How Americans Out-Snobbed The French At Food
My first recollection of French food being connected to anything elite, would probably be due to viewing the art of eating snails as incredibly odd. Well, escargot, to be specific. Of course, I was a child and it was my mother who was referencing her love of the delicacy. This is, however, not a dish one typically makes at home, so I actually don't think I actually even saw it prepared in real life until I was an adult. And I still have yet to taste it, not that I have any desire to. But growing up, she mentioned it from time to time when referencing fancy or special occasions. The thought of eating such a creature at the time seemed so outlandish to my young mind, I surmised it could only mean that the French possessed the most refined of palattes and taste when it came to food. And for many decades, this was a general and popular assumption. However, the last twenty years, a new breed of food snob has emerged here in the US.
But let's rewind. Funny enough, while French snobbery, when it comes to food, is one of the more commonly accepted cultural blanket statements, it only dates back to just after WWII. With the return of American soldiers and sharp rise in international travel, not only were the unique delicacies and fine cuisine of the region noticed with great increase, but also a parallel in the growing haughty aura of the French food professionals as the years went on. This culminated when Julia Childs made the mistake of including a baguette recipe in her cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It was a pivotal moment in the culinary divide between France and America, and while she will always be remembered as the woman who brought French cooking to the US, the former country never found her favorable. And their stereotype...well, it stuck.
However, as the years have gone by, a lot has happened in food. And I mean a lot. In my childhood, while boucheé remained the same as previous decades, healthy began to grow in popularity. Remember what "diet" food meant in the 90's? Enter: hidden sugar and big brand marketing. Hello, Snackwells! Subway! Fig Newtons and of course, NutriGrain Bars! Every mom's "healthy" go-to back in the day for lunches, picnics, the beach cooler, or a road trip. The health food of the decade was laden with sugar, preservatives, and fillers. It was a facade that came crashing down as the century turned, Michael Pollan published, and millennials came into their own. The years passed, the food industry continued to be uncovered, and customers' taste for real food kept growing; there was no stopping the better food movement. And while the intentions were and continue to be good, there is another level that has happened when it comes to the tastes of Americans.
First, we wanted food to be natural. But then food products became so natural...that, well, none of them really were . Next it was organic. But was it REALLY organic? Certified? And was it also biodynamic? Then came gluten-free. And then only raw foods. Fruitarian, preferably. What was next? Some went the Gwyneth route. Expensive potions and oils and supplements galore. We watched her in movie after movie while eating Snackwells as kids, and she will forever be the quintessential blonde Hollywood image we idolized, so, yes. We should eat like Gwyneth. Even if it leaves us starving and broke — that jade egg, ahem, is not to be eaten, mind you. The diets and restrictions have gone to even further extremes: restrictive juice cleanses, eating charcoal, eliminating nightshades, keto, and more. Because frankly, in America, we're not so great when it comes to moderation. When something is deemed good or attractive or lucrative, it becomes an obsession to the nth degree. And this, my friends, is how we have become the snobbiest of snobs when it comes to food.
The irony here is not lost on me. While I have and continue to participate in many of the aforementioned food trends (crazes), I try to find a healthy balance. Because at the end of the day, our food choices should not control our lives, but improve them. And there is a way for them to also be in harmony with the earth. In fact, there must be.
But going back to the French. While they had a bad rap for many years, which in part might have simply been their attempt to preserve authentic French cuisine's global presence, there is much to be learned from their food and lifestyle beliefs. For one, France has THE MOST SUSTAINABLE food system in the world. They shop for what they need, even if it means a few trips a week to the market, not for the next Armageddon. Yes, in the US, we have not only become the snobbiest, but also waste 30 to 40% of our food supply. Additionally, many French grocery stores have done away with packaging. Not just plastic packaging, but ALL of it! Sacre bleu! They also have a huge emphasis on shopping locally and taking their time to not only enjoy their food during a meal, but each others' company instead of sitting at the table glued to their iphones. And so, while Americans might now be the reigning food snobs, the French have remained at the top, but now with a more favorable food reputation. One from which their neighbors to the West might learn a thing or two.