I always enjoy watching French waiters try to explain what andouillette is to the non-French. Saying it is sausage is never fair. If they make eye contact, I will subtlety nod “no” without saying anything…and I am universally thanked later.
Haha yep. I'm an American kid raised by a French mom and I live in France now, since 1978, also with a DFH since 1985.🙂 My mom's food mantra was just as you describe in your "French food rules": you don't have to eat it if you don't like it, but you *must* taste it first.
Born and raised in the USA until I was 9 years old (then we left for Europe), our mom had my sister and I eating raw hamburger (steak tartare, yum!), snails (the special Christmas meal, we loved it, all that yummy home made garlic butter), veal kidneys (in white wine sauce, yum!) and all sorts of other interesting things.
And yes, I love good andouillette! 😋 The "AAA andouillette" that's top quality but indeed it's still rolled-up of intestines. And tête de veau is one of my all time favorite food, BUT it must be cooked right & served piping hot with its delicious sauce.
I do know lots of French people who don't like the above dishes, and I even know some French people who don't like cheese! I tell the cheese-hating French friends that they should have their citizenship revoked. 😁
Thanks for the great story!
A classic American/French culture shock tale, right up there with the other classic story of the American woman who can almost speak French fluently, but not quite, and decides to discuss the advantages of eating food without preservatives... Only to discover that the random word she chose to say "preservatives" in French ("préservatifs" sounds about right, doesn't it?!) means ... "condoms". 😁😬 The French guests politely agree that yes, they too prefer their food without condoms in it, until a kind soul explains, privately, to the American guest that she was probably wanting to use a different word, "conservateurs", for example.
Unless of course, the group in question is composed of good friends, who then laugh uproariously, explain to her what she just said and then spend the next 20 minutes teasing her about it...
Hah! I read a story once years ago (when people still smoked indoors) about an American woman who asked her boyfriend after dinner with friends if he would like une pipe… everyone died laughing.
My mom while working as a secretary on an American military base in France in the 1950s told her colleagues that she enjoyed taking "douches" (in English), thinking that it meant "showers" as it does in French ... 😬 Later on, a female American colleague explained that it wasn't the word she should use for that in English!
Just listened to this article while painting and was laughing out loud throughout the majority of it. 🤣 So well written and enjoyable to read.
French cuisine has never appealed to me much. Probably because I'm a vegetarian, and it's so meat-based. Are there any meatless French dishes you or DFH would recommend?
Now, as to your question… there are many more vegetarian restaurants now in Paris, even some with Michelin stars (Datil, is one that comes to mind). The trouble with traditional dishes, like lentils, is they are often made with hidden animal products, like duck fat, or onion soup with beef stock, but there are a few: Gratin Dauphinois (thinly sliced potatoes in butter and cream),Piperade (from the Basque region in France),and of course, the humble Ratatouille. Enjoy!!
In dining, ignorance is bliss, so I try to adopt a "don't ask" attitude most of the time. If it tastes good (or at least not awful), I just go with it. I did have a funny experience in China one time when I was offered a dish that prominently featured large beetles. After choking down a couple of bites I passed the plate to my hosts, who laughed and explained that they would never willingly eat bugs - they just enjoyed offering them to foreigners.
(That's why it's good to laugh at these experiences)
Good calls, especially on "drink" (possibly a lot) but still "never get drunk". I have seen, however, a clear decrease in offering "digestifs" over the years.
I recall vivid memories of andouillettes I can still taste and smell them reading your post, not to mention the overnight reaction they had on my stomach!! Your husband is obviously “A keeper”. I love all “other” things French!!
Raised by French parents, those rules are familiar but since I’m referred to as LAmericaine I don’t fret so much when I break one. I’m already considered ahead of the game because I don’t eat ketchup with everything. But I did grow up being expected to try everything at least once. But my husband and his family are seriously picky eaters. I’ve stopped cooking for them.
