French Cuisine

Cuisines

American
From Cajun to California
Italian
Including regional cuisines
French
Including regional cuisines
Mediterranean
All other varied cuisines of the Mediterranean
Chinese
Sichuan cuisine

Recipes

Ingredients

When people think of fine dining, they often think of French cuisine, and vice versa. Why is this? The reason dates back to historical times, when the French royalty led Europe in court life. French kings and princes living in castles had large teams of chefs who regularly put on ridiculously elaborate banquets for his highness and his guests. The complex sauces and intricate garnishes prepared for these dinners laid the foundation for France's domination in haute cuisine in the centuries to come. After the time of kings and princes, the chefs who used to work in castles started to work for the bourgeoisie, and later for a new type of business invented in France, the restaurant.

Not all French cooking is haute cuisine, of course. France is a diverse country geographically and culturally, and its cuisine varies by region just as in Italy. Normandy is well known for its dairy and apples, Perigord for duck and foie gras, Brittany for its seafood, and Provence for its sunny Mediterranean cuisine. I've written introductions to each of the French regional cuisines, including ingredients and recipes from each region. See France's Regional Cuisines