Shopping in France

Special purchases include lace, crystal glass, cheeses, coffee and, of course, wines, spirits and liqueurs. Arques, the home of Crystal D’Arques, is situated between St Omer and Calais, en route to most southern destinations. Lille, the main town of French Flanders, is known for its textiles, particularly fine lace. Most towns have fruit and vegetable markets on Saturday. Hypermarkets, enormous supermarkets which sell everything from foodstuffs and clothes to hi-fi equipment and furniture, are widespread in France. They tend to be situated just outside of town and all have parking facilities.

Shopping hours
Department stores are open Mon-Sat 0900-1830. Some shops are closed between 1200-1430. Food shops are open 0700-1830/1930. Some food shops (particularly bakers) are open Sunday mornings, in which case they will probably close Monday. Many shops close all day or Monday afternoon. Hypermarkets are normally open until 2100 or 2200.

Currency Information:

Single European currency (Euro)

The Euro is now the official currency of 12 EU member states (including France). The first Euro coins and notes were introduced in January 2002; the French Franc was still in circulation until 17 February 2002, when it was completely replaced by the Euro. Euro (&Euro;) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of &Euro;500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of &Euro;2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.

Currency exchange

Some first-class hotels are authorized to exchange foreign currency. Visitors should also look for the ‘Crédit Mutuel’ or ‘Crédit Agricole’, which have longer opening hours. Shops and hotels are prohibited from accepting foreign currency by law. Many UK banks offer differing exchange rates depending on the denominations of currency being bought or sold. Travelers should check with their banks for details and current rates.
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Origin of name France

The name France comes from Medieval Latin Francia, which literally means “land of the Franks, Frankland”. Originally it applied to the whole Frankish Empire, extending from southern France to eastern Germany. At the Treaty of Verdun in 843, the Frankish Empire was divided in three parts, and eventually only two: Francia Occidentalis (i.e. “Western Frankland”) and Francia Orientalis (i.e. “Eastern Frankland”).

The rulers of Francia Orientalis, who soon claimed the imperial title and wanted to reunify the Frankish Empire, dropped the name Francia Orientalis and called their realm the Holy Roman Empire (see History of Germany). The kings of Francia Occidentalis successfully opposed this claim, and managed to preserve Francia Occidentalis as an independent kingdom, distinct from the Holy Roman Empire. The Battle of Bouvines in 1214 definitely marked the end of the efforts by the Holy Roman Empire to reunify the old Frankish Empire by conquering France.

Since the name Francia Orientalis had disappeared, there arose the habit to refer to Francia Occidentalis as Francia only, from which the word France is derived. The French state has been in continuous existence since 843 (except for a brief interruption in 885-887), with an unbroken line of heads of states since the first king of Francia Occidentalis (Charles the Bald) to the current president of the French Republic (Jacques Chirac). Noticeably, in German, France is still called Frankreich, which literally means “Reich (realm) of the Franks”. In order to distinguish from the Frankish Empire of Charlemagne, France is called Frankreich, while the Frankish Empire is called Frankenreich.

The name of the Franks itself is said to come from the Proto-Germanic word *frankon which means “javelin, lance”. Another proposed etymology is that Frank means “the free men”, based on the fact that the word frank meant “free” in the ancient Germanic languages. However, rather than the ethnic name of the Franks coming from the word frank (”free”), it is more probable that the word frank (”free”) comes from the ethnic name of the Franks, the connection being that only the Franks, as the conquering class, had the status of freemen.

Contrary to what many people believe, the name of the former French currency, the franc, does not come from the name of the country. Instead, the name of the currency comes from Old French franc, a word which meant “free”, directly borrowed from the Germanic word frank (”free”). In modern French, franc means “frank, sincere”. The meaning “free” was lost, except in a few set phrases, such as port franc (i.e. “free port”) or franc-maçon (i.e. “freemason”). During the Hundred Years’ War, King John II of France was captured by the English at the Battle of Poitiers (1356). The English asked for a ransom to liberate the king, which amounted to twice the yearly income of France. In order to raise the money to pay the ransom, a new coinage had to be minted. These new coins were called francs, because they were minted to “free” the king.

Before the arrival of the Franks, France was called Gaul (Latin: Gallia; French: Gaule). This name continued to be used for a very long time after the Franks arrived in what is now France. In fact, for as long as the cultural elites of Europe used Latin predominantly (until the 18th century), the name Gallia continued to be used alongside the name France. Today, in modern French, the word Gaule has completely disappeared, and is only used in a historical context. The only current use of the word is in the title of the leader of the French bishops, the archbishop of Lyon, whose official title is Primate of the Gauls (Primat des Gaules).

