The French “gastro-diplomacy” initiative should have seen 1,000 classic French dishes served in 150 countries on Thursday.
Selected restaurants and embassies are taking part in the Goût de France/Good France gastronomy festival.
France is fighting back against any and all who believe that the country’s cuisine is no longer the world’s finest.
The campaign was mobilised after Michelin-starred chefs Alain Ducasse and Guy Savoy produced a special report warning that France was at risk of losing its gastronomic reputation. The chefs called for action so that French cuisine and wine could “re-enchant the world”.
The chefs were told to make a “French-style” menu in their restaurant with a traditional French aperitif, a cold starter, a hot starter, fish or shellfish, meat or poultry, French cheese (or cheeseboard), a chocolate dessert, French wines and digestifs, while “remaining free to highlight their own culinary traditions and cultures”.
The well-known chef Raymond Blanc was spearheading the charm offensive in the UK. He said that France really could not afford to rest on its laurels but went on to add that French cuisine should emulate “the revolution under way in Britain”.
While he said he did not believe there was an “Anglo-Saxon conspiracy” – as one diplomat recently suggested – to rubbish French cuisine, “it’s the first time that our gastronomy has been called into question”.
He encouraged chefs to introduce some flair. “It’s up to us to add into our heritage spices, ingredients, flavours and techniques from elsewhere,” he said, naming Japan, China and Thailand.
But would it not be great if this initiative filtered down to everyday people for the chance to taste and decide.
