Do you drink wine with your meals?
FR

Do you drink wine with your meals?

by Josaline

in Between trips › World cuisines

Translated into English.

Original post
JO
Josaline
RegularPerdu · 410 posts
Are you a wine lover?

Do you drink wine with your meal, and how often—every day, just on weekends, or only occasionally for special events?

What are your favorite wines, from which country, and what grape variety? I drink wine with my evening meal every day. I’m particularly fond of wines from Australia and Spain—I really like grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.
CH Chrousseaud Globetrotter ·
Well, of course I do!!!!! But only in the evening at dinner (or *supper*, as the Quebecois say). Water’s for when I’m traveling. I’m the one who cooks at home, and I often plan the dish around the wine I feel like drinking. I’ve got about 500 bottles from all over in the cellar—plenty of choices.

Preferences? Not really, except for a few wines I don’t like: Gros Plant from Nantes, Muscadet—basically, wines that are too acidic—and Champagne (I’ve never understood why people put bubbles in wine).

I’ve had good wines everywhere, and bad ones too. I don’t know much about Australian wines; the only ones I’ve tried were on a plane, and they weren’t great (but then again, French wines served on planes aren’t great either). The worst wine I’ve ever had was in Syria, in Maalula. I visited a convent (St. Thecla) where the nuns made wine and offered me a taste. It was pretty much pure vinegar…

When you talk about grape varieties, in France, wines aren’t classified that way because most are blends of several grapes. The only place where wines are really labeled by variety is Alsace (Riesling, Gewürztraminer, etc.). Some small producers in the Languedoc also sell single-varietal wines. They’re unpretentious, but you can sometimes be pleasantly surprised. Shiraz is the same grape we call Syrah in France—it’s used in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côte-Rôtie (Rhône Valley).
JO Josaline Regular ·
The women of Quebec will envy yours 🙂, she’s lucky to have a foodie like you.

He adds bubbles to the wine to help digestion 😉 I also don’t like champagne—too expensive for what it is. Here, a bottle of champagne costs at least $60, so I’d rather buy several bottles of wine with my $60.

The wine served on planes is really basic, like table wine (plonk). If you ever get the chance to try an Australian wine, I’d love to hear your thoughts—do you think you can find any where you are?

One of my uncles used to make his own wine—disgusting, really not good. In my opinion, it’s not worth making your own when you can get great bottles for little money.

In Australia, they can’t pronounce "syrah," which is why they call it "shiraz."
AN Annais Veteran ·
Hi,

I only drink wine at restaurants or when I’m invited over for dinner.

See you,
JO Josaline Regular ·
Thanks for replying, Annais!

I’m doing a little research on consumption habits, personal tastes, and people’s routines.

See you later!
LE Lepiaf Globetrotter ·
Like Christian, I really love wine and always have 300 to 400 bottles in my cellar. I drink it almost every evening with dinner, mostly red wine. I enjoy all kinds of wines and regularly visit my favorite wine merchant to taste them, which lets me discover new wines and sample others that are too expensive for my budget. Because of the prices, I no longer buy Burgundy and much less Bordeaux—I’ve switched to wines from the Southwest and the Rhône Valley. Due to my location, I also have quite a few Loire wines. For aperitifs, I like sweet wines, such as Coteau du Layon (Loire) or Jurançon (near Pau).

As Christian mentioned, in France, we don’t classify wines by grape variety but by appellation. Appellations are quite complicated—there are geographic appellations (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace, etc.) and official appellations. The most prestigious is AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée), which is assigned to a defined area with specific constraints (yield per hectare, chaptalization, etc.). AOCs are managed by the INAO. There are two other less prestigious appellations: VDQS (Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure) and *vin de pays*. More info here (among others): http://fr.parisinfo.com/rub1146.html&id_article=856
JA Jaynadelyon Regular ·
hi josaline

I also drink wine every day, in moderation. But I only drink good wine—I have a wine merchant who selects his bulk wines with as much care as his grand crus.

