French cuisine, most noted for its elegance and refinement has methodology similar in some ways to Japanese cuisine. Mastering the complicated basics of sauces and pastry dough’s is paramount in mastering the culinary doctrine of keeping recipes classic and constant. appréciez votre repas

It is well noted that many of the world’s great chefs such as Careme, Taillevent or Bocuse were masters of French cuisine.

For this reason French food preparation is often at odds with other forms of western cooking where speed and innovation are more and more becoming the norm.

Not only is there a mandate on mastering basic techniques but good French chefs also require a good understanding of ingredients and their origins. Good French chefs know where to source the best produce, whether it be artichokes from Macau, peas from Saint-Germaine, strawberries from Pessac or butter from Isigny.

An inseparable component of French cuisine that has evolved over time is the notion there is a wine for every eating occasion.

The close association between wine and food is also evident in the more than coincidental fact that many famous places for cuisine are also very famous places for wine production. Touraine, Burgundy and Bordeaux to name a few.

The consumption of red wine is one theory explaining why, despite a diet higher in saturated fats, creams and butter, French people have a lower incidence of cardiac disease than many other western countries including the US.

Most French people are Catholic and thus have no eating prohibitions. Therefore dating back to the ancient Gauls the French have built a reputation for not being afraid to eating anything; tongue, sheep’s foot, tripe, brain, intestines and kidneys amongst others are eaten and used in cooking on the same level as mainstream meats such as chicken, beef, pork and lamp.

The French may argue that they invented service a la russe in the mid 19th century where courses were served separately centered around a main course. Such as, starting with a hot hors d'oeuvre, followed by a soup then the main course, salad, cheese and finally desert.

French people consume the most amount of cheese in the world. Approximately 20kg per person per year. France also produces around 400 varieties of cheese.