SINCE one of my last tours in Paris, I discovered that eating healthy food is so much easier than I imagined with Paris cuisine. I am noticing that everything I've eaten tastes amazingly good, fresh, and flavorful without being overly filling.
For someone who has studied food as art, that Paris tour brought up more questions than answers. What is it that makes eating healthy food in Paris so easy?
Can this have anything to do with the size of the stores? I haven't seen a convenience store included on this Paris tour, and there are no mega-grocery stores. Each store has one singular purpose and it is an expert at that one thing. Whether it is baking bread, butchering meats, making pastries, or squeezing fresh orange juice from their store-front machine, the small-shop owners take great pride in the single thing they excel at.
paris cuisine vs u.s. cuisine
The greatest difference I've seen between Paris cuisine and any cuisine in the United States is the great respect that Parisians show for food. To continue my search of why the food in Paris is so good, I jumped on the Metro and headed for the world-famous Rue Cler market. Along the way, there was one short sight-seeing stop at the Arc de Triomphe and a walk down the Champs Elysees.
When the continuation of my Paris tour finally drops me at the Rue Cler Market, I could see why eating healthy food is easier here. There's more healthy food available.
paris market
The fish market is clean, fresh, no flies, and no fishy smell. The "fromagerie" specializes in cheese, they sell nothing but cheeses, and they are experts at it. These businesses are family owned, and take great pride in what they have been doing for generations.
There are not mounds of food displayed in this market. There is a select few, and they are fresh, in season, and incredibly fragrant. The markets here show great deference for ingredients. This, combined with simple cooking techniques yields the best meals.
paris simplicity
Why is their cuisine so flavorful, and what makes eating healthy food so easy to do? Is it because of the greatest chefs? The most complicated recipes? No, my tour is causing me to suspect that it is something much simpler than that.
About Author Chef Todd Mohr
Chef Todd Mohr is a classically trained chef with a philosophy: "burn recipes and learn to cook like French do." His secret is revealed in his online cooking classes.
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