Food is key to the French culture. This may sound cliché, and it is, but it is also the truth. Some of my most memorable moments in France are related to food. Even if you’re not big on trying out new things or don’t pay much attention to your diet, France can change that easily. Food connects people here. Literally.
Here’s how.
Learning a language can get dull sometimes, especially if that’s your only activity in a foreign land. I am one of those people who desperately needs a change of scenery. New people, new stories, new experiences. It gets dull to connect with the same students all the time, too, so I seek out strangers from the outside. And I found some.
I decided to crush an event that seemed really cool in the local youth center, a very beautiful culture house where there are books, comfy chairs, and lots of company. The event was on Europe, European solidarity, and youth involvement. Hence, the audience was young, active, and French.
The event was open to the public, but it seemed like everyone knew everyone. Well, except for me. People were chatting over wine which I don’t drink, and having a good time, and I, on the other hand, had a hard time to strike a conversation with anyone. So instead, I grabbed a book that was nearby and tried to read it in the middle of the networking/party thing.
Now, a kind soul, a nice local French man, started talking to me. He and his friend were kind enough to ask me about the book, and when they heard my accent, they even tried to switch to English – a nice effort which I immediately rejected. So we chatted in French. Soon, their friends joined us, and we were having a nice conversation in French of how good/bad Macron is, and whether fascists will gain even more momentum in Europe (scary reality we’re seeing across many places).
As we were chatting, I complained a bit that I don’t know a lot of French people, and I would love to experience France in a way that’s different from the classroom.
Maybe it was my voice, or just the sad look on my face, but I got an invite to a brunch that was happening the same week, on Saturday. And obviously, I went.
Now, when I was coming to brunch, I didn’t expect that there’d be so many bread-things. I am from Ukraine, and we are quite famous for our grains (bread is great), but we would not offer so many different types of bread and cookies in one event. There would normally be a variety of foods, so you’d choose some veggies, fruit, cheese, or else.
But the French brunch to which I went definitely had bread as its main course. There were obviously croissants and baguettes, but then, there was a gigantic variety of majestic breads with different colors, structure, and shapes. They tasted differently, too. Then, there were cookies and non-sweet pastries that were something in between a piece of bread and a biscuit.
Now, turns out that my host’s father is a baker. They have a farm with lots of grain fields, so they grow and produce everything altogether. This is a family business, which is quite profitable and joyful – or so it seemed.
I was fascinated. In my home in Ukraine, we used to bake bread for some years (I also grew up on a farm), but then, we stopped as the bread production got more expensive – so it was cheaper to buy mass produced bread than to make your own.
This is the same in France, so many smaller producers are forced out of business because of the trend. Nils’ father, however, still gets by and even makes profits.
“We know that the agricultural business in Ukraine is very competitive, and we are ready to welcome you in Europe,” Paul (the father) told me during the brunch, “French farmers have accepted that Ukrainian farmers may crush us, but that’s because you’re very good at what you do.”
I was flattered to hear that, but even more, I was happy to hear that the guy knew and welcomed Ukrainian businesses coming to France even if it meant more challenges for him. To this man – as well as many people I have meet here – Europe was about being open and welcoming.
Nils’ parents, Paul and Lillie, got married thanks to their love for bread, by the way. So the food literally connected this fun family.
I had a wonderful time there, and I realized that during brunch, I communicated in French completely at ease. Proud moment.