Gaul is in the plural in the title, reflecting the three Gallic entities identified by the Romans (Celtica, Belgica, and Aquitania). The adjective gaulois (Gallic) is still sometimes used when a Frenchman wants to stress some idiosyncrasies of the French people entrenched in history, such as notre vieux fond gaulois querelleur (”the love of quarrels of our old Gallic stock”), a phrase used when denouncing French propensity for strikes or controversies. During the French Third Republic, the authorities often referred to notre vieille Nation gauloise (”our old Gallic Nation”), a case in which the adjective gaulois is used with a positive connotation. The adjective gaulois is also used to describe a kind of humour located below the belt. In English the word Gaul is never used in a modern context. The adjective Gallic is sometimes used to refer to French people, especially in a derisive and critical way, such as “Gallic pride” or “Gallic hygiene”.

Note that the family name of Charles de Gaulle (with two “l”) has nothing to do with the name Gaul (French: Gaule, with one “l”). It seems that “Gaulle” comes from an old Germanic word meaning “wall”, where w- evolved into g- under the influence of French (cf. William and Guillaume). Nonetheless, contemporary Frenchmen could not help noticing the striking similarity between the two names, and it added to the aura surrounding de Gaulle.

In almost all the languages of the world, France is known by the word “France” or any of its derivatives. In a few languages (essentially Greek and Breton), France is known as “Gaul”.

Meanings of the name France

The name “France” (and its adjective “French”) can have four different meanings which it is important to distinguish in order to avoid ambiguities.

In a first meaning, “France” refers to the whole French Republic.

In a second meaning, it refers to metropolitan France only. This is the most common meaning.

In a third meaning, “France” refers specifically to the province of Ile-de-France (with Paris at its centre) which historically was the heart of the royal demesne. This meaning is found in some geographic names, such as French Brie (Brie française) and French Vexin (Vexin français). French Brie, the area where the famous Brie cheese is produced, is the part of Brie that was annexed to the royal demesne, as opposed to Champagne Brie (Brie champenoise) which was annexed by Champagne. Likewise, French Vexin was the part of Vexin inside Ile-de-France, as opposed to Normandy Vexin (Vexin normand) which was inside Normandy.

This meaning is also found in the name of the French language (langue française), whose literal meaning is “language of Ile-de-France”. It is not until the 19th and 20th centuries that the language of Ile-de-France indeed became the language of the whole country France. In modern French, the French language is called le français, while the old language of Ile-de-France is called le francien.

In a fourth meaning, “France” refers only to the Pays de France, one of the many pays (Latin: pagi, singular pagus) of Ile-de-France. French provinces are traditionally made up of several pays, which are the direct continuation of the pagi set up by the Roman administration during Antiquity. The province of Ile-de-France is thus made up of several pays: Pays de France, Parisis, Hurepoix, French Vexin, and so on. Pays de France is the extremely fertile plain located immediately north of Paris which supported one of the most productive agriculture during the Middle Ages and was responsible for the tremendous wealth of the kingdom of France before the Hundred Years’ War, making possible the emergence of Gothic art and architecture which spread all over western Europe. Pays de France is also called Plaine de France (i.e. “Plain of France”). Its historic main town is Saint-Denis, where the first gothic cathedral in the world was built in the 12th century, and inside which the kings of France are buried. Pays de France is now almost entirely built up, being but the northern extension of the Paris suburbs.

This fourth meaning is found in many place names, such as the town of Roissy-en-France, on whose territory is located Charles de Gaulle International Airport. The name of the town literally means “Roissy in the Pays de France”, and not “Roissy in the country France”, as many people wrongly believe. Another example of the use of France in this meaning is the new Stade de France, which was built near Saint-Denis for the 1998 Football World Cup. It was decided to call the stadium after the Pays de France, to give it a local touch. In particular, the mayor of Saint-Denis made it very clear that he wanted the new stadium to be a stadium of the northern suburbs of Paris, and not just a national stadium which happens to be located in the northern suburbs. The name reflected this. However, most people, both inside and outside France, are not aware of this, and assume that the stadium was called after the country France.

