A gastronomic sojourn

Flavours of France

The third edition of ‘Goût de France’ — Good France, a worldwide gastronomic fest, will be held on March 21 at 7 pm at Cafe Noir at UB City.

    On the occasion to promote the culinary festival the Consul General of France, François Gautier, along with Remi Rouillon, Deputy Consul, organised a briefing over lunch.

Started in 2015, this event celebrates and promotes French cuisine all around the world. Giving a brief about the background, François Gautier says “It was in 1912, when popular chef Auguste Escoffier launched an  initiative called the ‘Dîners d’Épicure’ (Epicurean Dinners) where the same menu is served in different cities of the world on the same day. Taking this as an inspiration, we have been working on ‘Goût de France’ from the last three years.”

He points out that in the first year, there were more than a thousand restaurants participating in the fest. This has increased to more than 2000 restaurants now.This event not only focusses on French gastronomy but also aims to promote France tourism and culture.

“Among the many assets that France has, food is one of the main attractions. It is a reason why people visit this country. Food connects people instantly. And that is exactly what we aim to do through this gastronomic fest. The message we want to highlight is that French cuisine is traditional yet very modern and contemporary. It has evolved with time and generation,” he explains.

The menu for the fest is an elaborate spread of cocktail, French wine and dishes. The starters will have chicken pistachio terrine and tarragon jelly served with ravigote sauce, carpaccio of smoked fish and fresh herbs served with Asian sauce,  and crispy green peas, black radish confit served with Parmesan foam).

The main course has options like sauteed veal filet, glazed vegetable truffle served with morilles mushroom sauce, grilled salmon and red fruits seasoned with sezchuan pepper, parsnip cream and macedonia vegetables). There will also be desserts and cheese among others. Over 2,000 chefs across all the 5 continents are expected to be a part of this fest and explore the vibrant and  innovative cuisine. “Most people are of the opinion that this cuisine is something very luxurious and expensive and is ideal for only wealthy people. We want  to break that idea through ‘Goût de France’,” says François.