I’m right near famous wine regions, except for Beaujolais. I love them all, but my preference goes to Burgundy wines.

I’ll leave the technical side to the guys on the forum. I haven’t finished my oenology courses yet, so for now, I’ll just talk about flavor, pleasure, and, as the Americans say, "the French paradox." We drink wine, in moderation, and it protects us from heart issues..........pleasure and health—what could be nicer?

I also really enjoy drinking champagne. I find it makes women’s eyes look more beautiful and gives us a kind of confidence, a certain ease..........

Rereading myself, I realize my sentence might make it seem like I’m interested in women’s eyes—far from it! It’s just poetry.

There you go, josaline—did I answer your question?

I have some Québécois friends who aren’t opposed to it either...........

As for foreign wines, I’m clueless. I know Spanish Riojas, which remind me of Bordeaux, but honestly, for now, I won’t buy foreign. Our winemakers need support. That was my little civic moment!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers
AR Argentine06 Regular ·
🙂 You’ve gotta try the Argentinian wines from Mendoza and San Juan—you’ll love them!
KA Kairouan ·
Without wanting to sound protectionist, we should support French winemakers who are going through a tough crisis... Why not try the wines from Languedoc? They’ve really upped their quality game, and the idea of *terroir* still means something there!! Otherwise, there’s good wine everywhere, but a lot of it tastes the same and lacks "personality"... some wine-makers are churning out the same stuff from Napa to Mendoza, via Bordeaux!!
JO Josaline Regular ·
Thanks for the link, I’ve saved it to my favorites.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the space for a wine cellar, but it’s something we’ll consider for our next house. I imagine you buy about three bottles of the same kind—one to enjoy now and the other two at intervals of a few years. You probably have a book where you take notes to track how your wines evolve.
JO Josaline Regular ·
I get the technical side—wine is really complex. What a pleasure to taste and chat about wines!
LE Lepiaf Globetrotter ·
I imagine you buy about three bottles of the same kind, one to enjoy now and the other two at intervals of a few years.

I buy at least 6 if I’ve been able to taste it first. For some aging wines, I might buy up to 18 or 24.
ML Mldiane57 Veteran ·
We only drink wine on weekends or during celebrations—it’s really exceptional for us. My husband and I mostly go for Merlot (our first choice) and Bordeaux wines. We love red wine. However, for our French friends, here’s a site where you can see the prices we pay for our wine. Don’t try to compare it to what you’d pay in your country versus ours—after all, you live with the value of the euro, and we live with the value of the dollar. www.saq.com You’ll be shocked by some of the bottle prices. And now, a site where you can convert the amount to euros: http://www.atmonde.com/convertisseur.php Some people like boxed wine (cartons with a bag inside that hold the equivalent of maybe 4 bottles). On the other hand, my husband makes his own wine (which is trendy here in Quebec) using kits—it’s way simpler than dealing with grapes and all that. We make Merlot, and I can tell you it’s really good—even visitors of French descent love it. Oh, and we’ve had a habit for years: when we buy a bottle, we go to the SAQ website, print out the descriptive sheet, and put it in a book along with our impressions and the occasion we drank it. It’s a lot of fun!
JO Josaline Regular ·
Hi Diane🙂

I don’t agree with you—you say it’s trendy to make your own wine here. If that were the case, explain to me how there are 400 branches across Quebec, plus agencies for remote regions and places like La Maison des Futailles where you can bottle your own wine. I don’t think there’d be so many stores if it were really as trendy as you say to make your own wine.

Real wine lovers don’t drink homemade wine.

Here in Quebec, more and more people are drinking wine, and we’ve got a lot of wine connoisseurs—some even have wine cellars.

I’m not judging how you drink homemade wine, but let’s not say it’s trendy here to make your own. I think it’s just a minority of people, that’s all.
ML Mldiane57 Veteran ·
Hi!

