French Food and Wine - France Cuisine

One of the greatest treasures of France is its cuisine. It is extremely diverse in such a way that every region has its own distinctive tradition in food preparation and ingredients.

The largest meal of the day you may encounter is lunch which consists of a drink which is wine, an appetizer, the main course. There are different cuisine styles in France that compete with each other. There is the Classical French Cuisine which is usually food that is rich and filling. Cream based sauces are used in many dishes of this type. There is the Haute Cuisine which is similar to the Classical Cuisine, it is prepared with cream based sauces are used. The difference is that there is more emphasis on food presentation. The vegetables are cut with precision and uniformity and only the finest ingredients are used. There is the Cuisine Novelle which was developed during the 1970's. Its main characteristic is that the food is simpler and lighter. There are no heavy cream sauces used and cooking is much quicker with emphasis on local and seasonal ingredients. Lastly there is the Cuisine du Terrior which focuses on regional food specialties.

The most common complement to any French meal is cheese and wine. The people of France drink wine with almost every meal and it is neither expensive nor reserved for special occasions. With everyday meals common wines are used while special wines are served for important occasions.