ESCAPE- OLOGY Magazine Issue 2 | Page 30

Food tour in Paris

Local food is an important part of any travel experience. And for France food is even more than important – it’s a part of the French culture, a subject to which French people pay much attention and have much affection.

Paris is a multicultural city and one can find any kind of cuisine here. Anyway authentic French cuisine remains a milestone of eating habits in Paris and the most famous restaurants are one of main tourist attractions.

Our food tour was dedicated to the rue Montorgueil, a historical street in the heart of Paris, in the area where the famous Les Halles market was situated. Les Halles was moved outside of Paris, to Rungis in 1970s but the food stores, eateries, restaurants and cafes of the rue Montorgueil remind us about the “food” history of this district. It’s a lively pedestrian street, picturesque and full of charm.

What are the milestones of French cuisine? Cheese, bread, charcuterie (cold meat)! These products are the simplest ones and their quality is essential. On the rue Montorgueil there are some old stores offering an excellent choice of them.

We started our walk by a dairy store called La Fermette. Do you know that in France there are more than 400 types of cheese? Every region has its specific recipes and the sign of quality AOP means the product is originated from a determined geographical area.

Next stop – the boulangerie which means the bakery shop.

French baguette is a symbol of the county, as well as fresh croissants. The quality of bread is extremely important, and even if the basic recipe of a classical baguette is simple, each bakery has its secrets and variations, which makes difference. In fact, there are three factors which influence the quality of baguette: time of baking, ingridients and baking conditions like temperature and humidity. Their combination determine if a baguette will be crusty and airy.