Meals in France

ENG.

FRA.

○ Breakfast (le petit déjeuner)

The French breakfast is quite light and allows you to quickly start the day without feeling heavy. While some French people skip this meal due to lack of time, others define it as "the most important moment of the day." It's a quick meal that's best eaten alone.

• A treat (une gourmandise)

Usually, we eat two tartines. These are slices of toast or rusks covered with butter (sweet or salted, depending on taste and region) and jam.

You can replace the tartines with a bowl of milk or a bowl of fromage blanc (cottage cheese) with cereal or oats.

On weekends, the French go to the boulangerie (bakery) to buy some viennoiseries (pastries) instead of tartines : pains aux raisins (raisin breads), croissants, pains au chocolat (or chocolatine), brioches, pain au lait, chausson aux pommes, etc.

• A fruit (un fruit)

We accompany the treat with fruit juice (often apple or orange juice), fresh fruit, or a small fruit salad.

• A hot drink (une boisson chaude)

There's always a hot drink that helps you wake up :

un café > a cup of coffee un thé, > a cup of teaun chocolat chaud > a cup of hot chocolate.

• An egg (un œuf)

If the morning is going to be long and you are very hungry, you can add an egg with a slice of bread and, possibly, a piece of cold meat (de la charcuterie) or cheese (du fromage).

○ Lunch (Le déjeuner)

Lunch is the main meal of the day and therefore the most substantial. It's a time for sharing, with colleagues or classmates during the week, and with family or friends on the weekend.

• The starter (L'entrée)

If you have time, start with an entrée. It's a small dish that whets the appetite and adds a light touch to the meal.

In summer and spring, we prefer salads :

Salade Niçoise > a fresh mix of Mediterranean vegetables and tuna.Salade Lyonnaise > lettuce with a fresh egg, grilled bread and baconSalade de riz > rice saladSalade de pâtes > Pasta saladtabbouleh > originally a Lebanese specialty very popular in France

In autumn and winter, we prefer soups and broths:

Soupe à l'oignon > onion soup, cooked in the oven with a slice of bread on the topBouillon de volaille ou de légume > Chicken broth or vegetable broth. The basic to give taste to any soup.Velouté > a more creamy and consistent soup.

Most of these dishes can be transformed into main courses if they're increased in size.

At work or school, we tend to skip them to save time and move straight to the main course.

• The main course (Le plat principal)

The main course is the heart of the meal.

Un gratin

Une viande

Du poisson

meat or fish, and a side dish of starchy foods or vegetables.

• Dairy products

If you have the time and the desire, you can have a dairy product. This can be yogurt or fromage blanc, with honey, sugar, or coulis. Otherwise, you can prepare a cheese platter, to be eaten with a piece of fresh bread and, perhaps, a glass of red wine.

At the office or at university, this dish can replace dessert, saving time and avoiding bloating in the afternoon.

• Dessert

Finally, dessert rounds off the meal with a sweet touch. On weekends, it might be a slice of cake, a gourmet coffee, or ice cream. But during the week, choose fresh fruit or a fruit salad to avoid consuming too much sugar and spending too much.

• A little coffee?

Many French people drink a strong coffee at the end of lunch to avoid the after-meal crash, the "slump."

○ Le dîner > Dinner

Dinner is the perfect time to share with family or friends. While it can be very filling on weekends, it must be balanced during the week to facilitate a good night's sleep. Like lunch, it consists of an optional starter, a main course, an optional dairy product, and a dessert.

• Apéro !

Before the starter, you can start with an aperitif. Appetizers, tapas, or other nuggets are served along with an alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage. The aperitif often begins between 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. It's a chance to toast and relax after the day. If the aperitif is substantial, it can replace the starter.

Tapenade is a puree of olives, anchovies, and garlic typical of Provence. It's a popular summer aperitif.

Gougères are balls of cheese soufflé originating from Burgundy. This dish is popular in winter because it can be served warm.

Each region has its own pâté, or terrine. There are many variations, but the most common are wild boar or duck terrines.

• A main course

The main course of dinner favors starchy foods to provide slow-release sugars for the next day. This could be a gratin, pasta, wheat, ravioli, or rice.

• Un p'tit dijo ? (a digestive drink)

For special occasions (and if you're not working the next day), you can have a shot of strong alcohol at the end of the meal to help digestion. Some spirits are very popular: Calvados, aged rum, Chartreuse, Cognac, Armagnac, etc.

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