Food

How is it possible that I have not yet written about food? Paris is certainly one of the centres of great food - known for delicacies like foie gras, creamy sauces, tasty cheeses, great bread, and of course fine wines.

I wrote before about the ceremony that goes with eating in France. People take time with their meals. They savour. They sit and eat, while they chat with friends, catching up on the latest news. They do not dine and dash, and they certainly don't do take out. Well, ok, not usually.

So partially because of this attention to the value of food and the time taken to enjoy it, the food in Paris is really exquisite. No kidding. It's worth the hype. Even at unknown little local places (which, if you ask me, are usually better than the award-winning, magazine-write-up-getting five star joints), the bread is fresh, the olive oil is tasty, and the sauces are rich. You can almost always be sure in Paris that you are going to be enjoying - and I do mean enjoying - a dish that has been thoughtfully created, made with fresh ingredients, and solicitously cooked.

I find myself asking why this is. Why the French seem to have a greater appreciation of flavours and textures, sauces and mixtures. It may be because France is the breadbowl of Europe, creating much of the wheat (and therefore bread); it may be because France has historically been one of the primary cheese producers; it certainly may be because France produces some of the (if not simply 'the') world's best wine, which demands high quality food as accompaniment.

I think it is more than that, though. I think that the French have adopted this as part of their collective character, part of how they define themselves as a people. Much like Americans with their laissez-faire commercialism (whether they admit it or not) or Canadians with our 'nice-ness' (God that's boring), the French self-identity comes at least partially from their attention to and obsession with good food.

And you know what? I don't mind it one bit.

P.S. For those paying attention, the strike has not ended and shows no hopeful signs of letting up. Sweet.