Religion in France

Traditionally a predominantly Roman Catholic country, yet also with anticlerical leanings, France has since the 1970s been a very secular country. Freedom of religion is constitutionally a right, inspired by the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. The dominant concept of the relationships between the public sphere and religions is that of laicite, which implies that the government and government institutions (such as schools) should not endorse any particular religion or intervene in religious dogma, and that religions should refrain from intervening in policy-making. Tensions occasionally erupt about alleged or real discrimination against minorities; see Islam in France.

The government does not maintain statistics as to the religion of its inhabitants. Statistics from an unspecified source and date given in the CIA World Factbook gives the following number: Roman Catholic 83 to 88%, Muslim 5 to 10%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%. However, in a 2003 poll 41% said that the existence of God was “excluded” or “unlikely”. 33% declared that “atheist” described them rather or very well, and 51% said they were “Christian”. When questioned about their religion, 62% answered Roman Catholic, 6% Muslim, 2% Protestant, 1% Jewish, 2% “other religions” (except for Orthodox or Buddhist, which were negligible), 26% “no religion” and 1% declined to answer. A Gallup poll established that 15% of the French population attend places of worship.

Social and political outlook

The French maintain a strong gap between civilian life and religion. Religion is considered as private as possible, and it is considered offensively inquisitive to enter religious discussions in most contexts. Communautarisme — that is, the forming of ethnic or religious communities separate from mainstream life —, though present, is considered undesirable. French people in general are opposed to clerical power and its influence in policy; the separation of religion from government power is legally referred to as laicite. French politicians, with the exception of a few right-wing politicians such as Christine Boutin, generally do not discuss their religious positions, and do not use religious arguments in political advocacy.

Islamic fundamentalism is considered as a real threat for the cohesion of the French society. Reasons for tensions include the desire of certain imams or other Muslims not to abide by French laws, regulations and customs. Following cases of conflicts about Muslim girls breaching school dress regulations or refusing to attend certain classes, the French government adopted a statute prohibiting the wearing of religious symbols in public primary and secondary schools; see French law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools. These tensions echo earlier quarrels with respect to the influence of the Catholic church in French society (clericalism vs laicite) and the influence of the Pope in French public affairs (gallicanism vs ultramontanism).

The French public and government pay attention to certain minority religious groups, considered as “cults” (sectes). This is particularly the case since a much-publicized 1995 of mass murders and suicides inside the Order of the Solar Temple. Public concerns include the well-being and education of children in cults that isolate themselves from the community; the advocacy of medical practices generally considered hazardous; the defrauding of members by greedy leaders; and sexual abuse. Such concerns have resulted in the foundation of commissions charged with the monitoring of possibly dangerous “cults”, as well as the enactment of legislation easing the prosecution of criminal organizations. See French legislation for the prevention and repression of cultic groups that infringe on human rights and fundamental freedoms. (more…)

Music of France

France has long been considered a centre for European art and music. The country boasts a wide variety of indigenous folk music, as well as styles played by immigrants from Africa, Latin America and Asia. In the field of classical music, France has produced a number of legendary composers, while modern pop music has seen the rise of popular French rock, hip hop, techno/funk, and pop performers..

Folk music

As Europe experienced a wave of roots revivals, France found its regional cultures reviving traditional music. Brittany, Limousin, Gascony, Corsica and Auvergne were among the regions that underwent a popularization of folk music. Traditional styles of music had survived most in remote areas like the island of Corsica and mountainous Auvergne, as well as the more nationalist lands of the Basques and Bretons.

In many cases, folk traditions were revived in relatively recent years to cater to tourists. These groupes folkloriques tend to focus on very early 20th century melodies and the use of the piano accordion.

Central France

Central France incudes the regions of Auvergne, Limousin, Morvan, Nivernais, Bourbonnais and Berry. The lands are the home to the French bagpipe tradition, as well as the iconic hurdy gurdy and the dance bourree. There are deep differences between the regions of Central France, with the Auvergne and Limousin retained the most vibrant folk traditions of the area. As an example of the area’s diversity, the bourree can come in two distinct rhythms, 3/8 or 2/3; the latter is found in the south of the region, and is usually improvised with bagpipes and hurdy gurdy, while the former is found in the north and includes virtuoso players.

