HOW to EAT LIKE a LOCAL in PARIS It's Hard to Pinpoint What Makes Paris So Special
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HOW TO EAT LIKE A LOCAL IN PARIS It's hard to pinpoint what makes Paris so special. There are the fashion- forward locals, the world-class museums and the stunning historical buildings—there’s a certain je ne sais quoi. But if we had to name one thing that makes the city so special, it’s the food! Paris is one of the most visited cities in the world, and getting the most out of it can sometimes be di!cult. The choices are overwhelming, and everything just seems so impenetrably French. But don’t worry, that’s why we’re here to help! With this guide in hand, you’ll be ready to navigate the city like a local, while eating and drinking the best Paris has to o"er. What’s Included • Top 11 Must-Try Foods in Paris pg 2-3 • How to Order Co"ee in a French Bistro pg 6 • Hungry for More? pg 9 • Navigating the French Pastry Counter pg 4 • Our Top Tips for Buying the Best Bread in Paris pg 6 • How to Fit in with the Parisians pg 5 • Must-Visit Restaurants & Wine Bars pg 7-8 TOP 11 MUST-TRY FOODS IN PARIS 1. JAMBON BEURRE You’ll see this tucked inside sandwich displays at boulangeries, and on bar menus at brasseries. It’s Parisian fast food at its !nest—a rough-cut ham sandwich with lashings of salted butter. 2. CREPES The traditional Brittany classic: buckwheat crepes !lled with cheese and ham. 3. FRENCH ONION SOUP This is comfort food at its !nest: beef broth with onions, topped with soup-soaked baguette and melted cheese. 4. KOUIGN-AMAN This is another classic Brittany delicacy: a rich butter cake constructed from layers of laminated pastry. It’s like a croissant x100. 5. LEMON MERINGUE TART Enough said. You’ll get the BEST one in the city at Bontemps Pâtisserie. 6. CHEESE Cheese is seasonal, so go to a small fromagerie, and ask your cheesemonger what’s good now. With one on every shopping street, this won’t be hard. Take advantage of the fact that you’re in a country with more than 400 cheeses and try something di"erent every time! 7. PISTOU SOUP This is a must if you’re traveling in summer. The delicious broth is served with seasonal vegetables and herbs. And if you’re in Paris in winter, go for pot-au-feu, braised meat stew with carrots, leeks and turnips. It really is the quintessential French winter dish. 8. SAUCISSON We’ve been making cured pork sausages in France for thousands of years, and it’s a tradition we’ve perfected. Try Jambon Noir de Bigorre: the appellation d'origine contrôlée black pig roaming free, snu#ing for chestnuts in the Pyrenees. 9. NATURAL WINE Not a food per se, but this popular type of wine is a really exciting way to learn more about French heritage winemaking techniques, unknown grapes and small producers. It doesn’t hurt that it’s absolutely delicious as well. 10. FRENCH BUTTER Don’t leave without tasting some artisanal butter—it will honestly change your life. You thought you liked it here? After this you won’t be able to leave!! Try Bordier, a Brittany butter, hand paddled into shape in their Brittany production house. You can !nd it in all good cheese shops. 11. SEASONAL FRUIT & VEGETABLES Here in France, we live by the seasons, so do a bit of research and check what’s coming into bloom during your stay. The market-fresh quality of French produce is incredible, so get down to your local market or check out that tiny grocer down the street for some taste bud- tingling rhubarb, wild garlic, fresh peas or apricots (not all at once!) NAVIGATINGNAVIGATINGNAVIGATING THE THE THE FRENCH FRENCH FRENCH NAVIGATING THE FRENCH PASTRYPASTRYPASTRY COUNTE COUNTE COUNTERRR PASTRY COUNTER French pastries go far beyond the classic croissant, and while we’ll certainly touch on those, there’s a lot more to discover. Croissant: We all know the !aky, buttery classic. Normally made up of more than a hundred ultra-thin layers of laminated dough, there are two types. First, there’s the croissant au beurre, which is the more buttery one. And then there’s the croissant ordinaire, the less popular one made with less butter. Pain au chocolat: Croissant dough with two thin straws of dark chocolate running through the center makes for the perfect breakfast treat. Pain au raisin: A swirling delight of thick pastry cream "lling, raisins and croissant dough. Chausson aux pommes: Caramelized, !aky and full-to-bursting with stewed apples. Brioche: Depending on the bakery, brioche recipes can di#er. You