Between 20 – 22 September, France will honour its gastronomy by celebrating its richness and diversity through a number of events and competitions
Recognised by UNESCO as a ‘world intangible heritage’, French Gastronomy is one of France’s most precious cultural assets. The annual ‘Fete de la Gastronomie’ brings the country together around the theme of food, fun and festivities. This year the festival lasts for three days.
Some of this year’s event highlights include: Large scale banquets including an 800 person banquet at the Palais des Papes in Avignon; Parties at the Grand Palais in Paris; ’24 hour cooking race’ in Le Mans; Cassoulet-cooking competition in Carcassonne; Picnics throughout the country where everyone is welcome; Various food lovers’ trails; A national amateur cooking competition with Michel Guérard as its patron and a drawing competition for kids where top chefs will cook up surprise dishes for the winners.
This year 27 top chefs from the 27 regions of France have each agreed to create a simple, low cost (€5) gastronomic recipe. These recipes will be available to everyone on the website for free. The recipes will use seasonal and local produce, incorporate a symbolic element from other cultures to acknowledge culinary diversity, be creative and innovative to showcase the chef’s skills and be simple and practical so that anyone, anywhere, can cook it using few utensils. For more information on the festival and a list of events, head to www.fete-gastronomie.fr