The first question that I often get asked when telling people I live in France is: how is the food? The country is renowned for their cuisine, being the epitome of a "fancy" restaurant back home. In fact, French gastronomy is often discussed as one of, if not the, best in the world. It was French cuisine that inspired many of the first fine-dining restaurants in the United States, which can be seen in the language used for culinary terms (ex. sous-vide, sauté, gourmet). It was even France who created the Michelin star guide for restaurants.
My view of French food has developed vastly over my time taking classes in the U.S. and especially during my time here. I used to think of the typical snails, foie gras, and beef tartare. When I think of it now, especially here in the south of France, I think of food based in fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as almonds and olives (some of their most notable exports). But don't worry- some of my favorite french foods are ones you probably recognize, like ratatouille or crêpes.
