Monday 14 July 2025 is Bastille Day.
Bastille Day – or the French Fête National – commemorates the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789 and celebrates equality, unity and resilience. The populous was fed up with the excesses of the monarchy and in particular the rising prices of bread. The revolution was about power, money – and food! It was not just about political ideals, but also about the basic human need for food and the inability of the ruling class to address this fundamental issue. And it had a lasting impact on how French food developed – bringing equality to the dining table.
French cuisine underwent a significant transformation following the French Revolution, moving away from the elaborate, opulent styles of the aristocracy towards a more accessible and modern approach. This shift was fuelled by the fall of the guilds, the rise of the bourgeoisie, and the emergence of restaurants, ultimately impacting the way food was prepared, served, and perceived.
In essence, the French Revolution didn’t just change the political landscape of France; it sparked a culinary revolution that transformed French food from a symbol of aristocratic privilege into a global culinary force, emphasizing both tradition and innovation.
Since that time, French food has inspired the world. French chefs and culinary ideas spread throughout the world, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries, influencing international hotels and restaurants.
French cuisine has been a driving force behind the development of many cooking techniques, including braising, poaching, and sous-vide.
Even today, French cuisine is known for its emphasis on fresh, high-quality ingredients and the art of flavour pairing.
But like many things today, things are changing.
French dining, once the undisputed leader in global gastronomy, is facing a decline in its reputation and popularity, with a shift towards more diverse and accessible cuisines. Several factors contribute to this trend, including changing consumer habits, rising costs, and the rise of international competition.
The overall Culinary Landscape has been changing over recent years. International tourists, once drawn to French fine dining, are now seeking diverse culinary experiences, with a preference for Italian and Spanish cuisine over French together with the rise of Asian cuisines and the popularity of accessible, flavourful, and easily prepared dishes that now compete with French cuisine.
The traditional French restaurant which has survived for over 200 years is being challenged by, not just by fast food, but “pop-up” restaurants and affordable eateries offering quality and speed. This is somewhat ironic as the original French Bistro was reportably named during the Russian invasion in 1814, when the Russian troops, seeking a quick meal, shouted bistro, bistro – meaning quickly. The Bistro was the first of the casual fast service restaurants!
In France, traditional French meals are being replaced by fast-food options, especially during the week, with customers prioritizing speed and convenience. American style fast food is especially popular with the younger generation.
There are also other significant cultural shifts amongst younger French diners. French cuisine, once synonymous with haute cuisine and formality, is now viewed by some as outdated and overly reliant on tradition. It has been labelled “overrated” in some surveys, with some finding it bland, predictable, or reliant on pre-prepared ingredients. In fact – “Mon Dieu” – a significant percentage of restaurants, even in France, are reported to use some industrially made meals, including frozen items.
Some indicators suggest a decline in traditional French culinary practices, such as the production of raw-milk cheeses and the decline in wine consumption. The younger generation do not like the sharp strong flavours of many French cheeses. France has been rocked by news that its youth can’t stomach the pungent cheeses that the country is famed for.
A recent survey shows that 18 to 24-year-olds were especially unenthusiastic about cheeses such as Époisses, Pont-L’Évêque and Munster — basically anything with the slightest whiff of dirty socks about them. The three top choices were boring old Comté, camembert and brie. Worse, still, a full 9 per cent said they never ate cheese at all. In France? Isn’t that a guillotinable offence?
Moreover, the French are submitting to the anti-booze lobby – some 4.5m of them practised Dry January in 2024 and, apparently, more were at it this year. That is about 10% of the adult population. They have submitted, alarmingly, to what Claude Avril, mayor of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, has called “the soft totalitarianism” of the hygienist lobby.
These are worrying times – not so much for you and me, as for the French nation. French alcohol consumption has been plummeting since the 1960s, most of the plunge due a dramatic drop-off in wine drinking.
In 1960, the average French adult drank 127 litres a year: slightly more than three bottles a week. In 2023, the annual per capita figure was down to 40 litres, or one bottle a week. Despite this, wines and spirits together remain one of France’s biggest exports, with wine alone generating AU$20 billion in 2023. France vies with Italy as the planet’s top wine producer. Some 500,000 jobs are linked, directly and indirectly, to the sector.
Now this is not just limited to France – global wine production and demand has fallen to its lowest level in decades. But, wine is woven into the fabric of the French nation and has helped shape France’s landscape and economy, the history, mythology and tradition. It is part of the essence of French Cuisine.
French food faces challenges and criticisms, although it’s not in complete decline, but rather a period of transition and evolution. French techniques and dishes are still widely used and influential in the global culinary scene. A “New French” movement focuses on local, fresh ingredients and innovative techniques, suggesting a continued evolution of French cuisine. Whilst groups like The Slow Food movement promote the preservation of traditional French recipes and ingredients, highlighting the cultural value of French cuisine.
However, Mary Antoinette may well have to change her retort to the starving peasants on Bastille Day, from “let them eat cake’ to “let them eat Le Big Mac”. With a diet coke!