Are There Foodies in France? A Native Parisian Explains

Salut!

You know it, food is a key part of French culture. From the art of baking the perfect baguette to classic French dishes like boeuf bourguignon, cassoulet, and coq au vin — but also the simple joy of having long meals together. We do love food!

Yet a French person would never really think of themself as a “foodie.”

“Foodie” culture first came about in the 1980s, and got extra popular thanks to food bloggers and social media. Yet it never really took off with French people.

Why is that? What is a “foodie” anyway, and why wouldn’t a French person identify as one?

Today’s lesson is completely in French. Practice your French comprehension, try to understand me in the video lesson!

In this written blog post, you’ll find the full written French transcript, and the English translation as well.

C’est parti !

Summary:
1) No French “Foodie”: in French
2) No French “Foodie”: English translation
3) No French “Foodie”: Special vocabulary
4) No French “Foodie”: Extra vocabulary

Want all the vocabulary of the lesson ?

1) No French “Foodie”: in French

On ne peut pas traduire exactement “foodie” en français.

Un amateur de nourriture serait un gourmet, mais c’est plus prestigieux que foodie. Ou même un gastronome, mais c’est plus formel. J’aime bien le mot “gourmand” aussi.

En tout cas, le mot “foodie” a été inventé dans les années 1980 aux États-Unis, pour parler de quelqu’un qui aime vraiment la nourriture. Pour des gens qui vont chercher des nouveaux restaurant à la mode, et maintenant les partager sur les réseaux sociaux. Des passionnés qui veulent mieux profiter des restaurants que la moyenne des gens.

Je le dis tout de suite, le mot “foodie” est laid. C’est peut-être même un pur produit marketing pour attirer les gens qui aiment manger… C’est-à-dire à peu près tout le monde !

Mais admettons.

En France en tout cas, peu de gens se définissent comme “foodie.”
Oh, bien sûr, tout le monde aime bien manger ! Mais ça ne fait pas rentrer dans un réseau établi de passionnés, avec du prestige reconnu.

Peut-être parce qu’en France, le repas est un plaisir lent, social, où le but est de passer un bon moment avec quelqu’un. Et pas de se faire mousser !

Alors, évidemment, il y a des restaurants prestigieux. Comme un restaurant gastronomique, ou un restaurant étoilé. C’est très bon, et très impressionnant !

Mais tout le monde est d’accord là-dessus, tout le monde est au courant. Je veux dire, un “foodie” va être fier de te faire connaître un meilleur endroit que tes restaurants habituels.
Mais en France, on sait souvent déjà quels sont les restaurants de qualité. Pour les grandes occasions, ce qui nous fait choisir entre un resto et un autre, ce n’est pas de le connaître – c’est simplement d’en avoir les moyens.

Et dans les repas français, la liste d’invités est plus importante que rechercher le resto à la mode. Ce n’est pas une compétition, c’est un moment partagé !

En plus, en France il n’y a pas vraiment la culture de “Le client est roi”. Les travailleurs du restaurant ne sont pas nos amis ou nos serviteurs, donc on va moins discuter avec eux. Et au passage, c’est rare de faire renvoyer des plats ou de prendre des “doggy bags.” C’est possible ! Mais c’est rare.

Une autre chose importante : ici, presque tout le monde sait cuisiner. On mange plus souvent à la maison. C’est peut-être plus rare de manger au restaurant.
Alors, il y a des gens qui cuisinent mieux, évidemment – et c’est fantastique.

Mais comme tout le monde connaît les bases, ça ne suffit pas pour en faire un réseau culturel de “foodies.”

En plus, on trouve facilement des ingrédients de qualité. Sur les marchés, ou même au supermarché. Bien sûr, on peut toujours chercher le meilleur, comme la ferme bio qui chante individuellement une berceuse pour faire pousser les navets

Mais les ingrédients ordinaires sont déjà assez bons. Donc bien manger équilibré n’est pas inaccessible, surtout pour la classe moyenne. Donc on ne voit pas la peine d’en faire sa passion, et son identité.
Et c’est là mon dernier point : c’est moins courant de se donner à fond dans une passion ! En France, on va peut-être moins se définir par sa passion, par son hobby.
C’est pour ce genre de choses que, d’après le stéréotype, les Américains sont plus intenses ou enthousiastes.
Nous, on ne va pas dire “Je suis un foodie.” On va simplement… aimer manger !

2) No French “Foodie”: English translation

You can’t exactly translate “foodie” in French.

Someone who really likes food could be a gourmet, but it’s more prestigious than “foodie.” Or even a “gastronome” (= another word for “gourmet”) but it’s even more formal. I also like the word “gourmand” as well (→ see below.)

