HISTORY OF FRENCH CUISINE

When you think of fine food, you may well think of French cuisine, but how did this type of food
become so highly revered? As a culinary arts student you will not only study how to prepare food, but
the history and culture behind food. Here is a brief history of some French cuisine to get you started
on your culinary journey!

Medieval Cuisine

The historical background of French food goes back to the medieval times. During this era, French
cuisine was fundamentally the same as Moorish Cuisine. It was availed in a manner called  service en
confusion, meaning that meals were served at the same time. Meals comprised of spiced meats, for
example, pork, poultry, beef, and fish.

In numerous occasions, meals where dictated by the period, and the kind of food that was in
abundance. Meats were smoked and salted to preserve, vegetables were as well salted and put in jugs
to save for the winter months.

During this time the presentation of the food was also critical. The richer and more beautiful the
display, the better, and cooks would utilize consumable things, for example, egg yolk, saffron,
spinach, and sunflower for color. One of the most unrestrained dinners of this time was a peacock or
roast swan, which was sewn back into its skin and quills to look intact. The feet and nose were plated
with gold to finish the exhibition.

Influences in French Cooking

During the 15th and 16th centuries the French were influenced by the progressing culinary arts in
Italy. Much of this happened because of Catherine de' Medici (a Florentine princess) who married
Henry duc d'Orleans (who later became King Henry II). Italian cooks were light years ahead of French
culinary specialists. These chefs had started making a variety of dishes. For example, manicotti, and
lasagna. In addition, they had tested the use of ingredients like garlic, truffles, and mushrooms.

When Catherine wedded King Henry II, she carried alongside her Italian cooks who in turn acquainted
Italian culinary practices with the French court. Despite the fact that the culinary cultures of these two
nations have taken distinctive ways, the French owe a lot of their culinary advancement to the Italians
and their intervention in the 1500s.

A Restrictive Regime Halts Culinary Advancements

The period between the 16th and 18th centuries was called the Ancien Regime, and during this time
Paris was alluded to as a focal point of culture and activity, including culinary activity. In the  Ancien
Regime distribution was managed by the city government as societies, and these organizations set up
confinements that permitted certain food businesses to work in assigned regions.

Guilds were isolated into two groups: individuals who provided the raw materials to make food, and
the general population who sold already prepared food. The restriction set up by societies hampered
the advancement of culinary arts during this time, by limiting certain gourmet experts to allotted
territories.

The Advent of Haute Cuisine

During the 17th and 18th century, there was an advancement in Haute Cuisine or simply "High
Cuisine", and its origins can be discovered in the recipes of a gourmet specialist named La Varenne.
He was the writer of what is referred to today as the first "true French cookbook".

Not similar to the cooking styles of the medieval times, Verenne's cookbook (Cvisinier François) had
new recipes which concentrated on modest and less extravagant meals. It was a popular trend all
through the historical background of French food, with more culinary specialists continuing to tone
down on the plenitude of a meal, and concentrating on the ingredients in the food.

The French Revolution Brings Many Changes

The French Revolution additionally achieved a defining moment in the food industry, since it initiated
the fall of guilds. With guilds no longer functional, any French cook could create as well as offer any
kind of food product they wished. This led to a type of enlightenment inside the French food industry.
More gourmet specialists started to explore different avenues regarding different types of ingredients
and meals.

In the late 19th century and mid-20th century there started a modernization of haute cooking. Much
of this new food owes its improvement to Georges Escoffier Auguste. Auguste was chef and a
proprietor of numerous restaurants, and in addition, a culinary writer. A lot of Escoffier strategies in
modernizing haute cooking were drawn from the formulas invented by Marine-Antonie Carême, a
pioneer of grande cuisine.

By streamlining Carême's formulas and also including his own particular touches, Escoffier was able to
discover a modern day French cuisine. In his endeavors to modernize French food Escoffier
additionally established a framework to organize and manage a modern kitchen, known as  mise en
place.
French cooking is considered to be the most prestigious and respectable cuisine in the

world. With its formal techniques, appreciation for fresh ingredients and simple flavors,

pride in presentation, and rich and colorful history, French cuisine has come to rule the

world.

To become a skilled chef, you must have extensive knowledge of French cooking

fundamentals.

But how did French cuisine come to be so acclaimed? Let’s explore the many ways

French cuisine has impacted food and culture around the world.

Medieval French Cooking

then, nobility dined on multi-course meals composed of wild game, meat, fruit, and

grains, while peasants ate diets high in vegetables and legumes. Salt and imported

spices were widely used in the kitchens of the elite and were considered a status

symbol.

With few ways to preserve food, people in ancient times decided what ingredients to

use based on what they had immediately available. Modern French cooking also utilizes

fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Members of the upper class often had banquets or feasts to show off their wealth.