Bagpipe and hurdy gurdy

The hurdy gurdy, or vielle-a-roue, is a cross between a violin and a piano accordion. It is made up of a curved, oval body, a set of keys and a curved handle, which is turn and connected to a wheel which bows the strings that are stopped by the keys. There is a moveable bridge, a variable number of drones and hidden sympathetic strings, all of which can also effect the sound. Simpler forms of the hurdy gurdy are also found in Spain, Hungary and Russia.

The bagpipe is found in a wide array of forms in France, which has more diversity in bagpipes than any other country. The cabrette and grande cornemuse from Auvergne and Berry are the most well-known. These forms are found at least as far back as the 17th century. Prominent bagpipers include Bernard Blanc, Frederic Paris and Philippe Prieur, as well as bandleader Jean Blanchard of La Grande Bande de Cornemuses and Quintette de Cornemuses. Frederic Paris is also known as a member of the Duo Chabenat-Paris, a prominent duo who use elements like mixed polyphonic ensembles and melodies based on the bourree. Bernard Blanc and Jean Blanchard, along with Eric Montbel from Lyons, were among the musicians who formed the basis of La Bamboche and Le Grand Rouge. It was these two bands who did more than anyone to revitalize the traditions of Central France during the 1970s folk revival. The festival of St. Chartier, a music festival held annually near Chateauroux, has been a focal point for the music of Auvergne and Limousin.

The provinces of Morvan and Nivernais have produced some traditional stars, including Faubourg de Boignard and Les Menetriers du Morvan, respectively. The Nivernais collector Achille Millien was also notable in the early part of the 20th century.

Southern France

Southern France includes the regions of Provence, Bearn, Rousillon, Gascony and Languedoc. The Basques, with their own unique culture, are geographically part of this area, but are culturally distinct from any of their French or Spanish neighbors. The Occitan language is in use by some musicians, including Jean-Luc Madier and Rosina de Peira. The Massilia Sound System is a well-known group, specializing in what they call trobamuffin, which is Occitan raggamuffin.

Bal-musette

The hurdy gurdy became the basis for bal-musette music, which arrived in Paris by 1880 as a result of Auvergnat migration. The influence of Antoine Bouscatel led to bal-musette incorporating the Italian accordion, which soon came to dominate the music. This is the period that produced internationally known masters like Leon Chanal, Emile Vacher and Martin Cayla. Vacher’s light style, rhythmic nature and distinctive tremolo defined the genre for many audiences in France and beyond.

Basque

The Basques are a unique ethnic group, unrelated to any other in France and with uncertain connections abroad. The main form of Basque folk music is called trikitrixa, which is based on the accordion and includes popular performers like Benat Achiary and Oldarra. The Spanish Basques have had a much more active music scene, especially in the field of traditional music.

Corsica

Corsican polyphonic singing is perhaps the most unique of the French regional music varieties. Sung by male trios, it is strongly harmonic and occasionally dissonant. Works can be either spiritual or secular. Modern groups include Canta u Populu Corsu, I Muvrini, Tavagna and Chjami Aghjalesi; some groups have been associated with Corsican nationalism.

Corsican musical instruments include the bagpipe (caramusa), 16-stringed lute (cetera), mandolin, fife (pifana) and the diatonic accordion (urganettu).

Brittany

Uniquely Celtic in character, Breton folk music has had perhaps the most successful revival of its traditions, partially due to the result of Lorient, France’s most popular music festival.

The documented history of Breton music begins with the publication of Barzaz-Breizh in 1839. A collection of folk songs compiled by Hersart de la Villemarque, Barzaz-Breizh helped keep Breton traditions alive.

Couple de sonneurs, consisting of a bombarde and biniou, is usually played at festoù-noz celebrations (some are famous, like Printemps de Chateauneuf). It is swift dance music and has an older vocal counterpart called kan ha diskan. Unaccompanied call and response singing was interspersed with gwerz, a form of ballad.

Probably the most popular form of Breton folk is the bagad pipe band, which features native instruments like biniou and bombarde alongside drums and, in more modern groups, biniou braz pipes. Modern revivalists include Kevrenn Alre Bagad and Bagad Kemper.

Alan Stivell is perhaps the most influential folk-rock performer of continental Europe. After 1971’s Renaissance of the Celtic Harp, Breton and other Celtic traditional music achieved mainstream success internationally. With Dan Ar Bras, he then released Chemins de Terre (1974), which launched Breton folk-rock. This set the stage for stars like Malicorne in the ensuing decades.

