Posted on 07/05/2005 9:16:33 AM PDT by knighthawk
As if rival Olympic bids and EU rebates had not done enough damage, relations between France and Britain have soured over the quality of their food. French President Jacques Chirac has opened up a can of worms with reported comments about British cookery being among the worst in Europe.
Tony Blair declined to comment.
So, the BBC Wales news website asked the owners of a French restaurant in Wales and a British cookery school in France what they thought.
IS FRENCH FOOD BETTER?
Elen Dupuy, who owns the Le Gallois restaurant in Cardiff with her husband Francis, said the French generally had higher standards when it came to food.
"I have spent a lot of time in France, and there is no question the French have better eating habits," she said.
"It is the main thing in their lives and they spend more money on it - they respect local recipes and local produce."
But Lorraine Tomlinson, an expert in vegetarian cuisine who runs a cookery school and guest house near La Rochelle with her husband David, found it more difficult to choose.
"I don't think either is better, you get good food in Britain and in France and you get bad food in both - it is the same in any country you are in."
IS BRITISH FOOD REALLY RUBBISH? Mrs Dupuy said she could understand where Mr Chirac's reported comments were coming from.
"British produce is very good, but what we do with it is bad - for example there is great fish available on the coastline, but we do not use it," she said.
"And garlic is not a French thing - we grow it here, but did not use it until we looked in French cookbooks."
She also bemoaned the popularity of ready prepared meals and pizzas, as well as the rise of supermarkets in favour of smaller stores.
But Mrs Tomlinson, who used to run the well-known Tomlins vegetarian restaurant in Penarth, south Wales, argued that the grass was not always greener over the channel, with the Brits certainly ahead on vegetarianism.
"In France, they are where we were about 25 years ago with vegetarians," said Lorraine.
"They don't understand the philosophy - they are not used to it and not many French people are vegetarian."
HOW MUCH DOES FOOD REALLY MATTER? Chirac is believed to have said about the British that "one cannot trust people whose cuisine is so bad".
But is it really that important? Mrs Tomlinson said that was taking it too far, but the French did have a much better attitude to food.
"They spend a long time over eating - it is for socialising, for communicating, and that is what we try to do here too," she said.
And Elen Dupuy agreed that, in France, food had a bigger role in everyday life.
"They spend two hours at a table each day, not just at the weekend - it is part of their lifestyle."
WHAT ABOUT OUR FIVE STAR RESTAURANTS? Mrs Tomlinson said that at the top end of the market, there was no difference between France and Britain.
"There are top quality chefs and top quality ingredients in both - you can't go far wrong," she said.
Mrs Dupuy agreed: "There are some fantastic restaurants in this country, but you have to find them."
But would Mr Chirac agree? Well, he has been given the opportunity to taste for himself.
Llanelli-born Tory leader Michael Howard has challenged the president to restaurants in his back yard.
"I'd like him to come to my constituency, over to Folkestone and Hythe, and I'll take him to some restaurants that will match anything he can see in France," he said.
Watch this space.
If people want on or off this list, please let me know.
Hell: Where the food is British, The police are German, The cars are French, The lovers are Swiss, and the whole thing is run by the Italians.
ping
Far be it that I agree with the French on anything - But were it not for London's ethnic restaurants (especially the Indian restaurants) I would have starved there...
Beer and bangers will do just fine, thank you very much ;o)
What's the old saw? "The British kill their beef twice. First when they slaugther and again when they cook."
Comparing French v British cooking is like comparing a Camry v Yugo - they're so far apart, just making the comparison is an insult. That being said, any culture (like the French/Italians) that takes 2hrs+ for many of its meals better be pretty good at it.
One last note: Indian food has become so predominant in the UK that future comparisons to British food might as well compare their's to the incredible range of India food, in which case it becomes a pretty close competition.
There's plenty of blame to go around. Lutefisk. Blatwurst. Haggis. Escargot. And remember, these are people who turn up their collective nose at my double-cheese with a side of Freedom Fries...
All I know is that the only reason wienerschnitzel isn't French is because of the Americans, British, Canadians and various other Allies.
The same apply to most of Western Europe.
I find McD/ BK rather expensive for the quality they offer. Nothing better than an good Italian restaurant in the neighbourhood!!
Saw a movie/documentary on Showtime/HBO can't remember which, that was about a guy in Manhatan that went on a 30 day McDonald's only diet - Breakfast, Lunch and Diner.
He went to three doctors GI, General MD, and cardio, plus a physcial trainer and a dietition to get baseline figures for himself before emarking on this McDiet.
The outcome was startling. Gained 25 pounds and cholesterol and such were through the roof.
If I didn't already make it a rule to NEVER eat at McD's, I would have one now.
***Nothing better than an good Italian restaurant in the neighbourhood!!***
Ohhhhh, if only we had a good Italian restaurant in my neighborhood. The ones we have serve watery spaghetti sauce, and an order of ravioli or spaghetti is put into a soup bowl and covered with the watery sauce which drowns the pasta. I found the same thing in several NY City restaurants. What's up with that?
Agreed 100% :)
I don't think that there is the equivalent of Britain's Fat Duck, with its smoked bacon & egg ice cream and other improbable fare, in France?
Uhh, that sounds like torture! Fresh-made sauce and pasta are great. And a pizza is really delicious if it´s thin.
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