Food Cultures of France

As a comprehensive overview of French food from fine dining to street food and from Roman Gaul to current trends, this book offers anyone with an interest in French cuisine a readable guide to the country and its customs.
In France, food is integral to the culture. From the Revolutionary cry for good bread at a fair price to the current embrace of American bagels and "French tacos," this book tells the full story of French food.
This volume explores the highs and lows of French cuisine, with examples taken from every historical era and all corners of France. Readers can discover crêpes from Brittany; fish dumplings from Lyon; the gastronomic heights of Parisian restaurant cuisine; glimpses of the cuisines of France's overseas territories in Africa and the Caribbean; and the impact of immigrant communities on the future of French food. Learn how the geography of France shaped the diet of its people and which dishes have withstood the test of time. Whether the reader knows all about French cuisine or has never tasted a croissant, this book will offer new insights and delicious details about French food in all its forms.

Maryann Tebben, PhD, is professor of French and head of the Center for Food Studies at Bard College at Simon's Rock, USA.