French Food for Thought

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

“Let them eat cake” and “bon appétit” are common expressions used in English to either refer to Marie-Antoinette’s faux pas before the hungry revolutionary crowd asking for bread in front of the Versailles palace, or to traditionally tell somebody to enjoy their meal. More than mere food, French cuisine and dishes have become an art and an inspiration throughout the world. But how are food and cuisine at the core of French culture? How is food such a savoir-vivre for the French people? Brillat-Savarin said in the 18th century: “Tell me what you eat: I’ll tell you who you are.” How did/do French people eat? How did/does that define them? This course aims at better understanding the representations and the symbolic aspects of food and cuisine in French culture. Providing starters from the Middle-Ages, we will take our culinary discovery through the tasty 17th century to the spicy 18th century, adding a dash of table manners and theory in the 19th century, to modern diets and regimens, mixing a variety of formats and recipes. Taught in French.