Tastes of France — Direct from the Producers

Around the country there are literally thousands of producers of every food you can imagine that are ready to open their doors … or rather the gates to their farms and culture … so you can not only see the origin of their primary resources but also the process they use so their delicacies reach that glow that rocks your taste buds.

Some of these artists … yes, that word is correct … will even take you be the hand and initiate into the process itself. They want you take home the process, they want to perpetuate their ancestral knowledge and traditions. Such a rich experience can be part of your upcoming adventure in France.

Here you’ll find some ideas about ‘Tastes of France direct from the Producers‘. We’ll be adding more and more producters to this important aspect of French culture.

In France each region has its own tradional costume and along with that goes the speciality cheeses and wines. De Gaulle, first President of the Fifth Republic, after WWII, referred to the more than 300 types of cheese when he said something like, ‘How can you govern a country that produces over 300 types of cheese?’ Some say he said, ‘How can a country that produces 300 types of cheese lose the war?’ He was referring to Normandy just before the D-Day landing.

With eight types of cheese, it is estimated that’s it’s probably closer to 1000 personality-filled traditional cheeses produced by dedicated people … who are ready to show you how it works.

This documentary is sub-titled in English. It is a ‘call-out’ for producers of cheese and reveals the dedication and hours of hard work that characterizes most if not all small producers.

France is synonymous with ‘gourmet’ and ‘gastronomy’. Search out and follow your nose and taste for visits and workshops to do with the soil, regional know-how: Wine, beer, on the farm, organic, meats, fruit, chocolate, honey, foie gras, confits, canned goods, cheese, free-range, grain-fed ducks, sale of farm produce, explanation of feeding techniques and product manufacture, workshops, courses, learn how to French cook.

UNESCO has inscribed French gastronomy on its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

This is what it says:

The gastronomic meal emphasizes togetherness, the pleasure of taste, and the balance between human beings and the products of nature. Important elements include the careful selection of dishes from a constantly growing repertoire of recipes; the purchase of good, preferably local products whose flavours go well together; the pairing of food with wine; the setting of a beautiful table; and specific actions during consumption, such as smelling and tasting items at the table.

Even simply participating in such a meal as a guest or with friends gives you a taste of France