As I have traveled around the town of Angers, I have noticed that there are a large number of boulangeries, or bakeries, in every part of town. Boulangeries are common like corner stores in the United States, except their products are much more specialized. At every meal with my school and my host family I have had access to bread and I have realized it is a staple in the French diet even more so than my beloved cheese. It is not unusual to see someone riding their bike or walking around holding only a baguette. This icon of France has me wondering why bread is so important and readily accessible in France.
This is a meal I shared with several fellow exchange students. We had pizza and salad, and of course French bread.
In this picture, other than the appetizer of duck pate, you can see the French bread scattered in front of students plates at lunch time.
As I looked online, many places suggested that once bread became part of the culture it has been unmovable. As with any cultural food, it has been accepted and loved by the people for so long that its existence is not questioned. It is easily made and accessible so it was only natural for it to rise to an important place in the French diet. One site even suggested that the term “bread winner” is relating the importance of obtaining bread to the person with the largest pay. While I found this information interesting, I felt that there was more to be learned about the place of French bread in the culture here.
I asked a French friend why he felt bread was so important in France. While he relayed the information previously mentioned, he added an important new detail. Grain is in abundance here, and as grain is so easily made in to bread it became an important food to eat. Bread is easily accessible because the grain and other ingredients to make bread were very easily accessible and therefore cheap. So what began as an easy resource for food has become one of the most important foods in French culture and an international symbol of the country.
Maggie
Maggie,
As I was reading your blog I felt as though you were here in Argentina with me. I can not go anywhere to escape the site of bread. It is served with every meal no fail. Good thing I love bread. Grain is produced here in Argentina so they are very persistent on eating it with every meal. I just thought it was funny that you are experiencing the exact same thing as I am but we are both in countries that are very far apart.
-Melissa
I like the way you take something from every day life, explore it, and share what you’ve learned with us. The culture truly speaks to the guest through the food. Walking around Angers is a wonderful experience, and your post made me long for a stroll through the city as well as a wonderful loaf of French bread! Michele
This is so great because while studying here in London, I’m pretty sure I have bread or some sort of carb for every meal in bulk. For example, every morning for breakfast in our refactory (cafeteria) there’s toast, a danish, cereal, and a croissant! It’s a little much for my liking, but grain is definitely in abundance over here in Europe. French bread…yum!! Baguettes are the cheapest kind of food you can find in grocery stores over here also. So interesting to see parallels across the different countries over here. Anyways, I hope you’re having a blast! Cheerss,
Rachael