These dishes were elaborately presented to impress guests, and the importance of

presentation is maintained in French cooking today.

France. Cooking found throughout the Middle Ages began to lighten and dishes in

France began to shape into a cuisine we would more readily recognize today. It wasn’t

until the 1600s that cookbooks and documented techniques were published.

Francois Pierre La Varenne published the first French cookbook in 1651 titled Le

Cuisinier Francois. This inspired many chefs to record their work. The French

Revolution in 1789 further helped to spread the study of cooking by shattering

occupational restrictions established by the government. More and more French people

began cooking for themselves.

Later, French cuisine expanded beyond France’s borders, and chefs from around the

world studied these guides.

As the French colonized other countries including Asia, Africa, North America, and the

Caribbean throughout the 1700s and 1800s, they spread their knowledge and cooking

techniques.

What Is Haute Cuisine?

cuisine.

Haute cuisine translates to “high cuisine” and refers to a shift in French cooking from an

emphasis on abundance and quantity to an emphasis on moderation and quality. Marie-

Antoine Carême is often credited with leading this charge in the 1800s. He taught
French cooking as a sophisticated art form that required technique and precision. His

recipe manuals also made French cuisine more accessible.

Georges Auguste Escoffier, known as the King of Chefs and Chef of Kings and our

school’s namesake, brought haute cuisine to the modern world. He revolutionized the

fundamentals of French cooking including how food is presented and how it’s served.

With his publication of Le Guide Culinaire in 1903, Auguste Escoffier adapted haute

cuisine to be more modern.

Additionally, Auguste Escoffier furthered the culinary profession through an organized

and smoothly-running professional kitchen with his innovative brigade de

cuisine system, which features a strong hierarchy. It modernized culinary arts, giving

kitchens a military-style ethic to deliver efficient and effective service under strong

leadership. The brigade system is still used in kitchens around the world today.

Nouvelle Cuisine
French cooking continued to evolve and in the 1900s, nouvelle cuisine was born. This

style of cooking was defined by the use of high quality, fresh ingredients; lighter meals;

and simpler, but no less breathtaking, presentations. Modern French cooking draws

inspiration from the many cooking concepts French chefs have developed and

presented over centuries.

chefs would agree that technique, ingredients, and the dining experience are important

components of this cuisine.

Technique
French cooking techniques require patience, skill, and attention to detail. These take

years to master, but should be studied by all aspiring chefs.

Mise en Place

Mise en place means “everything in its place.” Before cooking a dish, a chef organizes

their tools and prepares, cuts, and measures their ingredients. Everything should be

close at hand and ready to go when it’s time to cook. A chef must be mentally prepared

to execute the techniques to create masterpieces!

Saute
Sauteeing is a technique of cooking ingredients in a pan coated with olive oil or butter

over medium to high heat. To sauter means ‘to jump’ in French, which is what

ingredients do in a hot pan. One classic dish utilizing this technique is lamb chasseur.

Braise

Braising is a combination cooking method used to cook meat or vegetables in a covered

pot over low heat until the products are tender. Chefs typically sear the surface of meat

before lowering the heat to cook in fat or wine for hours to produce complex flavors

along with soft and tender bites.

Confit

To confit an ingredient requires salting and cooking the product in fat. Traditionally, this

technique was used to preserve meat. Duck confit is a classic French dish that uses this

method. However, you can also confit many vegetables such as garlic or potatoes!

Flambe

Flambe involves the use of flammable alcohol. When the alcohol is set on fire

or flambeed, it burns the alcohol away in mere seconds while leaving the aroma of the
liquor’s main flavor. For many years, restaurants would flambe various dishes tableside

to highlight both the technique and enhance the dining experience for their guests!

Ingredients
Another marker of French cuisine that differentiates it from others is the use of high

quality ingredients.

French dishes often use simple ingredients transformed by artful techniques. Fresh,

naturally produced ingredients can always be found in French cuisine. Wine, cheese,

olive oil, and seasonal vegetables are just a few staples.

Herbs and spices are also important to French cuisine and can contribute a depth of

flavor to otherwise subtle dishes. A few commonly used in French dishes include herbs

de Provence, tarragon, and nutmeg.

Dining Experience
Another foundation of French cuisine is the dining experience, which requires careful

presentation, elegance, and community when eating. A version of this could be seen all

the way back in the Middle Ages in the banquets held by the aristocracy, but French

cooking underwent many changes to end up where it is today.

With the rise of haute cuisine, meals became smaller and presentations became more

detailed and elegant. Nouvelle cuisine placed even greater emphasis on precision in

presentation. Today, many chefs in fine dining restaurants are as talented at presenting

their food as they are at preparing it!

sometimes utilize banquet-style seating to bring guests together.