French Cuisine

How did it get to its international leadership status?

EXCELLENCE – INNOVATION – TRADITION
 France, a Brief Overview

• A unique geography with

suitable characteristics to allow
diversity

• A complex and rich history with

multiple influences

• Global leader in agricultural

production
French, the Language of Cuisine

With history and France’s contribution

and influence in the world, the French
language has been used widely and
commonly throughout the food and
beverage industries as well as being
found recurrently within the English
vocabulary...

A la carte Bain-Marie Biscuit Bon appétit

Brunoise Canapé Consommé

Crème Brûlée Entrée Flambé Gratin

Jus Macaron Mayonnaise Petits fours Quiche

Sauté Table d’hôte Velouté

Pain au chocolat Café au lait Croissant

 History of French Cuisine
Various hallmarks that brought French Cuisine
from the medieval ages where things were not
so organized to sophistication and structure:

•Catherine de Médicis: (1519 - 1589)

•The first known modern restaurant (1765)

•Jean Anthelm Brillat-Savarin (1755-1876)

•Marie-Antoine Carême (1784-1833)

 The French Revolution

• The French Revolution (1789)

changed everything in France.

• It was the end of the

monarchy

• All the institutions and

industries were affected.
Georges-Auguste Escoffier (1847-1935)
• Considered to be the father of twentieth-century
cooking

• Escoffier rejected the “general confusion” of the old

menus in which quantity seemed to be the main
emphasis.

• Order and diversity and a careful selection of one or

two items per course. His personal guidelines:
Harmony – Delicacy – Simplicity

• Compiled and codifed the techniques, language and

ingredients involved in Cuisine

• 1903 : Published “Le Guide Culinaire” in 1903, which

is largely viewed as the inspiration for the “Larousse
Gastronomique”, published in 1938, and recognized
globally as the culinary “Bible” of the 20th century.

• Introduced “the brigade system” – streamlined work

system still used today around the world.
The Classic Brigade
Executive chef
↑
Sous chef is normally second in command and
controls production and staff supervision.
↑
The station chefs are in charge of specific areas of
production:

•The saucier – sauces, stews, stocks, hot hors

d’oeuvres, and sauté.
•The poissonier– fish dishes
•The rôtisseur – roasted and braised meats and their
gravies and broiled meats.
•The grillardin – broiled items, and maybe deep–
fried meats and fish.
•The garde manger – cold foods, including salads,
dressings, pâté, cold hors d’oeuvres, and buffet items.
•The pâtissier– pastries and desserts.
•The tournant– relief cook.
•The expediteur or aboteur – takes orders from
waiters and passes them on to cooks.
The Classification of the Culinary
Delivery Concepts
• As the culinary techniques and the industry developed
in France, so were the service standards.

• The French also took a technical and systematized

approach to service which is still in use today in most
Food and Beverage operations.

• Towards the end of the 19th century most of today’s

restaurant formats had already been conceptualized:

- Café
- Salon de The
- Patisserie
- Boulangerie
- Sandwicherie
- Chocolaterie
- Bar
- Bistrot
- Brasserie
- Restaurant
Concepts related to French Cuisine - Art de Vivre
• Art de vivre – “Art of Living”

– Great emphasis on personal time

– Constant quest for less tension, less drama, pleasure is not a

guilt.

– French like to think they are a highly cultured society, they

sometimes call themselves “Intellos”, they enjoy debating
and engaging stimulating arguments to bolster creativity.

– appreciation for beauty and elegance, people value the

substance of an object or a situation (concept, origin,
technique…)

• Concept of “Art”

• Holistic approach meaning that the appreciation of a situation will

be a result of the sum of its parts.

• Art de Vivre is also related to another concept the Art de la Table.

Concepts related to French Cuisine - Terroir

• Originally a French term in wine used to

denote the special characteristics that
geography bestowed upon them.

• Group of agricultural sites in same region

which share the same soil, weather conditions
and farming techniques...

• Loosely translated as "a sense of place”

• Essence of French food local identities.

• Also encompasses the local culture and know

how, which is transmitted generation after
generation.

• Can reflect local lifestyle

Concepts related to French Cuisine - The Appellation System

• The concept of terroir is at the base of the French wine

“Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée” (AOC) system that has
been model for appellation and wine laws across the
globe.

• AOC system is now controlled by the Institut National des

Appellations d'Origine (INAO)

• The INAO has 4 comittees:

• Wine, Spirits and other Alcoholic Beverages
• Dairy products, Agriculture and Forestry
• “Indications Géographiques Protégées” (protected
geopgraphical labels), Meats and Traditional
specialties
• Bio products and Eco- Agriculture

• Development and the preservation of identities through

comprehensive standards implementation and control
techniques

• Concept of Traceability

• Becoming a global concept for other governments

 France’s Culture for Excellence
• Historical and cultural connection to cuisine as part of
their national identity.

• Preservation of heritage through:

- Strong local support at the national, regional and even
deeper at the community level
- Associations:
- Set standards
- Stimulate innovation/competition
- Local and national events

- International events like the SIAL, VinExpo

- Industry and public rankings

eg Michelin guide

- Education-industry partnerships:
- High emphasis on internships,
- industry is willing to transmit knowledge

- High degree of specialization depending on the culinary

field
French Cuisine Perception in the World
• February 2009, Le Monde, international survey
involving the French Diplomatic services
• 156 questionnaires
• 110 responses were returned (70%). French cuisine
was considered
• a “vital reference” (66%)
• “passport to the future” (13%);
• 7% felt that it was “old fashioned”
• while 14% were without opinion.
• The number of French restaurants is increasing in 30%
of the countries, stable in two thirds and decreasing in
only 4%.
• Until then no other tool of analysis was available to
France to allow them to measure the extent of their
cuisine.
• Perhaps it was considered too easy to answer the
question simply by making circuit of the Michelin stars
accumulated by its internationally acclaimed Chefs such
as Joël Robuchon, Paul Bocuse or Alain Ducasse.
Supporting France’s Cuisine globally
• International gastronomic events and wine
• Sopexa - 35 branches in 28 countries.
• Ratio specifically French products 94%.

• “Aperitif a la Francaise”.

• Events like St Valentine or Christmas are becoming

global

• Other Ambassadors
• Wine – Beaujolais nouveau celebration worldwide
• French Bread
• French Patissiers – global brands

• Tourism
• France is the number one tourism destination in the
world
• over 70 million visitors each year
• Stimulates the adoption of French food when these
tourists go home
French Cuisine and Innovation
• Forefront of innovation and creativity.

• Rapid changes in the consumer’s eating habits

• Global food cultures need to reassess their strengths

and develop new strategies.

• The new global consumer has access to more diversity

and quality than ever before:
• Improvements in global transport,
• More open market policies.
• Advances in biology, agriculture are enabling foods and
ingredient
• increased shelf life
• Year round availability
• Technological advances in refrigeration and wider
adoption of sous-vide (vacuum-packed)

• The future? Science and Technology meets National

Identity, Tradition and the Arts
Merci !