When I say it's a trend, everyone should understand that it doesn't concern all Quebecers. It's like low-rise pants (also called "muffin top" fashion)—not everyone wears them, but you can't forget that they exist and are part of a wave. I can tell you that in my circle, there are *a lot* of people who do it, and when you ask around at work or elsewhere, there's always someone who has a relative who makes their own wine. Oh, some succeed, and others don’t. I’d say there are *so* many. I can even tell you that some people have wine made for weddings or other receptions. There are places where you prepare your wine, and they handle the brewing, etc... At the liquor store (SAQ), you can even bottle the wine you choose. Oh, that doesn’t stop people from buying wine too—you go out sometimes ;-) You give it as gifts, you bring it when you go out to eat at a restaurant or elsewhere, etc... It’s true that people buy a lot of wine, but you can’t turn a blind eye and say it’s not common to see people making their own. When I say it’s a trend, it also means it’s a new craze that’s arrived here in Quebec. I can tell you that the wine we make... it’s equivalent to many of those little bottles under $15 that you buy at the SAQ. And don’t think that the French drink grand crus every day either...
CH Chrousseaud Globetrotter ·
Yes, the "wine makers," including the infamous Michel Rolland who imposes his tastes—and particularly those of Mr. Parker. You can see the latter at home in the film *Mondovino*: his personal tastes are, well, *toilet-level* (sorry for the expression, but I can’t think of anything else). This man has become the guru of wine. The result? Wines that all taste the same, from one end of the planet to the other, and the pressure on some producers to bend to his will or risk not being able to export.

The latest idiocy, this time from those who govern us: allowing wood chips in vats to give the taste of oak barrels. The next step will probably be replacing the chips with liquid extract. We usually say a wine with this overly woody taste is "barrel juice," but soon it’ll be literal.

Anyway, thankfully, there are still plenty of winemakers (in fact, the majority) who do things the right way.
JO Josaline Regular ·
We often say that a wine with an overly pronounced woody taste is "barrel juice." __

Here in Quebec, we say it tastes like (two-by-four) construction lumber.
JO Josaline Regular ·
I stand by what I wrote earlier unless you’ve got stats to prove me wrong!!! The only info I have is the number of places where you can get bottles of wine. If there were a trend like you say, I think there’d be a lot of closures.

I can tell you that this wine we make... it’s equivalent to many of those little bottles under $15 that you buy at the SAQ.

Here again, I don’t agree with you—a homemade wine isn’t the same as a bottle bottled at the producer’s. First, the must or powder used to make homemade wine contains way more sulfites and preservatives, so it’s a lot more chemical.

Don’t believe that the French drink grand crus every day either...

I don’t believe anything—I never even brought up this topic. You’re the one talking about it, not me.
CH Chrousseaud Globetrotter ·
Yes, sodium sulfite—everyone uses it now. I use it to make my own photographic developer. No, we don’t drink grand crus every day, but personally, I buy wine and wait several years before drinking it. If we’re talking about wine prices, a bottle I bought for 7–8 € five years ago would cost 20–25 € today. It’s a better investment than stocks, but I drink my investment.
CH Chrousseaud Globetrotter ·
I know they make some wine in Canada, and I tried "ice wine" a long time ago—brought back by friends who’d been to Toronto—but I only have a vague memory of it. But when you talk about "Making your own wine with kits"... I don’t get it.
JO Josaline Regular ·
Me neither, I don’t drink fine wines every day—I can’t afford it. If I had a place to store my wines, I’d do the same thing as many people: buy a case and taste them at intervals over a few years. You’re right to drink your wines—the investment is better off in your stomach than in your cellar. 😉
CH Chrousseaud Globetrotter ·
I just checked out SAQ.com, and even the most basic wines seem expensive: 20 Canadian dollars for a vin de pays from Hérault, which comes to 14 €. That’s over the top—here, for that price, you get something really decent, even in Bordeaux. The price difference seems smaller for fine wines.
JO Josaline Regular ·


Château de Cruzeau pessac-léognan 2002 $22.95

Country France Region Bordeaux Sub-region Graves Category Red wine Type Still wine Format 750 ML Producer / supplier André Lurton Appellation Pessac-léognan Classification A.O.C. Color Red Alcohol percentage 12.5% Tasting note Under the deep ruby color of its robe, this Pessac-Léognan offers aromas of red berries and vanilla, followed by hints of undergrowth and leather. It’s on the palate that it truly shines, with present but smooth tannins, supported by a refreshing acidity and a long finish. Food pairing Perfect with beef fillet in forestière sauce, venison, garlic leg of lamb, and roasted rack of lamb in red wine sauce. Comment Produced by one of the most respected winemakers in Bordeaux, André Lurton, this red Bordeaux comes from Pessac-Léognan. The wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot.

