Lessons About French Food (or Why I Gained 15 Pounds in Five Weeks)

When I was 20 years old, I had the tremendous fortune to study abroad in France for five weeks. I officially had six years of the language under my belt but a limited education in French culture. Well, I had at least advanced enough to know that not all French people wear striped shirts and berets, but I still had yet to truly be immersed in the French lifestyle, which would ultimately be a very important experience for me in more ways than I can describe in this article. I'll save my pontificating on the life-changing nature of global travel and focus on something more important: food. Specifically three things I learned about French food while studying abroad.

LESSON #1

The food is SO GOOD. Seriously, it's like nothing I’ve ever had before. And to clarify, I did not eat at fancy restaurants or drink expensive wine. In fact, the things I ate were pretty plain and simple. I had croissants and coffee for breakfast. Almost every day for lunch, I had a sandwich mixte which consisted simply of a white baguette (buttered), ham, and Emmentaler (Swiss) cheese. After classes, I liked to stop at a café and have a glass of wine with yet another baguette, sliced, and goat cheese. For dinner, I would eat meat or pasta dishes. For dessert, I would have ice cream or a sweet and crispy tartelette aux pommes, or mini apple tart.

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Once I did try a frog leg, just because it sounded like the most French thing I could do, and it did taste kind of like chicken. But it was still a frog, so I stopped after one bite. My level of culturedness can only go so far.

What made the food so delicious was that each and every ingredient was individually delicious and perfect. Each was high quality and pure. The baguettes are not like the baguettes you get from the grocery store here in the states. I had heard that it has something to do with the kind of water they use, the ratio of water, salt, and flour, and the way they bake it. THIS article seems to confirm that. What’s funny is that, like the article says, these are not fancy, high-dollar, luxury loaves of bread. There's no hipster Whole Foods employee charging you $15 for the thing. This is just the bread that French people eat with everything at every meal, and it ROCKS.

LESSON #2

No diet food. Coffee takes real full-fat cream and real sugar. The bread is white bread, not wheat, and certainly not “45 Calories and Delightful” (read: not delightful at all). Taste is important to the French, and they're not about to sacrifice it to cut calories. Even something as simple as a ham and cheese sandwich is going to be delicious because the cheese is actual cheese, not funny reduced-fat nonsense. The wine and cocktails are real wine and cocktails. There’s no “skinny” section on the drink menu. There’s no “carb counter” section on the dessert menu. They put butter on their sandwiches. They eat dinners consisting of several courses.

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I should note that one ever-so-slight modification I made to my eating habits while abroad that differed from the locals was the volume of food I consumed. Instead of eating smaller portions the way the French do (there is no obesity problem in France), I wolfed down as much as possible of everything in sight, and thus came home 15 pounds heavier. What can I say? I wasn't used to eating food that good and wasn't in the business of watching my weight on that trip. No regrets!

LESSON #3

Food is an experience. In Lyon, where I stayed for most of the five weeks, there was a minimal amount of fast food. People did not get their coffee in a cardboard cup to go. They sat down with a ceramic cup, stirred in their cream and sugar, and experienced it. They took a full lunch hour—or two—during the workday. While we Americans seem to be in a constant rush, the French are not in a hurry for anything, including eating their meals. I think this slowed-down, intentional approach to food and drink is something that we should borrow from the French, and anyone can incorporate into their life. Even if you're too exhausted to cook, put your microwave meal on a real plate and make yourself a drink. Even if you're too busy to stop working in your cubicle to have your sandwich off-site, I think you can afford a 60-second break to taste all the ingredients in it before you go back to multi-tasking. Oh, and seriously, try putting butter on your sandwich. AMAZING.

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As the French say, à votre santé! Cheers!