can count on !our, water, yeast and salt, and then the addition of butter, eggs, milk (or all three!). Suisse: Vanilla pastry cream sprinkled with chocolate chips and sandwiched between two layers of laminated dough—also known as heaven. These can also come in a twisted form. Palmier: Originally arriving in France via North Africa, the palmier is made from pu# pastry—similar to croissant dough but without the yeast—and rolled in sugar. They’re also sometimes known as elephant ears. HOW TO FIT IN WITH THE PARISIANS Going outGoing for out dinner for dinner is not ais special not a special occasion occasion in Paris; in it’sParis; more it’s more Going out for dinner is not a special occasion in Paris; it’s more of a nightlyof a nightly occurrence. occurrence. Life is Lifelived is outside lived outside the home, the home,since our since our of a nightly occurrence. Life is lived outside the home, since our apartmentsapartments are usually are usually too small too tosmall entertain to entertain guests. guests. The The apartments are usually too small to entertain guests. The restaurantrestaurant becomes becomes an extension an extension of the ofhome—one the home—one where where restaurant becomes an extension of the home—one where certaincertain codes arecodes expected are expected to be followed! to be followed! certain codes are expected to be followed! BONJOUR! First things !rst: in France, we say hello to everyone. It’s the key to getting a good 1 reaction. When you go into a shop or restaurant, imagine you are going into someone’s house—for the waiter, hearing your “hello” is a sign of respect, and it’s a courtesy French people really expect. Skip it and you’ll be seen as rude. NEVER SAY “GARÇON!” 2 In almost every French movie of a certain era, French people shout, “garçon!” (meaning boy) to get a waiter’s attention. Don’t do it! These days it’s seen as rude and derivative; it’s an old-fashioned way of speaking that hasn’t aged well. AVOID SPEAKING TOO LOUDLY In France it’s polite to be quiet and rude to be loud. People tend to keep their voices 3 low when they are in public, and that goes for kids too! Use your inside voices as you frolic around the city. LINGER! In most French restaurants, there is rarely a second evening seating. We like to 4 linger well after our meal is over, sometimes for hours. Don’t be shy about asking for the check—otherwise you won’t get it until closing time! TABLE MANNERS Unless you are in a very fancy establishment, you’ll be expected to keep your 5 knives and forks until the next course. Put them to the side of your plate after your !rst course—if you don’t, the server will probably do it for you! EAT SLOWLY; TAKE YOUR TIME. Yes, that means dinner might be half cold before you’ve !nished it, but in France 6 we take our time, slow down and enjoy. Dinner is not only about eating but also about talking about the food and wine on the table. Dining is a pleasure not to be rushed. HOW TO ORDER COFFEE IN A FRENCH BISTRO 1. Pricing: The !rst thing you need to know is that there are three di"erent prices you could be charged at a French bistro. There is the price at the bar, the price seated inside the restaurant and the terrace price. Expect an espresso to cost €1-1.50 at the bar, €2-2.50 seated in the restaurant and €2-4 on a terrace. 2. Forget the $at whites: When it comes to co"ee, the French are traditionalists. You’ll !nd $at whites and lattes in fancy artisan shops, but if OUR TOP TIPS FOR you visit a classic French bistro, here’s what to expect. BUYING THE BEST Café or expresso: an espresso BREAD IN PARIS Café allongé: an espresso with double the water Every arrondissement has great bread, Café crème: co"ee and milk and there are a few rules to follow in Cappuccino: co"ee and milk, topped order to get the good stu". In France with foam we’re uncontrollably proud of our bread, but we don’t travel across the 3. Last but not least: “cafe au lait” city for it—there are good boulangeries doesn’t exist—only tourists and people on every corner, and fresher really is who lived through the 1940s order that. better. 1. If it doesn’t say boulangerie outside, don’t go in. You are only allowed to call yourself a boulangerie if bread is baked on the premises! 2. Get a “tradition” , not a baguette. These two variations are similar with one major di"erence: the baguette is proofed for less than !ve hours, whereas the tradition is proofed for 15-20 hours, lending it a much more complex $avor and crunchier crust.