Out of curiosity, how much does this bottle cost in France?
CH Chrousseaud Globetrotter ·
I found the producer’s website, but it doesn’t list their prices. http://www.andrelurton.com/technique_vins.php?id_chateau=4&id_vin=17&ou=7 But a Pessac-Léognan at that price doesn’t seem excessive to me.

To give you an idea of prices in France: http://www.fr.chateauonline.com/pages/gate.asp?version=FR&partner=REFERENCEMENT or here: http://www.vin-online.net/fr/local/accueil.html

But you can find cheaper deals one-off.
JI Jine ·
Hi Josaline,

I drink wine pretty much every day with my evening meal—it’s my way to unwind and reward myself after a sometimes hectic day. And of course, any excuse is a good one to enjoy a glass of wine. 😉

I save a good bottle for the weekends and go for something more modest during the week, unless I’ve got guests, of course.

I really love the Languedoc region and California wines, like those from R.H. Philippe, which offers a great Cabernet Sauvignon and a Shiraz—they’re both excellent in my opinion. I’ve also grown to appreciate a California Pastiche wine.

Anyway, that’s what I enjoy.
JO Josaline Regular ·
This site is really interesting—I’ll be visiting often to learn a lot. Thanks
JO Josaline Regular ·
A lot of people feel guilty about drinking wine every day—several customers tell me the same thing.

I think moderation tastes much better, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a glass or two of wine a day. It’s great for the heart and cholesterol! 😊

At my place, we have a lower-quality wine during the week, and on weekends, I savor a good bottle with family or friends. I really like R.H. Philippe too, but recently I tried a Rasteau Prestige Côtes du Rhône Villages—it wasn’t bad at all. Thanks for your non-intervention.
ML Mldiane57 Veteran ·
I know, for some wines you really pay a high price compared to the same wine in your country. I’ve had pen pals from Bordeaux and all over for years, and when they mention a wine they had for supper and I check the SAQ website to see the price to buy it... it’s often really expensive for us. I once saw a wine that my pen pal from Réunion loved, which cost around $50 here, but I can’t remember the name. For him, it was a maximum of twenty dollars. I also have a pen pal who buys wine directly from the producer, and it really doesn’t cost him much per bottle. He bottles it himself. He lives in Savoie. On the other hand, I think we shouldn’t compare what the Canadian dollar is worth in France, etc. We live with the Canadian dollar, and you with the euro. Your salary is in euros, and ours in Canadian dollars. If we pay $30 for a bottle, you’d have to imagine paying 30 € to see what that feels like—would you buy it for a casual supper and buy it often? As for the Merlot we make, I’ll tell you from experience, people often think it’s a store-bought wine. It’s not a great wine, but it’s good and smooth. My husband makes some for my daughter, my son, and my mother-in-law. My father-in-law from Tours makes some too, and he hosts French guests once or twice a year, and they like it... it’s really good. We don’t add preservatives because it’s drunk quickly, and no other junk either... You don’t have to, you know. It’s made with wine must. Between you and me, have you really tasted it, and have you tasted it in many places to talk about this wine like that? For those who drink wine every night, what wine do you drink? We shouldn’t put down other people’s wines or talk just to criticize others’ habits. We’re sharing our habits and those of people we know.
CH Chrousseaud Globetrotter ·
Hey! Calm down!!! I didn’t put anything down at all, and I didn’t say ANYTHING AGAINST the wine you make!!! I just asked for an explanation, because here, private individuals don’t make their own wine unless they own a vineyard
JO Josaline Regular ·
Hi CHROUSSEAUD

I think this message was meant for me!!!

