Foodventures: France & Engand

Hi! My name is Nancy and I am a full fledged foodie. Some may even call me a food critic 😉. Summer 2019 I went to Paris, Lille and London. While learning about the French and England cultures, I also got a chance to experience the different foods that these countries offer. Some things were new to me while others were variations of foods that I know and love back home. Everything was so different yet familiar and I am here to share my experience with you!

[nnguy2]

PD Presentation

Food and Culture PDF.pdf

Food and Culture PDF.pdf

[nnguy2]

“Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.”

Anthony Bourdain

[nnguy2]

United States vs. France vs. England

Similarly, all three places offer a smorgasbord of options to dine from. American food, french food, british food, indian food, german food etc. You can find just about any ethnic food in these places. This is no surprise considering the diversity of these cities.

When comparing the states to France, the biggest difference could be seen in breakfast. A typical American breakfast consists of a type of meat, eggs, toast and potatoes. Not saying that this is the experience of everyone in the states or even in just NY alone, but similar to the idea of british people having a full english breakfast, this is what an American breakfast looks like. In France, it is more typical to have something light like a croissant or just a cup of caffeine.

Why?

It is common knowledge that America was colonized by England. They have a full english breakfast and the US also have a substantial breakfast. Coincidence? While we have a saying in the US that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In France they believe that it is the least important meal of the day and that lunch is more important.

Remember that pizza or peanut butter and jelly sandwich that was almost always offered during elementary school? Or better yet, when the popcorn chicken was offered? Those were my favorite days. These are typical lunches for the American kid. In France, things get a little fancier. They have a starter which can consist of things like cucumber and tomato salad or tabouleh. Then they move to the main course which can be roast beef, potatoes and tomatoes or veal with mushroom and broccoli. They’ll usually have a side of bread with butter and/or cheese then end with a dessert like apple tart or a kiwi. In England a typical lunch can look like pasta with broccoli or vegetable chili, some sort of bread and a fruit. So while the menu for the American and UK schools look similar, the French one is way more elaborate and this is because of the difference in culture and what we place importance on.

[nnguy2]

What are you having for dinner on Sunday? When the sunday roast was a traditional part of the week, the ‘dinner’ was actually eaten during lunch time and what we consider dinner now would be called tea time. A Sunday roast would typically include a meat, it could be beef, pork, chicken, anything you want really, vegetables, potatoes, yorkshire pudding and gravy. Historically, Sunday roasts were something to look forward to after church service when family members can gather, socialize and eat good food. Nowadays, Sunday roasts have lost popularity. Convenience and a more health conscious lifestyle has caused this decline.

Interesting Fact: Corned beef/boiled bacon and cabbage, which can be found in alot of restaurants in the United States close to St. Patricks day, was a popular roast back then because it was filling and cheap to make so it was widely consumed by poor people.

Interesting Fact #2: There exists a patriotic ballad which is centered around the sunday roast.

[nnguy2]

Wingardium leviosa this butter beer into your mouth because its delicious. Similar to a float, a little fizzy goodness at the bottom and a little foaming of ice cream at the top. If you like cream soda you will like this butter beer. Not a fan of cream soda and floats? Theres an ice cream version too, but just do it right and get the drink. The Warner Brothers studio tour is a must when you are in England, so cool and so much fun. You can see the original sets, costumes and even make a broom levitate. If I had to pick three of the coolest things that I saw, it would have to be the props, the model of the hogwarts school and the setting for the films.

[nnguy2]

This is a dish called toad in the hole and to be honest, I just picked it because I heard that there was yorkshire pudding. Upon initial taste, the yorkshire pudding was great, the outside had that right amount of crisp softness. But thats where it ends. The vegetables, a mixture of kale and carrots, were beyond bland. The sausage, mashed and gravy was way too salty. Definitely a 4/10. But hey, the pub was cute and the brownie was good.

Interesting Fact: No one is 100% sure where the name comes from, but there has been speculations that its because the sausages look like toads laying in a hole. Though back then different types of meat could have been used.

