Food in France

May 23, 2017

I think many people will agree with me when I say that there aren’t many things as satisfying as food!

Food is one of my favorite topics to talk about. I relish any opportunity to try different foods, and it also interests me a lot to learn about meal etiquette in various parts of the world.

As most people know, the French eat a lot of bread and cheese. One thing that has been especially interesting to see is how many people walk around with a baguette in hand. In France, one can have part of a baguette for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. For breakfast, it can be eaten alone with jam, cheese, or any other spread, but for lunch and dinner it accompanies the main dish. The French also eat a lot of potatoes and pasta. I learned from my French host mom that people in Annecy eat a lot of pasta because the city is very close to Italy and that influence is very strong.

The most interesting local food I have eaten so far was a ham and cheese quiche. A quiche is a kind of tart with a filling made of eggs, cheese, cream, and any vegetable or meat of your choice. It can be eaten hot or cold.

I typically have dinner with my host family at about 7:30 or 8pm, which I would say is either at about the same time or a bit later than dinner time in America. It is important that you do not start eating before everyone is ready to eat, and it is also courteous to say “Bon Appetit” before you start to eat.

In my opinion, meal portions aren’t very big, but the good thing is that you may take as much food as you want (as long as you finish it all).

I can’t wait to try more delicious local cuisines as my stay here in France lengthens. I am sure that I am yet to eat more interesting dishes and learn even more about dining etiquette in France.

Written By

Richard Nzekwu

Hello! My name is Richard Nzekwu and I am from Nigeria. I am going into my fourth year at Northeastern, with a major in International Affairs and a minor in French. I am especially excited at the prospect of studying French culture through movie comedy. As an avid film lover, I consider this a very interesting way to study the culture, and I am confident that the experience will impact me profoundly. I also would like to practice my spoken French in order to achieve significant fluency by the end of the program. My goals for studying abroad are to learn and appreciate the differences between my culture and others, and to gain autonomy and confidence in a different culture. One fun fact about myself is that although I am an International Affairs major (and HATE math), my dream job is to work for NASA and become an astronaut. I am extremely interested in traveling, nature, trying new foods, taking pictures, and meeting people from different backgrounds and nationalities! I hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoyed making it!