Have a good day
CH Chrousseaud Globetrotter ·
In that case, my apologies, but I’m still no closer to uncovering the manufacturing secret....
JO Josaline Regular ·
Here’s a link that might give you a little insight into making homemade wine!

http://www.atelierduvin.ca/
LE Lepiaf Globetrotter ·
At my place, we also go for a lower-quality wine during the week, and on the weekend, I savor a good bottle

I only drink good wines, but the prices range from very affordable to expensive—roughly from 3 to 20 euros per bottle. I’m increasingly opting for biodynamic wines, which are very healthy, and you can find more and more excellent ones. Big merchants like Chapoutier have fully embraced this trend in recent years. Their Bila-Haut "Occultum Lapidem" is a gem for a reasonable price: http://www.chapoutier.com/fr/vins/vin.cfm?id=59&reference=OCL0R0475200

Here’s one of many sites about biodynamic wine: http://20dalsace.chez-alice.fr/pages/alaunefev04.htm
JO Josaline Regular ·
You shouldn’t disparage other people’s wines or speak just to gather information rather than criticize others’ habits. We’re sharing our own habits and those of people we know.

Hey Diane!

Stop thinking I’m judging you—it’s really not the case at all. You’re misinterpreting what I write. I’m not going to rewrite the same lines two, three, or four times just to make my point clear! If you reread my posts, I never put down people who drink homemade wine. I only said that real wine enthusiasts don’t drink it and that it’s a minority of the population who make their own wine. That’s it!

You’re putting words in my mouth that I never wrote. Read more carefully because you jump to conclusions way too fast. I think you feel attacked by me, which really isn’t the case at all. I’m just sharing an opinion, that’s all.

I’ve often noticed that you speak for all of Quebec when it comes to your own lifestyle habits. Like I said before, if making your own wine were as trendy as you say, there wouldn’t be so many wine store branches across Quebec selling bottles.

Have a great day, Diane—no hard feelings!!!
JO Josaline Regular ·
You’re so lucky to drink good wine every day—France is one of the world’s biggest wine producers, which isn’t the case here in Quebec. We’re only just starting to have a few vineyards here since the climate isn’t really ideal for it. French wines are much more expensive here, which limits our consumption more and more to wines from other countries that are cheaper.

When you use the term "biodynamie," do you mean organic farming?
JO Josaline Regular ·
Thanks for the links, I’ll check them out tonight!!!
LE Lepiaf Globetrotter ·
I’m giving an objective opinion

Isn’t there a contradiction?
JO Josaline Regular ·
Possible, I do what I can with my written French, I'm not very good!!!!

Sorry for the confusion
CU Cuenca ·
See you soon, peanut butter! I don’t drink wine every day. Only with friends, on the occasion of some of our big weekend feasts... On the other hand, I treat myself to a pure malt every evening after a hard day’s work (watching the ocean and trying to string a few sentences together on my Mac keyboard...) Later!
LE Lepiaf Globetrotter ·
An opinion is a personal view and can’t be objective (impartial), at least that’s my take ;) But don’t let that mistake stop you from sharing your thoughts.
JO Josaline Regular ·
Oh, let's talk about peanut butter—someone earlier knows that little story :) the little sparrow.

A good beer is great too!
JO Josaline Regular ·
I never know, I have so much to say in this wonderful world, it's a shame I always find writing a bit tough sometimes. I went to English school when I was little, and this is what it’s done to me🤪—my French is awful, which is why I don’t write too often.

But I think I manage to make myself understood anyway!!!🙂
LE Lepiaf Globetrotter ·
But I think I managed to make myself understood anyway!!!

