Before the French revolution in 1789, around 80% of the French population lived off the land, on a diet based around bread and cereals.
After the revolution, a new ruling class of bourgeoisie ironically recreated the luxurious cuisine of the very ‘aristos’ they had beheaded, and food became a symbol of social status.
Parisians were still starving on the streets and the reputed ‘haute cuisine’ for which France has long been known, was still only within the reach of the wealthy.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, more diverse foods became available to the working classes. Improved transport links helped. France became fashionable for wealthy tourists from around the world, so chefs created dishes to appeal to a wider audience, and the country gained the reputation of the world capital of haute cuisine.
Long dinners prepared lovingly and consumed leisurely over several hours of wine and chat are still very much the French way of life.
Of course, we know that dinner out is not always perfect, so here is some useful vocabulary to help you to explain politely when a ‘plat’ is not quite ‘comme il faut’.
C’est (trop)…. – It’s (too)…
...fade – bland/tasteless
…sucré – sweet
…salé – salty
…poivré -peppery
…epicé/piquant – spicy (hot)
…acide/aigre – sour
…amer – bitter
…dur – tough
…cuit – overdone
…cru – raw
…saignant – bloody/rare
…tiède – luke warm
C’est…. – It’s…
…mangeable/immangeable – edible/inedible
…dégoûtant – disgusting
…infect – awful
Ce n’est pas…
… assez cuit – It is underdone.
Il manque de..
… sel – salt
…poivre – pepper
…gout – taste
….and some other useful vocab
Excusez-moi, nous attendons depuis un moment. | Excuse me, we’ve been waiting for a while. |
Savez-vous quand notre plat sera prêt ? | Do you know when our meal will be ready? |
Excusez-moi, je crois qu’il y a une erreur. | Excuse me, I think there’s been a mistake. |
| Je n’ai pas commandé cela. | I didn’t order this. |
| J’avais commandé le poisson, pas le poulet. | I ordered the fish, not the chicken. |
| Pourriez-vous le réchauffer, s’il vous plaît ? | Could you heat it up, please? |
Did you know?
- In France, “la carte” is the à la carte menu, while “le menu” usually means a fixed-price meal.
- Water is free. Ask for “une carafe d’eau” rather than bottled water. “une bouteille d’eau”
- In France, bread is normally included in the meal and doesn’t need to be ordered separately. In Spain, it is often charged as a supplement.
Garçon, garçon, Il y a une mouche dans ma soupe!