Pure folk of modern Brettany include harpists like Anne-Marie Jan, Anne Auffret and Myrdhin, while singers Kristen Nikolas, Andrea Ar Gouilh and Yann-Fanch Kemener have become mainstream stars. Instrumental bands, however, have been the most successful, including Gwerz, Bleizi Ruz, Strobinell, Sonerien Du and Tud.

Music history

French music history dates back to organum in the 10th century, followed by the Notre Dame School, an organum composition style. By the end of the 12th century, a kind of music called the motet arose, accompanied by the spread of travelling musicians called troubadours. In the 14th century, France produced two notable styles of music, Ars Nova and Ars Subtilior. During the Renaissance, Burgundy became a major center for musicald development. This was followed by the rise of chansons and the Burgundian School

Classical music

Opera

The first French opera may be Akebar roi du Mogol, first performed in Carpentras in 1646. They were followed by the team of Pierre Perrin and Cambert, whose Pastoral in Music, performed in Issy, was a success, and the pair moved to Paris to produce Pomone (1671) and Les Peines et les Plaisirs de l’Amour (1672).

Jean-Baptiste Lully, who had become well-known composing ballets for Louis XIV, began innovating a French version of the Italian opera seria, a kind of tragic opera known as tragedie lyrique or tragedie en musique - see (French lyric tragedy). His first was Cadmus from 1673. Lully’s forays into operatic tragedy were accompanied by the pinnacle of French theatrical tragedy, led by Corneille and Racine.

Lully also developed the common beat patterns used by musical conductors today, and was the first to take the role of leading the orchestra from the position of the first violin.

Classical music era and modern French classical music

During the French Revolution and the subsequent Napoleonic wars, the Paris Conservatory was established and foreigners like Frederic Chopin flocked to France. One of the major French composers of the time, and one of the most innovative composers of the early Romantic era, was Hector Berlioz.

In the late 1800s, pioneers like Georges Bizet, Jules Massenet, Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy revitalized French music. The late 1800s saw the dawn of the music hall when Yvette Guilbert was a major star. The era lasted through to the 1930s and saw the likes of Felix Mayol, Lucienne Boyer, Marie-Louise Damien, Marie Dubas, Frehel, Georges Guibourg, Tino Rossi, Jean Sablon, Charles Trenet and Maurice Chevalier. This part of the 20th century also saw neo-classical music flourish in France, especially composers like Albert Roussel, Erik Satie and Les Six, a group of musicians who gathered around Satie. Later in the century, Olivier Messiaen and Pierre Boulez proved influential and incorporated non-native influences.
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Cinema of France

France has been influential in the development of film as a mass medium and as an art form.

History

Late 19th century to early 20th century

In the late 19th century, during the early years of cinema, France produced several important pioneers. Auguste and Louis Lumiere invented the cinematographe and their screening of L’Arrivee d’un train en gare de la Ciotat in Paris in 1895 is marked by many historians as the official birth of cinema. During the next few years, filmmakers all over the world started experimenting with this new medium, and France’s Georges Melies was influential. He invented many of the techniques now common in the cinematic language, and made the first ever science fiction film A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la Lune, 1902).

Other early individuals and organizations of this period included Gaumont Pictures and Pathe Freres. Alice Guy Blache was one of the first pioneers in cinema. She made her first film in 1896, La Fee aux Choux, and was head of production at Gaumont 1897-1906, where she made in total about 400 films. Her career continued in the United States. Another pioneer who worked in France and in the United States was Maurice Tourneur.

During the period between World War I and World War II, Jacques Feyder became one of the founders of poetic realism in French cinema.

Beginning in 1935, renowned playwright and actor Sacha Guitry directed his first film. He made more than 30 films that are seen as the precursor to the new wave era.

In 1937 Jean Renoir, the son of famous painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, directed what many see as his first masterpiece, La Grande Illusion (The Grand Illusion). In 1939 Renoir directed La Regle du Jeu (The Rules of the Game). Several movie critic’s have cited this film as one of the greatest of all-time.

Marcel Carne’s Les Enfants du Paradis (Children of Paradise) was filmed during World War II and released in 1945. The three hour film was extremely difficult to make due to the conditions during the Nazi occupation. Set in Paris in 1828, the film was voted “Best French Film of the Century” in a poll of 600 French critics and professionals in the late 1990s.