No worries, I didn’t know you were English-speaking at first, butterfingers...
JO Josaline Regular ·
I’m not an English speaker at all, but one day my dad decided to move us to Vancouver for a while. I had to continue my studies in English, which really scrambled my brain 🤪

At least I can thank my dad for letting us experience such a beautiful part of the country… even if it left some linguistic scars 🙂
CH Chrousseaud Globetrotter ·
A kit to make wine..... What's in this kit—some kind of wine extract you have to add water to? I'd love to try it out of curiosity, but I don't think this kind of product would take off in France
ML Mldiane57 Veteran ·
First off, I still stand by my point—there are *so* many shops where they sell grape must for making your own wine and all the equipment. The number of shops... hard to catalog since it’s not a state-run thing. 😉

But I’m curious because you said, > 🤪 Have you *actually* tried it? You know, we’ve made some wines we didn’t like either. I’m not saying all homemade wines are good. Some are great, some are meh, but when you talk about "real wine lovers," what do you even mean? 🙂 Do you consider yourself a real wine lover just because... you drink it often?

By the way, I don’t know what *your* definition of "trend" is, but for me, a trend is a new habit or way of doing things. Not everyone follows it, but it’s something new in life. Like piercings are trendy right now, but I don’t have one in my belly button, eyebrows, or nose, etc.... yet it’s still a trend.

I’ll wrap it up like you did—no hard feelings.

About that line that said, >You shouldn’t assume all French people drink fine wines every day either...> I just meant that they don’t all drink fancy wine daily, and they’re not ashamed to admit it. That doesn’t mean they’re tacky or classless.

Opening a bottle of wine every night with dinner and finishing it... that gets expensive here in Quebec... AT LEAST FOR US. I only know one couple who does that, and they usually drink vineyard wine.

On the other hand, I work as an orderlies’ assistant ("aide soignante" in France), and in my workplace, it’s rare for people to talk about having wine with every dinner (evening meal). The residents... or patients... they’re all ages and not autonomous... it wasn’t a habit for them.

We’re also part of several associations, and generally, they only drink wine on special occasions or weekends... during the week, I’d say it’s not *quite* a habit for Quebecers yet, but DON’T THINK I’M TALKING ABOUT ALL QUEBECERS. I’m just talking about the people in my circle.

It’s funny because we Quebecers argue among ourselves... like we don’t even live in the same country, as if we can’t really talk about customs. 😉

But you shouldn’t always feel targeted when I talk about Quebecers in general. You might not be part of the group I hang out with. 🙂
CH Chrousseaud Globetrotter ·
In the Cyberpresse article, I read about cardboard packaging: "This type of packaging is very popular in some countries, including Italy, where over 32 percent of table wines sold come in cardboard containers." They forget to mention that in Italy, just like in France, what we call "table wine" or "cheap plonk" isn’t really consumed much anymore, and it’s become a marginal market.

However, it’s common in Italy to buy wine by the glass, where the vendor pours it from a large demijohn right in front of you. You get your bottles refilled, and some people even use plastic mineral water bottles. Not long ago, I went to Venice where I rented an apartment for the week. Every day, I’d take my empty bottle to the nearby vendor who had excellent Veneto Merlots.
ML Mldiane57 Veteran ·
That must have been really enjoyable, and by the way, was it good wine? The savings you made... Just to see the difference between buying it in a store and directly from the producer? I love merlots... you?
AN Annais Veteran ·
Hi girls,

No fighting in the cabin! 🙂

It’s true that it’s really expensive to open and finish a bottle all at once. A good wine costs around thirty dollars (or more), so at that price, we try to make it last as long as possible. And when we visit people, we don’t waste wine. That’s why I don’t buy it just for myself.

I have an uncle (hi Richard!) who’s a huge wine lover—he took courses, has a cellar with great SAQ wines, and even has his own wine-making equipment. One doesn’t stop the other; wine lovers don’t take themselves too seriously. They know they’re not making anything prestigious… It’s like loving to buy a beautiful painting from an artist—it doesn’t stop us from trying our hand at it.

In Quebec City, there’s a well-known shop, *La Boutique du Vin*, for those who want to make their own wine. They sell wine concentrates. Homemade wines still don’t come from the vineyards in our backyard. Gérard Depardieu, a true wine lover if there ever was one, said it’s amazing that people make their own wine. It makes the product accessible. And for eating with mac and cheese, it does the job just as well as a $30 bottle.

