The French love meals and having fun with it’s a little bit of a nationwide pastime. From easy dishes ready nicely to distinctive Michelin chef creations and every part in between, there’s no scarcity of wonderful French meals to be loved by all. However the French aren’t followers of every part, nor are all of the meals you recognize and love from dwelling accessible in France. Let’s get into 5 American consolation meals dishes the French don’t eat!
One thing that shocked me after I first got here to France is simply how numerous the meals are and that American consolation meals I used to be acquainted again dwelling didn’t actually translate to French delicacies.
One other random factor that shocked me was that French folks love leeks and so they’re fairly in style. They’re simply as commonplace as carrots are and most younger French children in case you held up a leek and requested them to call it could comprehend it’s a leek, known as un poireau in French, whereas within the U.S. leeks aren’t fairly as in style.
Additionally, you may suppose the French by no means eat quick meals and that everybody takes benefit of native produce and solely cooks from scratch. That’s what I assumed earlier than really residing right here and seeing how the French reside!
That will have been true years in the past, however as of late, not all French folks make all their very own meals and store on the market. Imagine it or not, McDonald’s in France is the second most worthwhile market (solely after the U.S.). Occasions are a-changin’!
It was additionally fascinating for me to find French consolation meals and to comprehend the American ones I knew and beloved weren’t “a factor” in France in any respect.
Please notice I’m not saying these items *ought to* exist in France. It’s a special nation and France has its personal tradition and approach of doing issues that I’ve come to respect and likewise love. I believe it’s fascinating to take a look at the variations, although, and be ready so you recognize what to anticipate.
Let’s get into it….
5 In style consolation meals we eat within the U.S. that don’t exist in France:
1. Baked macaroni & cheese. MMMMmmm, who can resist these items?? Not me — particularly the baked mac and cheese my mother used to make with broccoli. SO GOOD!
I instructed you on this submit that boxed mac and cheese in U.S. supermarkets is so commonplace that it would shock you to study it doesn’t exist in France. So it is smart that do-it-yourself macaroni and cheese isn’t a dish the French make that always both.
It’s stated that macaroni and cheese really took place within the U.S. after Thomas Jefferson went to Europe and actually loved a noodle dish he had tried there. He took notes after which requested for it to be served to him at a state dinner as “macaroni pie.” The remainder was historical past.
Whereas France doesn’t have conventional U.S.-style mac and cheese, there’s a dish that’s sort of related known as coquillettes au jambon which options elbow macaroni, ham, and parmesan cheese. It’s not as creamy or tacky as our beloved macaroni and cheese however it’s good and value a attempt. 😉
You’ll additionally see a gratin de macaronis however it’s not fairly like American macaroni and cheese and is normally made with crème fraîche.
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2. PB&J. Ahhh sure, the nostalgia is approaching robust with a superb ol’ peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Children love these items and I keep in mind my PB&J days fondly. I’ll nonetheless have one each every now and then as an grownup for outdated time’s sake.
Most of the dishes I’m writing about right here fall into the not-culturally-French class and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches high this record. Any approach you slice it (sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun), French children don’t have creamy peanut butter and attractive jelly slapped between two items of white bread for lunch.
The sweetness of it is likely to be complicated to French folks who usually save something candy for dessert or le goûter. Such a sandwich would undoubtedly not be thought of a correct lunch meal (which wants meat and veggies!).
As well as, whereas you could find peanut butter in common grocery shops as of late, it’s not tremendous in style in France and wouldn’t be used to make a sandwich for lunch.
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3. Meatloaf. The French love meat however American-style meatloaf shouldn’t be one thing you’ll discover on restaurant menus in France. In the event you’re not acquainted with it, meatloaf is mostly a mixture of floor beef and pork and seasoned with onions, breadcrumbs, and doubtless some ketchup on high. It’s the last word consolation meals however simply not one which’s served in France. My French in-laws love mine, although!
4. Pumpkin pie and different pumpkin-flavored desserts. Pumpkin and associated squash varieties are thought of greens in France. There’s no pumpkin pie and that’s a disgrace as a result of it’s my favourite dessert (and canned pumpkin is tough to return by!).
As you may count on, there’s no pumpkin spice craze right here both, so that you received’t discover pumpkin spice Oreos, espresso creamer (in any selection!), cream cheese and all of these seasonal fall merchandise which might be oh-so-popular within the U.S.
Pumpkin pie isn’t a factor in any respect and the closest you may get is a ache d’épices (spice cake). Pumpkin-flavored desserts aren’t one thing the French make or purchase. They actually don’t exist and don’t have any cultural significance.
P.S. The identical goes for key lime pie.
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5. Candy potato casserole with marshmallows. This candy and gooey dish is a Thanksgiving should! However since there’s no Thanksgiving in France, everybody’s tried-and-true favourite aspect dish stateside would get a couple of stares in France. Culturally, a potato dish with marshmallows would stand out and be thought of a bit unusual (marshmallows with dinner?!?).
But it surely’s not as a result of the French would hate it. I discovered this one from expertise when my household ended up loving my candy potato casserole at our little French Thanksgiving a couple of years again!
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What different in style American dishes are exhausting to return by in France?
Disclosure: I’m an affiliate of MyPanier.
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