FANCY FRENCH?
Recently French cuisine was declared part of the ‘World’s Intangible Heritage’ by the United Nations. Exactly what this means is unclear – how do you protect a cuisine, if indeed it’s endangered?
By Nadia Alkahzrajie
Such questions were not of paramount importance to the French, who reacted with characteristic humility ‘"It is not arrogant or pretentious to say that France is the foundation of gastronomy for the planet," said Guy Savoy (five Michelin stars). "It is simply right.”
One of a group of fifteen French chefs who have launched a campaign to promote Gallic gastronomy, Savoy and his colleagues are adamant that French food is still number one – despite the obvious contradictions to which such a resuscitative ‘campaign’ points.
While no one disputes the importance of classical cuisine, it’s no longer the catalyst for innovation. Raymond Blanc has spoken out about the restrictive legislation that makes it difficult for new French chefs to open a restaurant in their own country.
Although the French restaurant industry turned over an impressive £42bn in 2009, it’s dominated by the Grand Masters of haute cuisine – a silver haired posse with about 10 restaurants apiece, while a younger generation of French chefs (Raymond Blanc, Michelle Roux) are based in the UK.
What appears to be lacking on the Gallic food front is its successful integration into popular culture. The UK food ‘scene’ is intimately linked to fashion and relies less on the recommendations of the latest Michelin guide for promotion, than on the piggy-back potential of celebrity.
When Heston Blumenthal’s new restaurant, Dinner, opened in London, his TV profile guaranteed a huge amount of hype, with one critic reportedly describing a brioche bun as tasting like it was ‘soaked in angel’s spit and spiked with the sugar of unicorn’s horn’.
Despite the hyperbole, there’s no doubting that Blumenthal, with his eccentric, Willy Wonka style of cooking, exemplifies the cutting edge. Experimental and highly theatrical, his cooking (snail porridge, cockscomb stew, bacon & egg ice cream) is designed to engage with our psychology, challenging our notions of what food can be.
While cynics may accuse Blumenthal of gimmick, citing his association with Waitrose as serious culinary heresy, the truth is that Blumenthal hasn’t compromised himself much. He’s young, British, and, although he’s earned his Michelins, his cooking relies more on liquid nitrogen than Blanc de Cuisson.
Your Turn: Do you love British cuisine in all its incarnations? Whether it’s the sheer variety, the nouvelle or the traditional, tell others about places to be proud of by leaving your comments at wheresgoodtoeat.com.