Hi, great story, told so well. I’m a member of a few French expat FB groups. I thought of sharing it there, maybe it would lead to more people subscribing? What you think? Or you could join such FB groups too, good for exposure, which your fans want for you.
Hi Luke, you always have such good ideas! Yes please, do share, and thank you! Can you DM me the FB groups? I’m not on it, and don’t really get FB. 💚 PS: I’d love to read a Substack about a young man’s adventures in Moscow… just sayin.
This is a very well-run one but if you just type expat France in FB search you’ll find lots of groups. Marilee who runs this group loved your story and gave permission to share.
I think I’ll share on the LGBT one too.
Many writers use FB to reach a wider audience and to lure them to Substack.
What a hilarious great read! Having spent time in France visiting my sister I can relate to some of this but Deborah- as they insisted on calling her in Paris-not Debbie (god forbid)- spared me eating donkey penis and instead made soufflés. But I took her to a fancy restaurant and her co-workers were very impressed...France= food, fashion, flutes of champagne.
I can identify with your experience, and you have my sympathies !
Back in the late 1970s and 1980s I spent a lot of time in Strasbourg and found myself frequently challenged on food issues. The eating of sweetcorn was a recurring topic of discussion--"here we feed it to the pigs" was typical of the comments. Then I'd be served or encouraged to order things that people assumed I would balk at--museau de cheval, lapin, riz de veau, etc. But I discovered the andouillette on my own, ordering it since it was the daily special at a brasserie in Paris. I tried, but I just couldn't--both the taste and the texture were too much for me. And no matter how long I live in France, I don't see any possibility of actually wanting to have that experience again.
Thank you for reading, and sharing your experiences. I’m currently in Switzerland, where, thankfully, they enjoy their potatoes skin on—as they should be eaten!!
There is an element of hazing when encountering French food in its natural habitat: a test of one's worthiness to appreciate it and to adhere to its rules. Hence, the look of horror on my sister-in-law's face when I ate the skin of a boiled potato (like corn, reserved for farm animals) with my racelette. But no matter how much I love France and my husband, I am with you: I draw the line at andouillette.
I studied French in Strasbourg and enjoyed, much as you did, eating my way across the city.
well, having lived in Switzerland, I must say that eating potatoes with their skin on the raclette is the right way to do it. matter of fact, we (Brazilians) learned to eat potato skins there.
thank you for the great text, Elizabeth. what a funny read for the beginning of the year! :-)
That is such a good question. Yes, after 20-odd years, it's easier and mostly seamless, but there are moments when I feel like a foreigner, the outsider looking in. I think that's probably true for everyone, just more so in my case because I feel like an alien often and everywhere.
I love my countrymen (well, most of the time.) Thank you for reminding me of one of the reasons why (their passionate relationship with food) in this entertaining story.
It's just occurred to me Alain Ducasse is wrong: There is a way to translate "healthy" in French, "bon pour la santé" (but I suspect he knows that.)
Good recap on the French food rules. I may use it next week in a French conversation class with my American students.
Oh lord! I hope it doesn't scare them off! Once you've internalized the rules, they become a comfort —you always know what to do, and you're welcome at every table. But until then, be ready for culinary adventures.
Thank you for the good wishes and the kind support.
I always enjoy watching French waiters try to explain what andouillette is to the non-French. Saying it is sausage is never fair. If they make eye contact, I will subtlety nod “no” without saying anything…and I am universally thanked later.
Oh lord, how I love this! It’s very unfair.
Haha yep. I'm an American kid raised by a French mom and I live in France now, since 1978, also with a DFH since 1985.🙂 My mom's food mantra was just as you describe in your "French food rules": you don't have to eat it if you don't like it, but you *must* taste it first.
Born and raised in the USA until I was 9 years old (then we left for Europe), our mom had my sister and I eating raw hamburger (steak tartare, yum!), snails (the special Christmas meal, we loved it, all that yummy home made garlic butter), veal kidneys (in white wine sauce, yum!) and all sorts of other interesting things.
