Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
sweet
doux
doo
tannic
tannique
tah-neek
jammy
confituré
koh-fee-tuh-ray
fine
fin
,
avec finesse
fahn, ah-vehk fee-nehs
ready to drink (mature)
prêt à boire
preh ah bwar
not ready to drink
fermé
fair-may
oaky
goût du fût de chêne
goo dew foo duh sheh-nuh
from old vines
de vieille vignes
duh vee-yay-ee veen-yah
sparkling
pétillant
pay-tee-yahn
Saumon
and
truite:
You'll see salmon dishes served in various styles. The salmon
usually comes from the North Sea and is always served with sauce, most commonly a sor-
rel
(oseille)
sauce. Trout
(truite)
is also fairly routine on menus.
Steak:
Referred to as
pavé
(thick hunk of prime steak),
bavette
(skirt steak),
faux
fillet
(sirloin), and
entrecôte
(rib steak). French steak is usually thinner and tougher than
American steak and is always served with sauces (
au poivre
is a pepper sauce;
une sauce
roquefort
is a blue-cheese sauce). Because steak is usually better in North America, I usu-
allyavoiditinFrance(unlessthesaucesoundsgood).Youwillalsosee
steakhaché,
which
is a lean, gourmet hamburger patty served
sans
bun. When it's served as
steak haché à
cheval,
it comes with a fried egg on top.
By American standards, the French undercook meats: Their version of rare,
saignant
(seh-nyahn), means “bloody” and is close to raw. What they consider medium,
à point
(ah
pwan), is what an American would call rare. Their term for well-done,
bien cuit
(bee-yehn
kwee), would translate as medium for Americans.
Steak tartare:
This wonderfully French dish is for adventurous types only. It's very
lean, raw hamburger served with savory seasonings (usually Tabasco, capers, raw onions,
salt, and pepper on the side) and topped with a raw egg yolk. This is not hamburger as we
know it, but freshly ground beef. While it can be extremely tasty, it's very rich, and the
portions are large.
Cheese Course
(Le Fromage)
In France, the cheese course is served just before (or instead of) dessert. It not only helps
with digestion, it gives you a great opportunity to sample the tasty regional cheeses—and
time to finish up your wine. There are more than 400 different French cheeses to try.
