The Foundations of French Cookingįrench cooking is incredibly complex and is built upon many years of history. Modern French cooking draws inspiration from the many cooking concepts French chefs have developed and presented over centuries. This style of cooking was defined by the use of high quality, fresh ingredients, lighter meals, and simpler yet breathtaking presentations. With his publication of Le Guide Culinaire in 1903, Escoffier adapted haute cuisine to be more modern.įrench cooking continued to evolve and in the 1900s, nouvelle cuisine was born. He revolutionized the fundamentals of French cooking including how food is presented and how it’s served. 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 taught French cooking as a sophisticated art form that required technique and precision, and his recipe manuals made French cuisine more accessible. Marie-Antoine Carême is often credited with leading this charge in the 1800s. 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. If you’ve studied French cuisine at all, you’ve probably heard of something called haute cuisine. Later, French cuisine expanded beyond France’s borders, and chefs from around the world studied these published guides.Īs the French colonized other countries – including parts of Asia, Africa, North America, and the Caribbean – throughout the 1700s and 1800s, they spread their culinary knowledge and cooking techniques. Additionally, more and more French people began cooking for themselves. The French Revolution in 1789 further helped to spread the study of cooking since it shattered the occupational restrictions established by the government. This inspired many chefs to record their work. However, cookbooks and documented techniques weren’t published until the 1600s.įrancois Pierre La Varenne published the first French cookbook in 1651 titled Le Cuisinier Francois. During the Middle Ages cooking began to lighten and dishes in France began to shape into a cuisine we would more readily recognize today. Over the years, as cultures shifted and transformed, so did French cooking. These dishes were elaborately presented to impress guests, and this emphasis on presentation is maintained in modern French cooking. Members of the upper class often utilized these seasonal ingredients to host banquets or feasts that showed off their wealth. Modern French cooking also utilizes fresh, seasonal ingredients. With few ways to preserve food, people in ancient times decided what ingredients to use based on what they had immediately available. Expensive salt and imported spices were widely used in the kitchens of the elite and were considered a status symbol. Back then, nobility dined on multi-course meals composed of wild game, meat, fruit, and grains, while peasants ate diets high in vegetables and legumes. Some of the inspiration for French cuisine can be traced back to medieval times. To become a skilled chef, you must have extensive knowledge of French cooking fundamentals.īut 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. With its formal techniques, emphasis on fresh ingredients and simple flavors, pride in presentation, and rich and colorful history, French cuisine truly has come to rule the world, laying the foundations for many other styles and specialties. French cooking is considered by many to be the most prestigious and respectable cuisine in the world.
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