France¶
France,officially the French Republic,is a country located primarily in Western Europe. It also includes overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans,giving it one of the largest discontiguous exclusive economic zones in the world.
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French Culture¶
French Table Setting¶
Here are the materials you need to set your table à la Française
- A table protector and a tablecloth (une nappe)
- A presentation plate, dinner plate, and salad plate for every guest (des assiettes)
- Utensils (des couverts)
- Water, wine, and Champagne glasses (les verres à eau, à vin et Champagne)
- Cloth napkins (des serviettes en tissu)
- Place cards (des marque-places)
- A carafe of water, salt shaker, and other ramekins for condiments (une carafe d’eau, une salière, des ramequins)
- Some decorations for your table: floral arrangement, candles, etc. (des décorations de table)
Host French Dinner Party¶
How to host the perfect French dinner party at home. In French, we call it the "Art de recevoir à la Française" ("the art of hosting French-style" in English).
Indeed, the French take their food very seriously so it makes sense that they have specific customs around eating and hosting a dinner party
A typical French dinner party follows a standard formula
- Aperitif
- Entrée (starter)
- Plat principal (main course)
- Cheese and salad
- Dessert
- Coffee
- Digestif
Let’s take these one at a time
Apéritif¶
The apéritif is a must-have at a French dinner party. Aperitif, also known as apéro, is a pre-dinner cocktail served with finger food to stimulate the appetite.
Items for Apéritif
- Champagne
- Vin Rose
- Vin Blanc
- Kir Royal
Along with Apéritif
- Olives
- Saucisson
- Garden-fresh radishes,
- sometimes tapenade or sun-dried tomato paste,
- Ham,
- foie gras on little toasts
Background Music
Soft French background music (like Édith Piaf or Charles Aznavour)
Know Your Wine Pairings
First, wine is rarely drunk as an apéritif (opt for Champagne, Kir Royal, or a seasonal cocktail instead).
Entrée (starter)¶
Plat principal (main course)¶
Typical French dinner party follows
A typical French dinner party follows a standard formula: un apéritif, une entrée (starter), un plat de résistance (main course), un plateau de formage (cheese), un dessert, un café, and un digestif
Tips
Remember to keep the portions small so that your guests can enjoy the full dinner, but make sure it’s enough food so everyone leaves satisfied