Anyway, the word “foodie” was invented in the 80’s in the US, to refer to someone who really likes food. People who would look for the new trendy restaurants, and, nowadays, share their findings on social media.
Food enthusiasts who want to enjoy restaurants better than the average person.

I’ll say it right now, the word “foodie” is ugly. It might even be a pure marketing product to attract people who like to eat… Meaning more or less everybody!

But, OK.

In France at least, few people define themselves as “foodies”. Oh, of course, everybody likes to eat well! But that alone doesn’t give you access to a whole network of enthusiasts, with established prestige and status.

Maybe because in France, meals are a slow, social pleasure, where the goal is to have a good time with someone else. And not showing off!

Now, of course, there are prestigious restaurants. Like a gourmet restaurant, or a restaurant with at least one Michelin star. They’re very good, and really impressive!

But everyone agrees on that, everybody knows. I mean, a “foodie” will be proud to show you a better place than the usual restaurants. But in France, we already know which restaurants are a cut above the rest. For special occasions, what makes us choose one restaurant instead of another isn’t really knowing about them – it’s simply to be able to afford it.

And in French meals, the guest list is more important than finding the trendiest restaurant. It’s not a competition, it’s a shared moment.

Furthermore, in France there’s not really a culture of “the customer is king” / “the customer is always right.” Restaurant workers aren’t our friends or our servants, so we’ll talk less with them. And by the way, it’s unusual to send back dishes or to leave with “doggy bags.” It’s possible! You can do it! But it’s unusual.

One more important thing: here, almost everybody knows how to cook. We eat more often at home, it might be less frequent to eat outside. Now, some people are better cooks, of course – and that’s fantastic. But since everybody knows the basics of cooking, this is not enough to build a cultural network of “foodies.”

Moreover, you can easily find quality ingredients. On markets, or even in the supermarket. Of course, you can always look for the best, like an organic farm that would sing lullabies to each individual turnip to make them grow better…

But ordinary ingredients are good enough already. So eating well and healthy isn’t out of reach, especially for the middle class. So it doesn’t seem worth it to make that your passion and your identity.

And that’s my last point: it’s less common to give it your all in a passion, in a hobby. That’s the kind of thing that, according to the stereotype, makes American people more intense or enthusiastic. In France, we wouldn’t say “I’m a foodie.” We will simply… enjoy our meals!

3) No French “Foodie”: Special vocabulary

Gourmet means “gourmet.”

Gourmand can mean several things, with subtle undertones.
Basically, it means “who enjoys eating.”

Un enfant gourmand = a child who likes to eat – but especially cakes and cookies and chocolate
Un plat gourmand, une recette gourmande = a generous dish or recipe
Un café gourmand = on a restaurant menu, it’s a coffee that comes with little cakes.
Une gourmandise = a sweet, but also “a (kind of) guilty pleasure.”

Un restaurant → Un resto (informal French)
Un restaurant gastronomique = a gourmet restaurant
Un restaurant étoilé = a “starry” restaurant (literally) = a restaurant with at least une étoile Michelin, one Michelin star – the prestigious ratings of that famous French guide and food critic.

L’agriculture biologique = organic farming
Issu de l’agriculture biologique = “bio” = organic
Un navet bio = an organic turnip

Everyday expressions:
Au courant = “in the know” (= literally “in the current”)
En avoir les moyens = “Being able to afford it / Having the means to do it”)
Se faire mousser = “To boast, to impress” (= “To be foamed” literally)
Pas la peine = “Not worth it” (= “not (worth) the trouble” literally)
Se donner à fond = “Giving it your all”
À fond = “Deeply, 100%” (informal French)

4) No French “Foodie”: Extra vocabulary

Les réseaux sociaux = “social networks” / social media
Le client est roi = “The customer is King” / The customer is always right
Cuisiner = To cook
Laid = Ugly
Admettons. = “Let’s admit it.” = OK / Let’s say it is the case.

En tout cas = In any case / Anyway
→ = De toute façon

À peu près = more or less
→ = Plus ou moins

Et maintenant: continue à explorer la culture française avec moi !

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À tout de suite.
I’ll see you in the next video!


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Join the conversation!

  • Dans ma région, je pense qu’il est maintenant normal d’avoir un sac pour le chien.

  • This came at the exactly right moment as we prepare for our trip to Provence! Merci beaucoup!! We’ll look forward there and in Paris to finding good, local, fun cafes. :). OK – may need one wow factor in Paris for our 40th Anniversary!

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