Cooking Class Regional Cuisine France is divided into 22 political regions, each of which has its own character and landscape. But when it comes to food, the fats used to prepare signature dishes serve best to divide the country. Certain dishes are common across the country. For example, apple tart is prepared differently in each region, but the recipes always adhere to the basic premise of good apples, light pastry, and a minimum amount of sugar. Similarly, every region seems to have its version of coq au vin.
Artichokes come from Provence and Brittany, and in each region they are prepared in different ways.
Frites, or French fries, are found countrywide, though they are cut in different shapes and fried in different fats, depending on the region. Everywhere there is bread, from the skinny white-flour baguettes of Paris and the north to the rustic sourdough breads found in the rest of the country. Nestled within these generalities are the delicious, sumptuous, and hugely varied specifics of French regional cuisine. Copyright Southern Progress Corporation, 2000. All rights reserved.