Review Details

Eating and Shopping in France, A Kolibri Practical Guide to Lifestyle, Manners and Language

Product Review (submitted on 21 September 2012):

(From the Foreword to Eating and Shopping in France)

My many years spent abroad as a French expatriate have taught me a thing or two. Firstly, learning about a new country, its culture, language and history is inseparable from experiencing its food, both regional and national. Secondly, this advice is never truer than for France, my home country, which boasts such an undeniable culture of culinary panache!
“Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es,” [Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are] wrote Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, a French judge, doctor, politician and… gourmand in 1826 in PHYSIOLOGIE DU GOÛT, still considered a bible of gastronomy. It was no surprise when, in 2010, UNESCO added “the gastronomic meal of the French” to the intangible cultural heritage list.

With simple, clear and down-to-earth tips, this practical guide will help you navigate through the richness of French culinary tradition and the variety of food and drinks that are quintessentially French. It will considerably enhance your understanding and your enjoyment of the social rituals of dining out in France, from the marrying of food and wine to the fixed structure of meals, the rich flavors of the terroir and the subtle manner in which you can trick your waiter into giving you the table you want, yes, that one by the window!

Preparing for a trip to France can be done in so many ways: studying French history, the political system, the economy (weeks of arduous reading), or by learning the language (years of study). This guide offers a crisp, well-written and amusing alternative which guarantees immediate gratification: eating your way through Parisian and regional foods as well as shopping for gifts and partaking in the traditional market scene, where famous farmers proudly display their artisan cheeses and their freshly picked produce.

With a large sampling of useful French sentences, historical anecdotes, drôle French sayings and intelligent insights, Eating and Shopping in France is a welcome passport to the French lifestyle. Embark on a new way to enjoy France! Love it, love its food!

Danièle Thomas Easton (from the Foreword to Eating and Shopping in France)
Former Honorary Consul of France in Philadelphia and Wilmington
Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (2007)
CEO of France-Philadelphie, consultancy for Franco-American companies and cultural projects