I remember when I first arrived in France to study, I spoke a smattering of French, most of it with horrible grammar and a terrible accent to boot. Some things I uttered, I am sure, even while involving French words, were mostly translations of things that I wanted to possibly say in English. In other words, I was verbose and yet completely incomprehensible.
I was given some quick advice on how to learn French quick. No, Rapidex courses were not on the menu. Instead, I was told to: (a) get rid of my English-French dictionary (b) get a proper French grammar book and (c) educate myself in food and wine. (There was also the most commonly doled out advice of, ‘Get a French Girlfriend’ but I somehow chose the road less travelled.)
So once I had the requisite French books, I wondered why learning about food and wine was so intrinsic to being French. And a study I came across at the time helped clarify this for me, when French people were asked what it meant to ‘be French’ the top three replies were: 1. To speak French 2. To believe in liberty, equality and fraternity and 3. To know how to appreciate good food and wine. (In my mind I had, almost simultaneously, drawn up a list of things that make us intrinsically India and this is what I had come up with: 1. Speaking Hindi 2. Loathing Hindi-speakers 3. Head-wiggles 4. Talking politics, Bollywood, and cricket in the same breath! Not quite the same charm I felt.)
So I enrolled myself in a sommelier course and only now do I understand how learning about food and wine made me not just discerning about what I ate and drank but also made me sound ‘more French’! My turn of phrases changed, my expressions altered, I started using adjectives in a manner that was more French and less foreign.
This DNA, one which I somehow managed to imbibe, is what defines their gastronomy even today. It helps us in understanding the dichotomy that is French cuisine. Allow me to elucidate: French food is not just fine, it is precise. Their recipes are almost like a scientific formula,no matter who makes it
and where, the ratio deployed in the mother saucers remains the same. And yet, their cuisine is considered a form of the higher arts rather than something that is binary or logical. How do chefs manage to reign in the two is what makes this gastronomic realm so complex and yet so intriguing.
On my recent visit to France, I found myself explaining the lure of certain dishes to my friends who weren’t as entrenched in the space as I am and I realised how the French life had come around full circle, taking me into its folds. To them, I was as French as I was Indian. I took that as a massive compliment.
Meanwhile, should your trips, travels or any other excuse land you in Paris, here are a few places I recommend you to check out.
1. Comptoir Generale: A hidden chilled-out tropical retreat along St. Martin’s Canal.
2. Le Balcon: The official restaurant at Paris’s concert hall, the Philharmonie.
3. Hotel Bristol: This hotel was built where a bank existed earlier and the basement was the vault. Talk about sitting in a precious yet protected space for a meal.
4. Terrass Hotel: The rooftop bar and restaurant here offers some majestic views over the French capital. Good drinks and snacks to boot.
5. Saint James: Start in their al fresco bar and finish in their Michelin-star restaurant.
6. Hotel National: A fairly new addition to the social scene, one of the most amazing cocktail experiences the city has to offer.
7. Willy’s Wine Bar: Fun space with a well-priced wine list with great food.
The writer is a sommelier.
mail@magandeepsingh.com