And yes, I love good andouillette! 😋 The "AAA andouillette" that's top quality but indeed it's still rolled-up of intestines. And tête de veau is one of my all time favorite food, BUT it must be cooked right & served piping hot with its delicious sauce.
I do know lots of French people who don't like the above dishes, and I even know some French people who don't like cheese! I tell the cheese-hating French friends that they should have their citizenship revoked. 😁
Thanks for the great story!
A classic American/French culture shock tale, right up there with the other classic story of the American woman who can almost speak French fluently, but not quite, and decides to discuss the advantages of eating food without preservatives... Only to discover that the random word she chose to say "preservatives" in French ("préservatifs" sounds about right, doesn't it?!) means ... "condoms". 😁😬 The French guests politely agree that yes, they too prefer their food without condoms in it, until a kind soul explains, privately, to the American guest that she was probably wanting to use a different word, "conservateurs", for example.
Unless of course, the group in question is composed of good friends, who then laugh uproariously, explain to her what she just said and then spend the next 20 minutes teasing her about it...
Hah! I read a story once years ago (when people still smoked indoors) about an American woman who asked her boyfriend after dinner with friends if he would like une pipe… everyone died laughing.
😁😁😁 there are so many funny stories like that!
My mom while working as a secretary on an American military base in France in the 1950s told her colleagues that she enjoyed taking "douches" (in English), thinking that it meant "showers" as it does in French ... 😬 Later on, a female American colleague explained that it wasn't the word she should use for that in English!
Loved your story.
Thanks!
Just listened to this article while painting and was laughing out loud throughout the majority of it. 🤣 So well written and enjoyable to read.
French cuisine has never appealed to me much. Probably because I'm a vegetarian, and it's so meat-based. Are there any meatless French dishes you or DFH would recommend?
Thank you for this lovely comment!
Now, as to your question… there are many more vegetarian restaurants now in Paris, even some with Michelin stars (Datil, is one that comes to mind). The trouble with traditional dishes, like lentils, is they are often made with hidden animal products, like duck fat, or onion soup with beef stock, but there are a few: Gratin Dauphinois (thinly sliced potatoes in butter and cream),Piperade (from the Basque region in France),and of course, the humble Ratatouille. Enjoy!!
"Visible as a pimple caked with concealer." Love it!
Girls get it. 😉
What a great story. Those of us who have been there (whether in France, China, or Senegal) can only laugh and nod in shared remembrance.
I’d love to know a few of the more “exotic” foods you’ve tried along the way?
In dining, ignorance is bliss, so I try to adopt a "don't ask" attitude most of the time. If it tastes good (or at least not awful), I just go with it. I did have a funny experience in China one time when I was offered a dish that prominently featured large beetles. After choking down a couple of bites I passed the plate to my hosts, who laughed and explained that they would never willingly eat bugs - they just enjoyed offering them to foreigners.
(That's why it's good to laugh at these experiences)
Good calls, especially on "drink" (possibly a lot) but still "never get drunk". I have seen, however, a clear decrease in offering "digestifs" over the years.
I actually like andouillettes. Sorry!
I did notice that Air France still offers digestives. Not many takers, though. L’eau de vie is basically gut rot hooch.
And although I’ve never encountered it, my husband swears, that when well made, andouillette can be quite tasty.
I recall vivid memories of andouillettes I can still taste and smell them reading your post, not to mention the overnight reaction they had on my stomach!! Your husband is obviously “A keeper”. I love all “other” things French!!
Me too! Let’s keep the wine and cheese, and forget the vile sausages… if we can.
Raised by French parents, those rules are familiar but since I’m referred to as LAmericaine I don’t fret so much when I break one. I’m already considered ahead of the game because I don’t eat ketchup with everything. But I did grow up being expected to try everything at least once. But my husband and his family are seriously picky eaters. I’ve stopped cooking for them.
Ha! This made me laugh! You can take the girl out of France, but you can’t take France out of the girl !! 🇫🇷
Hi, great story, told so well. I’m a member of a few French expat FB groups. I thought of sharing it there, maybe it would lead to more people subscribing? What you think? Or you could join such FB groups too, good for exposure, which your fans want for you.
Hi Luke, you always have such good ideas! Yes please, do share, and thank you! Can you DM me the FB groups? I’m not on it, and don’t really get FB. 💚 PS: I’d love to read a Substack about a young man’s adventures in Moscow… just sayin.
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Wg8QiuVJM/?mibextid=wwXIfr
This is a very well-run one but if you just type expat France in FB search you’ll find lots of groups. Marilee who runs this group loved your story and gave permission to share.
I think I’ll share on the LGBT one too.
Many writers use FB to reach a wider audience and to lure them to Substack.
What a hilarious great read! Having spent time in France visiting my sister I can relate to some of this but Deborah- as they insisted on calling her in Paris-not Debbie (god forbid)- spared me eating donkey penis and instead made soufflés. But I took her to a fancy restaurant and her co-workers were very impressed...France= food, fashion, flutes of champagne.
Cheers, to that!
I can identify with your experience, and you have my sympathies !
Back in the late 1970s and 1980s I spent a lot of time in Strasbourg and found myself frequently challenged on food issues. The eating of sweetcorn was a recurring topic of discussion--"here we feed it to the pigs" was typical of the comments. Then I'd be served or encouraged to order things that people assumed I would balk at--museau de cheval, lapin, riz de veau, etc. But I discovered the andouillette on my own, ordering it since it was the daily special at a brasserie in Paris. I tried, but I just couldn't--both the taste and the texture were too much for me. And no matter how long I live in France, I don't see any possibility of actually wanting to have that experience again.
Thank you for reading, and sharing your experiences. I’m currently in Switzerland, where, thankfully, they enjoy their potatoes skin on—as they should be eaten!!
There is an element of hazing when encountering French food in its natural habitat: a test of one's worthiness to appreciate it and to adhere to its rules. Hence, the look of horror on my sister-in-law's face when I ate the skin of a boiled potato (like corn, reserved for farm animals) with my racelette. But no matter how much I love France and my husband, I am with you: I draw the line at andouillette.
I studied French in Strasbourg and enjoyed, much as you did, eating my way across the city.
well, having lived in Switzerland, I must say that eating potatoes with their skin on the raclette is the right way to do it. matter of fact, we (Brazilians) learned to eat potato skins there.
thank you for the great text, Elizabeth. what a funny read for the beginning of the year! :-)
What a horrifying experience, Elizabeth! But at least you came out of it with a great story to tell.
As your French improved and your experience with French culture grew, did it ever get easier?
That is such a good question. Yes, after 20-odd years, it's easier and mostly seamless, but there are moments when I feel like a foreigner, the outsider looking in. I think that's probably true for everyone, just more so in my case because I feel like an alien often and everywhere.
You?! Everyone loves you
💖💖💖
Yikes. I would've cried, I'd eat bread and get drunk (despite rule no.1).
My kind of girl!
A terrifying account. You should have listened to your mom!
Somewhere, my mother is nodding in agreement.
I love my countrymen (well, most of the time.) Thank you for reminding me of one of the reasons why (their passionate relationship with food) in this entertaining story.
It's just occurred to me Alain Ducasse is wrong: There is a way to translate "healthy" in French, "bon pour la santé" (but I suspect he knows that.)
Good recap on the French food rules. I may use it next week in a French conversation class with my American students.
Bonne année, Elizabeth ! Keep on writing.
Oh lord! I hope it doesn't scare them off! Once you've internalized the rules, they become a comfort —you always know what to do, and you're welcome at every table. But until then, be ready for culinary adventures.
Thank you for the good wishes and the kind support.