In the article “Can Anyone Save French Food?” , the author states that the quality of French food has been declining within the last few decades. France was once a place of new and exciting foods but now over half of the restaurants there use meals that weren’t produced in their kitchens. The author goes on to say that chefs from all over the world are bringing something new and fresh to the streets of France. These chefs from all different places, such as America and Australia, are in France cooking French food and are doing exceptionally well at it. The natives in Paris would have once scoffed at the notion of foreign chefs cooking French food, but they are now craving it and want Paris to be more adventurous with their food. The recent movement in the food industry is the first since the 1960’s. Many new chefs in France are relying on what is seasonal and fresh that day to determine their menu. This idea is a popular one among French restaurants lately. The author continues the article with paragraphs regarding different restaurants around France with different styles and chefs. Overall, the author was making the point that French chefs are taking the easy way out and bringing in foreign chefs with new ideas has refreshed the idea of food in the French culture.
I think that overall the author did a good job at getting his point across. He starts the article with facts and statistics that are relatively shocking and then continues his article with how those statistics could be changing with all of the new things happening in France. The author explains that many French chefs just don’t care anymore when once they were very particular when it came to their food. He shares new ideas that are being implemented in French restaurants and illustrates how the foreign chefs are really bringing life back into the French idea of food.
The article does a good job explaining what French food has become. I found it interesting that so many meals were premade and that McDonald’s sales were significantly higher than one would expect in a country known for its fine cuisine. I liked that new chefs with new ideas are going to France and cooking French food with fresh ingredients. I thought the article was well written and had a lot of information to offer about the new chefs in France and how they are changing the way people in Paris eat. Though I’ve never been to France or had authentic French food, I will say that if the author is correct in claiming that French food was going downhill, I’m glad that young and adventurous chefs are coming to France to save the day and part of the French culture. I agree with the author that French food was once renowned and that the part of French culture that deals with food should change and grow with all of the new ideas that have emerged.
French Food Fanatic 