainsThe Jura Mountains, which give way to the French Alps, lie on the Swiss border of France. This region is called Franche-Comté. To the south, France borders Italy, where another mountainous region, Savoy, is found. The mountainous terrain is the source of many rivers and streams that yield plenty of fresh-water seafood, especially perch, trout and crayfish. The area also provides a home for innumerable cows, which produce so much milk that cheesemaking abounds throughout the area. The most famous of these cheeses, Comté, is a French version of Gruyère. Walnuts, another specialty of this area, are widely grown.

Because of the cold climate, the foods of these regions tend to be substantial and hearty. Cheese fondue made with melted Comté is particularly popular here. A popular preparation style in this region is au gratin, with plenty of cheese and breadcrumbs sprinkled over the top, then baked or broiled until brown. French onion soup typically is topped with this native cheese as well.

German neighborsJust north of Franche-Comté, in the northeast corner of France lays Alsace, one of the country’s most majestic areas. Alsace neighbors Germany, which gives the area a unique hybrid culture. Much of the architecture has a Medieval German feel to it, and its towns have Germanic names such as Bergheim and Strassbourg. There is, however, a tragic side to Alsace’s geographic position. Many wars have been fought across its fields and vineyards, and its rule has changed between France and Germany four times in the 20th century alone.

The German influence also shows in the region’s food. Here one can find plenty of smoked meats and sausages served with sauerkraut. Foies gras, roast goose, sauerbraten, Munster cheese, and of course the infamous, dry and fruity Riesling wine also show the German influence on the region’s culinary tastes. While many turn up their noses at this wine, in fact, Riesling is wonderful, and even with what’s been described as a slight “gasoline-like smell,” its dry, fruity crispness goes well with the rich fatty foods of this region; it cuts through and cleans the fat from the palate to help lighten the meal.

No other dish shows off the richly varied charcuterie (cooked pork) of Alsace quite like choucroute. This pickled cabbage dish is different from a German-style sauerkraut. It’s cooked in wine and it generally contains a blend of meats or seafood, plus potatoes.

Land of the NormansNormandy, a land of picturesque half-timbered houses, green pastures and apple orchards, has a culinary tradition based on its fine local produce, including apples, sweet butter and cream, along with the prestigious Calvados (a fine apple brandy).

The meats of the region include delicate salt-marsh lamb, the creamy chicken dish of Vallée d’Auge and succulent duck from Rouennaise. Its world-renowned cheeses include Neufchâtel, Pont-l’Evêque, Livarot “Colonel,” and the famous round Camembert of Marie Harel. The sea to the north provides fresh seafood such as haddock, oysters, sole, scallops and more for the Norman table. In Normandy, one finds the creamy omelet of the Mont Saint Michel, Vire andouille sausages, tripes cooked à la mode de Caen, boudin sausages of Mortagne, and a more recent introduction, fois gras. To satisfy the sweet tooth, enjoy local deserts like Isigny toffees or apple sugars from Rouen. And to clean the palate, enjoy an extensive list of delicious local ciders — still or sparkling, sweet or dry — or perry, a fermented pear beverage. A shot of Calvados apple brandy is a nice way to round off a memorable Norman meal.

By combining apples, pork or pork tenderloin, cider and fresh herbs, such as thyme and bay leaf, chefs can recreate a Norman meal, typifying the produce and stock used by locals to create distinct culinary creations.

LangeodocThe large Langeodoc region of southern France, located north and west of Provence, encompasses hundreds of square miles from the border on the Gulf of Lyons and the Pyrenees Mountains to the south, up into the Loire river valley to the north and the Cevennes Mountains in the northeast. The dish most closely associated with this region is the cassoulet. This dish has many variants, as with most regional casserole cooking. Generally, it consists of smoked meats, sausages, duck confit (duck legs and breasts slowly cooked in duck or goose fat), small white beans, mirepoix and fond de Volaille (brown chicken stock). This medley is then topped with buttered garlic breadcrumbs and baked.

As much as I respect a well-made cassoulet, I like to play with the flavors and try to utilize them in different applications. One idea I have come up with involves marrying these components with the flavors of the southwest United States and Mexico, resulting in what I call “Cassoulet Chicken Chili.” By adding chorizo sausage, jalapeños, cilantro and various chili powders, you end up with a really interesting and delicious dish. (Plus it sounds good.) It also caters to consumer tastes and requests for more southwestern- and Mexican-inspired cooking.

City of lightsThe region that has probably most influenced American food is not a region at all, but the city of Paris. In the beginning, French culinary sophistication had little influence in America. But that began to change when Thomas Jefferson became the United States envoy to France and spent five years in Paris. There, he picked up a predilection for French food, and when he became President, hired the first French chef for the White House. This introduced classic French sauces and stocks to the American table, including espagnole (brown sauce) demi-glace de veau (half glaze made from espagnole), fond de veau (brown veal stock used to make espagnole and eventually demi-glace….I promise, that’s as far as it goes), Bechemel (white sauce) and Hollandaise sauce (egg and butter sauce). These sauces and stocks reflect the cuisine of Paris and the soul of classic French cuisine, and though the subject deserves much more attention, these important sauces and stocks may have immediate applications with current and future product development projects.

When reflecting on the vast differences in climate and the cuisine of France, I ask myself, “Can such a country ever become united in their cuisine?” The answer is happily, “No. Any country with more than 270 varieties of cheese is bound to retain their unique and varied culinary identity.” Amen.

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