France Overview
- Overview - Customs and Culture - Diet and Recipes - Language - Religion - Events and Holidays - Students Life - Interesting Facts
People Government - Politics Geography Economy News - Weather History National Symbols Photos Videos Travel and Tourism En Español Link-to-CountryReports Sources   United States Edition

What do people eat in France?

Diet

French cuisine is legend; cooking is considered an art. Regional traditions are strong. There are several types of cooking, ranging from hearty, inexpensive fare to sophisticated dishes with costly ingredients and complex sauces. Nouvelle cuisine, which emerged in the 1960s, was a reaction to this heavy style of cooking. It features lighter ingredients, smaller portions, and an artistic presentation. Although resisted by the French, fast food is gaining in popularity and most kinds are available. French breads and patisserie are well-known abroad, such as croissants and baguettes.

Breakfast is typically continental and light, consisting of a baguette (French bread) or a croissant with butter or jam. Breakfast is accompanied by a strong coffee with hot milk (or sometimes hot chocolate). Supper and dinner are often accompanied by wine, with coffee taken after both meals. France is also famous for its exquisite desserts, such as crème brûlée (burnt cream) and chocolate mousse.

Many people make a habit of making a big pancake breakfast on January 1st.

Mealtime

Table manners are important. While at the table hands should remain above the table. Elbows should not be placed on the table. When eating out, the person who invites or makes the suggestion is the one who pays.

There are usually three meals a day, breakfast, supper, and dinner. Often, children have a snack at 4 PM. Breakfast is in the morning when people get up; supper is at noon or before 1 PM and is usually the largest meal of the day. Dinner is around 7 or 8 PM. Breakfast and dinner are usually eaten at home. Often, during work, children eat at school or at home depending on their parents, workers eat either at home or in a cafeteria (and so do their children), and people can eat out at noon with friends. Dinner out is generally associated with great occasions.

At mealtime usually, everyone has a seat to eat at the table. The whole family eats at the same time, together. The hands should be on the table so that people can see what one does with his hands. Not showing one's hands is considered impolite as it is seen as concealing something from other people's view.

Popular France Recipes

Back to France Facts

World Regions
Africa Asia Central America Europe Middle East North America Oceania South America The Caribbean
Most Popular
United States of America China France Italy Canada Spain India Brazil Mexico
All Countries
Afghanistan Akrotiri Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Clipperton Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Coral Sea Islands Costa Rica Cote d’Ivoire Croatia Cuba Curacao Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dhekelia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia, The Gaza Strip Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Jan Mayen Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, North Korea, South Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sudan, South Suriname Svalbard Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States (US) Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Wake Island Wallis and Futuna West Bank Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe