The best (and priciest) hot chocolate I have ever had, at Angelina in Paris. Not to mention the delicious pastries! We also saw Tilda Swinton there - I may have freaked out a little.
I’m a self-described, fruit and chocolate-loving, baguette-eating amateur foodie. And France has only made me more of one.
My first week in MPL, living the life - and this isn't too far off, because people actually walk around with baguettes
As I’ve said many a time, my host family are great cooks, and they’ve tried (and succeeded) in giving me a taste of French cuisine for the past four months. The daily consumption of carbs here is really nothing new for me, but I must say the French love their bread. Which I’m completely OK with. And they love their wine, something I’ve grown accustomed to drinking at meals and learned a lot about in my wine history class and a few wine tours. I’m a lucky gal to live in such a high wine-producing region, the Languedoc-Roussillon. Fun fact, their wines are some of the best value French wines you can find in the U.S.! And rosé (a pink, summery wine) is their specialty.
From a wine tasting I did recently (blogging about that and Spring Break soon). Feeling so sophisticated these days, going to wine tastings. OOH LA LA.
The market is another one of my absolutely favorite things about living in France. I am so incredibly close to the big “marché sous les arceaux,” the twice-weekly food/goods market under the arches of the aqueduct, and I walk through it most Tuesday and Saturday mornings to grab a taste of anything I can find. Imagine stand after stand of energetic local vendors selling fruit, veggies, bread, cheese, wine, olives, farcou (a fried veggie cake, so tasty), meat (including whole rotisserie chickens which I’ve taken advantage of a few times), rice/veggie bowls, woven baskets, fabrics, jewelry, desserts, spices, you name it. And it’s all from this region in Southern France! YAY LOCAL FOODS. Maybe a future blog post on my new appreciation for this soon.
The marché also has its fair share of musicians – so Montpellier – that make the already lively atmosphere even greater. I can’t help but get super happy-go-lucky when I walk through all the people picking out their uber-fresh food for the week. You see the kids in strollers smiling because their parents just bought them a fresh raspberry muffin, and of course plenty of men and women with their very European shopping bag/rolling suitcase combos. It’s a great experience, and it’s made me think twice about relying on a Harris Teeter run at Elon to grab all my produce – because there’s nothing like knowing that you’re supporting local businesses AND knowing that your fruits and veggies and bread weren’t processed. I’ll have to take advantage of our Elon Farmer’s Market more often!
Another wonderful aspect of French cuisine is the presentation. Of course I’m aware I got lucky with my host family in that they enjoy cooking, but in general, I’ve noticed most French food is just pretty. And simple. I’m going to continue a few of their traditions when I head back to the States, without a doubt.
The other night we had a couscous-type grain with sausage and beans, and it was covered in sauce and garnish and perfectly laid out on my plate – I loved it, especially how my host dad turned the couscous upside down on my plate to make the volcano shape (it’s the little things, am I right?). And when my host mom makes her simple salad of greens, honey, olive oil and vinegar, it has a perfect blend of sweet and salty. And I don’t even feel the need to add a heaping helping of ranch dressing, croutons and bacon bits- imagine!
I’ve enjoyed navigating the ins and outs of the French meal customs, too. For example, the bread goes right on the table, not on your plate. And they usually have an apéritif – some wine and/or cheese – before the meal, especially when there’s guest over. And my host family says à TABLE! (to the table!) when it’s time to eat and BON APP! (short for bon appetit) when we sit down, two things I thoroughly enjoy and will continue doing in the future. And we always have our faithful carraf d’eau – water bottle or pitcher – on the table instead of getting up to refill each cup from the sink. My first week, my host dad called himself the “maitre d’eau” – or master of water, referring to the tradition of the man of the house usually pouring water for everyone throughout the meal.
And then, there’s the pastries. Every day, I’m provided breakfast and dinner, but not lunch, so I’ll grab a sandwich or something in the centre-ville. But there’s inevitably that long period between lunch and dinner where my stomach screams PASTRY and I simply can’t ignore it – not with the umpteen boulangeries – bakeries – within a mile radius of my school, just waiting for me to scrounge up a euro – dangerously cheap for snacks, I might add – to buy one of their fresh croissants, chausson aux pommes or pains au chocolat. Or maybe a crepe. I CAN’T RESIST. And I didn’t come to France to worry about any sort of diet, believe me. I do pride myself on being physically active here in that I walk just about everywhere, but I am determined to eat well (and often) as long as I’m in this country of wonderful and accessible cuisine.
I can’t forget the cafés! They exist everywhere, and some are more touristy than others, but I feel like I’ve had the time to successfully find some good local cafés (some with WIFI, a treat here in France). Most have the outdoor seating areas, too, so if you’re a professional people watcher you should really come on over. A good café au lait and some music and of course lots of procrastination is an afternoon well spent. Les cafés me manqueront!
A good ole cappuccino
Well there you have it, my ode to French food culture. If you want to take a walk in my shoes for a minute, you should definitely grab a jar of Nutella (even though apparently it’s different in the U.S., they don’t have access to the same hazelnuts?) and maybe a croissant or two, a can of Orangina natural orange soda and listen to this French song. Bon app’!
Kickin' back with an Orangina, my favorite. This was a treat when I found one in the classic glass bottle - they're usually in cans.
Madelyn à Montpellier 