Post-World War II: 1940s-1970s

In the critical magazine Cahiers du cinema founded by Andre Bazin, critics and lovers of film would discuss film and why it worked. Modern film theory was born there. Additionally, Cahiers critics such as Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Claude Chabrol, etc. went on to make films themselves, creating what was to become known as the French New Wave. Some of the first movies of this new genre was Truffaut’s The 400 Blows (Les Quatre Cent Coups, 1959) starring Jean-Pierre Leaud and Godard’s Breathless (À bout de souffle, 1960), starring Jean-Paul Belmondo.

Personalities from this period

Andre Bazin Editor of Cahiers de cinema
Brigitte Bardot (actor)
Jacques Becker Director
Sarah Bernhardt
Robert Bresson Director
Rene Clement Director
Claude Chabrol Director
Maurice Chevalier
Henri-Georges ClouzotDirector
Jean Cocteau
Anatole Dauman Producer
Henri Decae Cinematographer
Jacques Demy Director
Jean Eustache Director
Jean-Luc Godard Director
Henri Langlois
Claude Lelouch Director
Louis Malle Director
Marcel Marceau
Chris Marker Director
Jeanne Moreau Actor
Michel Piccoli Actor
Guy Debord Critic
Jean Renoir Director
Alain ResnaisDirector
Jacques Rivette
Eric Rohmer Director
Viviane Romance
Jacques Tati (actor, comedian)
Jean-Louis Trintignant (actor)
François Truffaut Director
Roger Vadim (director)
Agnes Varda Director
Jean Vigo Director

1980s

When Jean-Jacques Beineix made Diva (1981) it sparked the beginning of the 80s wave of French cinema. Movies which followed in its wake included Betty Blue (37°2 le matin, 1986) by Beineix, The Big Blue (Le Grand bleu, 1988) by Luc Besson and The Lovers on the Bridge (Les Amants du Pont-Neuf, 1991) by Leos Carax.
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Cuisine of France

French cuisine is characterized by its extreme diversity. French cuisine is considered to be one of the world’s most refined and elegant styles of cooking, and is renowned for both its classical (”haute cuisine”) and provincial styles. Many of the world’s greatest chefs, such as Taillevent, La Varenne, Careme, Escoffier, or Bocuse were masters of French cuisine. Additionally, French cooking techniques have been a major influence on virtually all Western cuisines, and almost all culinary schools use French cuisine as the basis for all other forms of Western cooking.

Diversity

Traditionally, each region of France has its own distinctive cuisine:
Cuisine from northwest France uses butter, cream (creme fraîche), and apples;
Cuisine from southwest France uses duck fat, foie gras, porcini mushrooms (cepes), and gizzards;
Cuisine from southeast France uses olive oil, herbs, and tomatoes, and shows Italian cuisine influences.
Cuisine from northern France uses potatoes, pork, endives and beer, and shows Flemish cuisine influences.
Cuisine from eastern France uses lard, sausages, beer, and sauerkraut, and shows German cuisine influences.

Besides these five areas, there are many more local cuisines, such as Loire Valley cuisine (famous for its delicate dishes of freshwater fish and Loire Valley white wines), Basque cuisine (famous for its use of tomatoes and chili) and the cuisine of Roussillon, which is similar to Catalan cuisine. With the movements of population of contemporary life, such regional differences are less noticeable than they used to be, but they are still clearly marked, and one travelling across France will notice significant changes in the ways of cooking and the dishes served. Moreover, recent focus of French consumers on local, countryside food products (produits du terroir) means that the regional cuisines are experiencing a strong revival in the early 21st century, especially as the slow food movement is gaining popularity.

What is often known outside of France as “French cuisine” is the traditionally-elaborate haute cuisine, served in restaurants for high prices. This cuisine is mostly influenced by the regional cuisines of Lyon and northern France, with a marked touch of refinement. It should be noted, however, that average French people do not eat or prepare this cuisine in their everyday life. As a general rule, elderly people tend to eat the regional cuisine of the region where they are located (or the region where they grew up), while younger people will be more inclined to eat dishes from other regions and foreign dishes.

French wine and French cheese are an integral part of French cuisine (both high cuisine and regional cuisines), both as ingredients and accompaniments. France is known for its large ranges of wines and cheeses.

Exotic cuisines, particularly Chinese cuisine and Vietnamese cuisine and some dishes from former colonies in Northern Africa (couscous), have made inroads.