[nnguy2]

There is no doubt about it. Indian food is delicious. Have you ever had butter chicken or chicken masala? Yum! While in London, I noticed an enclave full of Indian restaurants and residents. In my fish and chip post, you saw me mention that curry sauce was a popular twist to add. That is not the only twist, you have punjabi fish and chips, chicken tikka in the hole and keema pie. Things that are not really native to India and not really native to the UK, but a delicious mixture of two cultures. Indian food is easily one of the most flavorful type of food that I’ve ever had. The spices are so aromatic and delicious that its worth fighting for. Literally. Indian spices, middle eastern spices, chinese spices, etc. were all highly coveted. Now have you ever heard of the British East India Company? Does the Tea Act ring a bell? Yeah the guys that were in part to blame for the Boston Tea Party. They got into many conflicts with people in order to attempt to monopolize the spice trade. Believe it or not, spices played a huge role in changing the world. The search for trade routes led to new places being discovered and an advancement in technology. Since more and more people started to interact with one another, we can see the spread of culture. Good ol globalization was reaching further and further across the world!

Fun Fact: Christopher Columbus was looking for spices and alternate trade routes.

Fun Fact #2: Queen Elizabeth I likes Indian food.

[nnguy2]

Ever since I missed out on the opportunity to eat a meat pie in Scotland, I have been thinking about my chance to try it. The 14 hour braised steak and ale pie at The One Elm was delicious. I was expecting the mashed potato and vegetables to be stuffed into the pie itself so I was a bit surprised to see it sitting on the side. The meat in the pie was really tender and full of juice. The pie itself held up well and did not become soggy at any point during my lunch. The mashed potato was especially creamy. The vegetable, which was not seasoned, went well with the dish. The main flavors came from the meat pie and the side dishes were just that, side dishes without detracting from the main food item. 10/10 would recommend. The berries and cherries cider that I had with the meal was also very good. It tasted very fruity and refreshing. It was by the brand Old Mout, which I have never seen in the US, but I will definitely be taking another look. Although the cider was very good, I think that a darker beer/ale would have gone better with this particular meat pie.

Fun History: Back in the good ol days, beer was a safe, nutrious and caloric drink that people from all walks of life consumed. From old to young and wealthy to poor. Not only that, but most importantly, beer was safe. Water sometimes carried bacteria and pathogens that spread disease.

[nnguy2]

Fish and chips has got to be one of my favorite dishes ever and let me tell you, I’ve eaten fish and chips in many places. The first fish and chips that I had in London was in the 24/7 St Giles hotel cafe. It wasnt bad, but it also wasnt good. The batter was a bit too thick and oily which distracted from the flavor of the fish. The chips also seems to not be cooked all the way. On the bright side, the peas were good. It added a bit of sweetness to the dish. The only place that I know of back home that served fish and chips with an automatic side of peas is a little bar, otherwise, you can get it with any side that you want, but I guess the peas are just more traditional. The second fish and chips that I had was in Stratford-upon-Avon which was no where near as good as the meat pie. The fish was overly fried and the batter was coated on way too thick. When taking a bite, it was like getting a mouth full of oil. On a scale, I’d give it a 2/10. Third fish and chips would probably be the best fish and chips that I’ve ever eaten. It entered my belly in Pembrokeshire. Along the beach coast rest a small little ship that served fish and chips and ice cream. Like a typical American, I asked for a side of tartare with my meal, but according to locals, it was more common to eat it with a side of curry sauce.

[nnguy2]

Now this, this is food. The bacon was good, or should I say ham? Definitely healthier than the bacon in the US. The hash was also delicious. Crispy on the outside and flaky goodness on the inside. Best part? It didn’t taste oily. The grilled tomatoes and mushrooms added a nice touch. The sausage was something to complain about however, upon first taste, I thought it was raw. The inside was quite mushy. I prefer that my sausages taste and feel fully cooked. Eggs, bacon, hash and toast. All parts of a standard breakfast in the US. The beans are a different story. When I first heard of beans on toast I was a little skeptical but I was completely down to try it out. As it turns out, I enjoyed it. It really added that sweet factor to a slice of toast and butter. Instead of jam/jelly, why not use beans right? The only thing that would make this breakfast better is if the beans were not touching everything. Now I’m not one of those people who are like “My food must absolutely not touch!” BUT the bean sauce was quite overwhelming, making it hard to taste the other food items that it touched.

