Aero: Arvilla Mast – France 2018 – Food and Dining

Posted by LEAF Architect on Friday, September 14, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Aero: Arvilla Mast – France 2018 – Food and Dining

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Arvilla Mast

Ah the food… Obviously the French are known for their exquisite cuisine. I love trying knew foods and I was not disappointed! It’s not even just the taste of the food, but it’s the atmosphere. You do not scarf food, it is to be savored! Mealtimes are like a ritual in with its order and class. They have the most beautiful table manners that I am trying to implement in my life all the time now. Also, having your phone out at the table is almost unheard of. Mealtimes in my host families house was for catching up on each other’s days and relaxing. I’m trying to keep doing some of these things at home such as remembering to slow down and enjoy food rather than eating it in a hurry. I’m sure it’s much healthier as one ends up eating much less.

Just to start off the airplane food on Air France was a promise of what was to come. I had pasta with sauce, and they have the yummiest salads such as shredded red cabbage with kale, which doesn’t sound great, but it was so good! I need to learn how to make vegetables taste so amazing! Obviously, there was bread and cheese and dessert. We almost never had anything less than a three-course meal even on the plane.

Like I said I love trying new food and there were endless opportunities. Most things were great hits, but there’s a few I’d rather not think about. I did try escargot and I loved it. It is a wonky shade of green perhaps due to the spice which is pretty strong, but if you can get past the color it’s really good. It’s a specialty that they have on holidays mostly. Also, I guess I assumed most French people would like it, but to my surprise, a lot of the French students said they hated it. The one thing I had minor regrets about eating was the pate`. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but it is a white mystery meat that is rather slimy, gray, and has a wonky aftertaste! I have since been told that it is some sort of ground goose liver, but I cannot verify that. I cannot say that your overall France experience will be at all diminished by skipping this one dish.

Something I noticed that is very different from the US is the food service. Being a waiter is a very respectable job and a good career. They get payed a salary so they’re not depending on tips to survive. Therefore, they are in no hurry to rush you out the door to turn over tables, and also that’s part of the savoring food and the relaxing atmosphere. They won’t bother you while you’re eating or come over until you signal for them. There are a lot more waiters than waitresses I noticed and they all took great pride in their work. Here in the US being a waiter or waitress you count on your tips, so therefore you a good table turnover to survive and you really don’t make a lot unless it’s a really high-end restaurant. The whole attitude around servers is very different there.

In my host families home we always had yogurt, toast with jelly, croissants or a pastry with chocolate for breakfast. They always have a light breakfast and almost never have snacks. My host parents I noticed would never eat butter and jelly on the same piece of bread. They either had butter or jelly. It’s a small thing, but different and I’m not sure what they thought of me putting them both on one piece of bread. Also, coffee seems to be really hard to get in the morning, but they will literally offer it to you when you’re walking to bed! But when you order a hot drink it always comes with a bite size bare of chocolate, which I loved! When we were home for lunch we usually had something along the lines of fish, a grain dish (it wasn’t quite like rice) and super yummy vegetables. And then of course we always had a bread and cheese course. They always have dessert as well but it’s normally a yogurt or a piece of fruit. Dinner is always an elaborate fare and takes and least an hour or more.

Much to my surprise and many Americans relief, there are many McDonalds in France. There’s definitely a huge American stereotype around McDonalds and they could not believe that I don’t really eat there! It was funny though, they have the most amazing, fairly healthy food, but every Sunday night they bring in McDonalds home and it’s this huge exciting affair. But all I wanted was some classy French food!

It was such a wonderful experience and I hope to learn how to cook more French style food and also adopt some of their cultural ideas. They’re so good at slowing down, relaxing, and savoring the small things. We are so used to going, going, going, and chugging our coffee on the go, it’s hard to stop. It’s so enjoyable though, and good for us to take a breath, not look at our phones, and just enjoy something small.

Arvilla Mast
Study Abroad – France 2018 @ FLCC

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