Les repas Meals in France

What is the culture of food in France? In the States? Most of us do not give much thought to our own mealtime rituals. They are second nature to us. As we go through the lecture, think about what unspoken rules or customs about meals we have here in the United States that a French person might find bizarre.

Le petit déjeuner Le petit déjeuner is what the French call breakfast. Des tartines: bits of toast with beurre (butter) and confiture (jam) Des céreals: yes, the French enjoy cereal and milk too! Le petit déjeuner is what the French call breakfast. A typical breakfast would consist of: Café: but not like the coffee we drink. The French often enjoy their morning coffee as a hot-cocoa-like powder mixed with hot water, which they usually drink from a cereal bowl

What do we eat that the French don’t? Breakfast is NOT: Pancakes, french toast, or crêpes. These are considered desserts and are not breakfast foods! Eggs, bacon, sausage, etc. Savory foods are never eaten for breakfast. vidéo: le petit déjeuner (Ignore the last bit about crêpes and waffles. This was a student-made video)

Le déjeuner Le déjeuner is lunch. Lunch occurs between noon and 2pm, as it does here. It is not always a 3-course meal, but on weekends (especially dimanche, Sunday) the family eats together and it is not unheard of for le déjeuner to last several hours. Lunch can be casual, like un sandwich jambon-fromage (ham and cheese sandwich) or un steak-frites (a small steak with french fries).

Le dîner Le dîner is, of course, dinner. The French eat dinner much later than we are used to. 7pm is early, 9pm is typical, but dinner can be served any time in between. On dîne (one dines) with family at home, or out in a restaurant. At a restaurant, one typically has entrée-plat-dessert, a three course meal. Some restaurants have prix-fixe menus, where there are several options for each course on a menu with a set price. At home, there will usually be a main dish, a side dish, and after the main meal is over there will be various cheeses and/or a small dessert.

Le dîner French dinners are not always escargot, foie gras, and pâté They often enjoy things like poulet roti (rotisserie chicken), les pâtes (pasta), or various poisson (fish) More casual dinners at home can even include a frozen pizza heated in the oven!

Noticing Language It is important to note that the words “déjeuner” and “dîner” can be used as verbs. “Vous dînez avec nous?” “Elle déjeune seul” However, “le petit déjeuner” uses the verb “prendre” “Tu as pris ton petit déjeuner?”

What about snacks? Surely French people snack during the day like we do, don’t they?

NON!!! Pas du tout! The French typically never snack between meals. French commonly think that if you snack, “Tu vas grossir!” (you’ll gain weight)

BUT… There are a few designated times when it’s okay to have a small something

Le 10h et l’apéritif Le 10h is similar to our mid-morning break. Just like many of you will have a snack during break, French teens will have a break at 10h where it is okay to have something small. L’apéritif is a before-dinner drink that can sometimes include finger food. This is usually had between 6 and 9pm, avant le dîner (before dinner).

Reflect What meal do you think is most similar to ours? What meal is the most different? Would you like to eat this on a daily basis? Why or why not?