What The French Should Learn From American Cuisine
The French know nothing about American culinary culture. Most would mention hamburgers or barbecue sauce, but their lack of knowledge is quite tragic. If someone knows more than that, then that French person has probably already visited the U.S.
They themselves think that their culinary culture is one of the best in the world, with their long culinary history, and the world-renowned French chefs… However, according to Tasteatlas, the guide that lists tens of thousands of traditional dishes around the world published the world gastronomy ranking at the beginning of this year. France was named 9th in the world, and the United States … 8th. And this ranking, from my point of view, as a Frenchman, does not surprise me.
There is a good reason why Americans were able to beat the world’s recognized gastronomy. And we, the French, should learn this by putting our ego aside.
Foods out of the norm
When I first came to the United States, I must admit that I was even a bit disgusted by many American dishes, even without having tasted them.
One of the most memorable experiences I had was during my first Thanksgiving. I had been filmed being forced to eat a sweet potato casserole (a sweet potato gratin with marshmallows if you will). In front of the in-laws, I had to be willing to sacrifice my taste buds to be polite. To my taste, it was way too sweet, but despite that, it was interesting to taste! I don’t know how to define, a cake or just a sweet dish, but I think it would be interesting to revisit it! Another dish that stood out was Thanksgiving stuffing. Each family has its own recipe, but it’s a dish that I wish we could eat more than once a year. In the United States, apparently, it is not to eat outside the Thanksgiving period. But I must confess that I sometimes cook it because I love it so much. These two dishes, which are considered traditional, were a good culture shock for me.
I remember that since then, I have been more open to trying other American dishes. I now enjoy Soul food, Tex-Mex, and the list goes on. What I admire about Americans is the audacity to make such dishes. Americans are inspired by traditional dishes from other countries, and revisit them to make them better to their taste.
Thinking out of the box
Why doesn’t France think outside the box like Americans do? Simply because we are too fixed on tradition. Indeed, traditional dishes exist because of decades of research to improve them. By focusing on these dishes with meticulous steps, there is not so much revolutionary progress in French gastronomy. Today, even the best French star chefs focus more on the quality of the products than on new and unusual recipes.
No one would try to mix two dishes of different nationalities. No one would dare to mix sweet potato, marshmallow, and nuts and put them in the oven. Americans have a shorter culinary history than the French, and perhaps that’s why they can more easily draw inspiration from different cultures with humility. Without judgment, Americans gather the best parts of every dish from around the world. That’s why we have doughnuts, which originated in Holland, and gumbo, which originated in Louisiana and is actually from West Africa!
It is by inspiring themselves that they have the audacity to create food fusions, it is by inspiring that they create a melting pot of gastronomy, and it is by inspiring that today Americans have surpassed the French in the world of cuisine.
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