See you later!
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Leaving in 15 days for Brittany, specifically the southern Finistère and Bénodet...

Tourists expected to boost the culinary restaurant industry!

Haven’t read the guide for latecomers yet, and I’m really wary of online reviews. Where can I eat without getting ripped off, enjoy quality food—crêperies, seafood, nice atmosphere... Thanks to all you savvy foodies!
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Giorgio13 2 years ago · Rose74000
An Unknown Cuisine in France: Italian Cuisine
The title might surprise you, but you’ll understand my point of view.

1/ MEAL STRUCTURE I’m talking about the standard meal, not the one for those who have to budget for financial reasons (generally fewer in northern and central Italy than in France, but more in the south, which makes up 35% of Italy—Eurostat figures), nor for those (mostly women) watching their figure.

The tradition (once the meal of the well-off, widespread among the general population in the 1950s) starts with soup or pasta (or rice, gnocchi, ravioli, lasagna)—this is the *primo piatto*.

Next comes meat or another animal-based product (fish, cured meats, eggs, etc.)—the *secondo piatto*, which can be replaced by cooked vegetables (the only known example in France: eggplant parmesan).

If the meat dish doesn’t already include vegetables, one is served. Salads, whether green or tomato-based, are side dishes, not starters.

The meal ends with dessert—no difference from French habits: cheese, fruit, or sweets.

*Antipasti* (appetizers) are reserved for festive meals or receptions and are served *in addition* to the main courses at the start.

4 practices unknown in France: - If the menu includes pasta and ham, you start with the pasta. - If the menu includes pasta with a meat sauce and fish, you start with the pasta too. - Pasta is never a side dish for meat. - It’s not unusual for Italians to start with pasta in a meat sauce and then have a meat dish—most do this several times a week.

Modern adaptations: - People eat pasta less often (on average 5 times a week, according to recent figures) and soups, which are being replaced by *antipasti*. - The main meal is now mostly dinner, so it’s much heartier, while lunch isn’t usually eaten at home.

2/ THE CUISINE What do we know in France? Pizza, pasta Bolognese, carbonara, arrabbiata, ravioli, and lasagna. Fried scampi, Milanese or Bolognese cutlets, carpaccio, and finally tiramisu.

In short, a few basic dishes, but nothing of the gastronomy—whether regional traditions or high-end restaurants.

2 anecdotes: **Bolognese sauce** In Italy, the most common homemade sauce is a meat-and-tomato-based sauce called *ragù* (pronounced *ragoo*). Every region, even every town and family, as well as every restaurant, has its own recipe. *Ragù alla bolognese* is just one of these countless *ragù*—and no one in France knows the real recipe (I can share it with those interested). The name *bolognese* given abroad to any *ragù* comes from a canned sauce manufacturer who once branded their product that way. Until the early 1960s, it was called *sauce à la viande* (meat sauce).

**Pizza** Before World War II, it was practically unknown north of Rome. Today, Italy is one of the countries where it’s eaten the least (twice as much in France, four times as much in Germany).

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IvanBahiaGde 2 years ago
Top 15 Brazilian Eating Habits That Surprise the French
Top 15 Brazilian eating habits that surprise the French 😮

Brazil is a multicultural country, and its history has shaped a very unique cuisine, influenced by European, African, Japanese, and Indigenous traditions. Its food culture is quite different from what we’re used to in France, and Brazilian eating habits often surprise French travelers exploring the land of samba and soccer.

Check out the full article here: https://les-voyages-de-adelaide.fr/top-15-des-habitudes-alimentaires-bresiliennes-qui-surprennent-les-francais/

Enjoy your meal,

Ivan Bahia
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Fredetludo 2 years ago
Creole Cooking Classes in Réunion
Hello,

We live in Réunion and we're looking for places where we can learn to cook authentic Réunionese Creole cuisine. We're based in Saint-Denis and are searching in that area.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Fredtludo
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