Fun Fact: In addition to beans on toast, they eat everything on toast. Sardines, spaghetti, mushrooms. 

Another Fun Fact: During the Victorian era, a full English breakfast was only served to the wealthy on a regular basis, it was regarded as an elegant affair. It wasn’t until the Edwardian era that the full English breakfast spread to the middle class. During this time they believed that a hearty breakfast will provide the energy need for a full day of work, this is also the time that it became a family tradition to have this type of meal. The full English breakfast only reached the working class starting from the 1950′s and it soon become standardized for the British!   

[nnguy2]

26 British Food Quirks That Brits Don't Realise Are Weird

Eating everything on toast, for a start.

A fun little list to read  😊

[nnguy2]

Next Stop? London!

[nnguy2]

What is a successful trip to France if you don’t eat French macarons? These pretty little things were bought at Pierre Herme, as you can see, who has a reputation for having really good macarons. They had a variety of flavors and the shop had legit air conditioning, if you wanted to pop on in and cool off. However, the macarons were not to die for. I generally like my macarons with a bit of chewiness to them. These were very soft. While it did have that typical crunch on the shell, the inside was less desirable. I was told that the difference in macarons that I’ve had and these ones might be because these ones are more fresh. If that is the case than I still like my old ones better. 

Interesting Fact: I thought that these French macarons were French. But it looks like Catherine Di Medici brought them over from Italy in the 1500s. I will try some in Italy next!  

[nnguy2]

Whats a good trip without loading up on sweets right? In Lille there is this pretty little sweets shop called Meert. I had a cafe eclair, raspberry cake and some gaufre. My favorite would have to be the vanilla gaufre, a very thin oblong shapped waffle dessert filled with Madagascar vanilla. The texture was amazing, but I could have done with less filling. In this sweet shop there is a nice tea room that you can go to in the back, although I did not, I’ve heard that it was a nice (but expensive) experience. Comparing the cafe eclair to the chocolate eclair in the shop at the Lourve, I would definitely say that the chocolate one is better. This eclair was a bit bitter and dry, the chocolate eclair was decadent and overstuffed. The raspberry cake was also a bit disappointing, it was a little too sour for my taste and the sponge was a tad dry. However, don’t let my opinion deter you because the worker there said that the raspberry cake was one of the more popular items.

Interesting Fact: Gaufres were a favorite of King Léopold I and Charles de Gaulle (French army officer who led French Resistance in WWII). So go grab one and eat like a king!

Recommendation: Cafe Meo is also a favorite of locals.

[nnguy2]

Tipping?

While in France the whole tipping situation was a bit confusing. While some people said that you don’t tip in France, others say that its already a part of the bill, then on the other hand you have waiters who ask how much tip you want to leave. Tipping is a cultural norm in the United States and it would be very rude to not leave a tip so this debate was quite a dilemma  

So what to do? Based on some interweb research, tipping is not mandatory. The waiters make a livable wage and do not depend on tips like waiters/waitresses in the United States. In fact, the service charge is supposed to already be tacked onto your bill. So unless its exceptional service, don’t feel obliged to tip, twice.

Interesting Fact: Notice how your waiters many not check on you as often, don’t introduce themselves and don’t go above and beyond to be friendly? Yeah, that’s because they’re not working for your tip. 

[nnguy2]

Four days in France was simply not enough time to eat everything that I wanted to. Having a love for food yet having only so much stomach space is a little disheartening. Some of the things that I’ve had I wouldn’t mind eating everyday, except for this crepe. The crepes that I am used to is very thin and stuffed with fruits, chocolate, whipped cream and maybe even some ice cream if I wanted to go all out. This sugar crepe was supposed to have been a favorite, a popular item that French people enjoyed. And perhaps they do, but I will never order it again. In French it is called a sucre crepe. Which is literally a crepe with sugar spread on it. The crepe itself was pretty thick, although the consistency was nice and chewy. In the future I will definitely try another crepe in France, just not this particular one.

Side Note: That cup of sparkling rose wine was ahhhhmazing!

[nnguy2]