Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Carnivore

I think I can safely say that in the (almost) three weeks I have been here, I have eaten more types of meat than I ever have before. I realize this is my third post on the subject of food, but it is indescribably important here (for example, we spent half an hour discussing macaroons at dinner Sunday night).

I tried the vegetarian thing once, for about a year, and didn't eat red meat (en principe) for a few years, but I honestly don't know how either of those diets would work here, or at least, be fun here (which my host mother never fails to point out at dinner).  The other day, when we suggested that we make our own dinner on a night next week when she will be in Rome, our host mother was somewhere between shocked and confused, and said: "But where will you get the meat?"

In addition to the quantity and variety of meat (poisson, patĂ©, saucissons, steak, poulet, canard...) the style of eating it is different here than it is in the states.  The french don't really do anything to make it easier to eat the way americans do, no seedless grapes, no boneless anything, and no pre-peeled shrimp. Everything is done at the last possible moment, we saw the man at the market decapitate and skin the fish we were going to eat the next night. While the french like to get a little funky with their meats (I still have no idea what is in tripe, nor do I have any interest in finding out) the general attitude toward meat is a dual refusal to disguise it as anything but animal and to celebrate that animal by making incredible food.  Even if that means displaying rabbit with the fur coat still on.

I did have one terrifying moment my first Sunday here.  We sat down to have Sunday dinner and I was completely shocked to find a big bowl of whole shrimp on the table. Apparently, I had gotten the word for zuccini, "courgette," (which I had just learned that morning) and "crevette," the word for shrimp, very confused. I then had to learn how to rip off the head, tail, feet, and shell of several shrimp in front of some very experienced french eaters.

but, in the end, proud and happy to be a carnivore in France.

4 comments:

  1. makes me hungry to read your blog, eleanor! i'm so glad your mom shared it with me. and love love love le chat domestique in the background. safe travels and bon appetit!

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  2. Even the French politicians get cooking...
    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/14/dining/a-french-feast-from-a-political-pot.html?_r=1&src=dayp

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  3. Sorely tempted to tell you what tripe is, but I won't. I'm so delighted that you're exploring all that la cuisine Francaise has to offer. You'll have much to teach me, ma fille.

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  4. funny! pig heads always kind of freaked me out at chinese new years. i'm glad to know that the french really do find food very important -- some myths are true? enjoy, love, virginia

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