{"id":2970,"date":"2016-04-04T13:46:55","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T17:46:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.explorica.ca\/blog\/?p=2970"},"modified":"2016-04-08T10:49:39","modified_gmt":"2016-04-08T14:49:39","slug":"art-french-cooking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.explorica.ca\/blog\/art-french-cooking","title":{"rendered":"The art of french cooking"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"frenchCooking2\"Previously French cuisine consisted of pottages, pies, stews and copious amounts of meat and spices. Then the royal chefs of France started a revolution. Costly foreign spices like saffron, ginger and cumin were replaced with local flavours like thyme, sage and tarragon, and mish-mashed dishes gave way to simple plates cooked to enhance the natural flavours of the ingredients.
\n\"frenchCookingThyme\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pioneering French chefs of the 17th century started with two key elements<\/strong> still recognized as quintessentially Franconian today: wine\u00a0& cheese<\/strong>. While any members of the population fran\u00e7aise<\/em> are\u00a0apt to throw in a hunk of bread, some fruit and call it a meal, the country\u2019s cooks will simmer, roast, grill, broil, braise and brine to their hearts content.<\/p>\n

\"frenchCookingCheese\"<\/p>\n

The French keep it local with appellation d\u2019origine contr\u00f4l\u00e9e<\/em> (AOC) certification, which determines whether a food or wine can legally be called \u201cRoquefort\u201d or \u201cchampagne\u201d based on the town, city or region from which it came. Many famous French foods hail from Burgundy and are cooked in the eponymous variety of red wine, such as boeuf bourguignon<\/em>, coq au vin<\/em> and oeufs en meurette<\/em>. Other staples, like dishes \u00e0 la bordelaise<\/em> (cooked with red wine from Bordeaux), \u00e0 la lyonnaise<\/em> (cooked with white wine from Lyon), and choucroute garnie<\/em> (a white wine sauerkraut from Alsace) also include AOC-certified local wines.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But don\u2019t worry about your students having to pass on the boeuf bourguignon<\/em>\u2014cooking boils away the alcohol.<\/strong><\/p>\n

French cheese also finds its way into a number of cooked favorites: croque monsieur<\/em>, fondue<\/em> and brie\u00a0en cro\u00fbte<\/em>, to name a few, but it can be just as delicious on its own. Visit the Rue Mouffetard<\/a> and stop into a fromagerie<\/em> for samples on our guided neighborhood foodie tour<\/strong>. Chances are it will be the best cheese you\u2019ve ever tasted…if you\u2019re into stinky bleus and bries, of course. Roquefort, camembert and ch\u00e8vre claim international fame, but the sheer variety available will put your knowledge of cheese, and your French, to the test. Enjoy samples in the market, then set off on your own to discover all the French delicacies for purchase, like escargot, frog legs, eel, sea urchin, even veal or lamb brains. Though not all your students may be up for the Parisian hoof-to-snout eating philosophy, we encourage everyone to try new things while practicing their French haggling for goods in the market.<\/p>\n

On our Taste of France<\/a><\/strong> tour, along with our other tours<\/a> to France, you\u2019ll have numerous opportunities to taste everything from macarons<\/em> at Ladur\u00e9e to cassoulets in Carcassonne. But beyond baguettes and brie, the evolution of Franconian fare throughout the ages has encompassed everything from pork intestine potage<\/em> to souffl\u00e9s to couscous. Visit the Troglodyte Village\u00a0on our French Highlights tour<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>where people lived primitively not too long ago, and taste the mushrooms and snails foraged from the caves. Dine at a traditional North African restaurant to taste the savory grain-based dish of couscous, a staple of French cuisine for decades (perhaps centuries) and the country\u2019s third favourite food. Top it all off with cr\u00eapes for dinner (or dessert!) and you\u2019ve experienced the full spectrum of a cuisine centuries in the making. Bon app\u00e9tit!<\/em><\/p>\n

Some of our\u00a0most popular France tours:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h6>\n