Ingredients

French regional cuisine uses locally-grown vegetables. Let us cite:
potatoes
green beans
carrots
leeks
turnips
aubergines (eggplant in American English)
courgettes (zucchini in American English)
Mushrooms such as Champignons de Paris, oyster mushrooms (pleurotes), Porcinis (bolets and cepes), truffles, and other mushrooms, in order of increasing rarity and price.

Common fruits include:

oranges
tomatoes
tangerines
peaches
apricots
apples
pears

Meats commonly consumed include:

chicken
turkey
duck and Guinea fowl are less common
goose, mostly a holiday dish
beef
veal
pork
mutton (generally, lamb) is often a holiday dish
rabbit

Horse meat is available from special butcher stores (boucheries chevalines), but a minority of people consume it.

Seafood commonly consumed include:
cod
sardines (often canned)
tuna (often canned))
salmon used to be a luxury food but is now quite common.
trout
mussels
oysters, mostly a holiday dish
shrimp, calamari etc.

Fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as fish and meat, are purchased either from supermarkets and grocery stores or smaller markets. Street markets are held on certain days in most localities; towns of a certain importance generally have a more permanent “covered market” in which food shops, especially meat and fish retailers, have better shelter than the periodic street markets. Generally, a street market for vegetables takes places on certain days outside such “covered markets”.

Present-day food and drink in France

For French people, cooking is part of culture, and cooking and good food are well appreciated. The French generally take a high pride in the cuisine of their country, and some, particularly in the older generations, are reluctant to experiment with foreign dishes.

Structure of meals

The normal meal begins by a light breakfast in the morning, generally consisting of:
bread with jam and spreads (tartines), often replaced nowadays by breakfast cereals,
often, coffee or more rarely tea,
possibly some fruit.

Hotel breakfasts often contain croissants, but most people eat croissants at breakfast at home only on special occasions.

Lunch is had at some point between noon and 2 pm, and dinner in the evening (often, 7.30 pm). A normal complete meal consists of:
appetizers, often consisting of crudites (raw vegetables), or a salad;
a main dish (generally, meat or fish with a side of vegetables, pasta, rice or fries);
some cheese and/or dessert (fruit or cake).

Meals, particularly lunch, are often followed by a cup of coffee.

Alcoholic products may be consumed as follows:
The meal may be preceded by an aperitif, typically some dose of flavoured Vermouth or some Pastis.
Wine is often drunk with the meal, though this is rarer today. Occasionally, people consume beer though the frequency depends on the region of the country. Typically, wine or beer is chosen to match with the food.
The meal may be followed by a digestif - some small dose of liqueur or other high alcoholic spirit, but this is uncommon.

Festive meals may include several main dishes. Some meals incorporate a trou normand - some small dose of a highly alcoholic liquor or sorbet, perhaps calvados, which props up appetite for what follows.

In large cities most working people and students eat their lunch at a cafeteria. In the case of smaller companies, it is commonplace for employers to distribute lunch vouchers (Ticket Restaurant, etc.) that workers use to pay for meals in neighbouring budget restaurants. It is to be noted that corporate and school cafeterias normally serve complete meals (appetizers, main dish, dessert); it is not usual for students to bring sandwiches. In smaller cities and towns, some working people leave their offices to return home for lunch, generating four rush hours during the day (8 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, and 6 pm).

With contemporary lifestyle, especially the reduced number of housewives, the French rely a lot more on canned or frozen foods for weekdays. Cooking evening or weekend meals from fresh ingredients is still popular. In most cities, there are street markets selling vegetables, meat and fish, several times a week; however, most of those products are now bought at hyper- or supermarkets.

Drink

Traditionally, France has been a culture of wine consumption. While this characteristic has lessened with time, even today, many French people drink wine daily [1]. The consumption of low-quality wines during meals has been greatly reduced. Beer is especially popular with the youth. Other popular alcoholic drinks include pastis (in the south), an aniseed-flavoured beverage drunk diluted with cold water, especially in the summer, or cider in the northwest.

The legal drinking age for most spirits is 16. However, it is not customary for shopkeepers or bartenders to verify a client’s age, and teenagers eating with their family in restaurants will be served wine if the family requests so. On the other hand, it is very unusual to witness the kind of public inebriation that is customary cities of the United Kingdom or Scandinavia on Saturday nights. Usually, parents tend to prohibit their children from consuming alcohol before these children reach their early teens. Students and young adults are known to drink heavily during parties (vodka and tequila being very popular), but usually drunkenness is not displayed in public. Public consumption of alcohol is legal, but driving under the influence can result in severe penalties.
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