France is Fascinated by its Food
The French take food seriously and market days are lifestyle-critical. This food fascination is driven by the emphasis on the importance of rural life. There are for instance 561 different AOC - Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in France: 474 for wine and alcohols, 48 for dairy products and 39 for a variety of fruit vegetables, olive oils , meats, honey, fish products, spices, essential oils. Some 32 million hectares of France's total land area of 55 million hectares is given over to farming. France is the third largest producer of fresh fruit and vegetables in Europe behind Spain and Italy. Now you know why the market is a focal point.

Find a Market
Find every local market in France here just click on the interactive map.  

Buy it fresh on France's country wide open air markets,
and often straight from the local farmer

Look out for the official market logo	Rocamadour cheese and crusty bread

Odile de Changy Lingerie

A new Paris boutique lifts its creamy curtains to the line of classically beautiful lingerie by Odile de Changy.

Full Story - click this link

Couture Café

So farewell then Cybercafé and hello Singercafé, at least that’s what they’re saying in the capital’s 10th arrondissement after France’s Vogue magazine, no less, praised the initiative of two Paris residents for bringing back the sweatshop.

Full Story - click this link

Le Jardin de Naris

Peckish and a doodlebug? Well here’s just the restaurant for you – Le Jardin de Naris is the oldest and most bohemian establishment in the small port town of Marseillan (34340 - Herault, Languedoc Rousillion).

Full Story - click this link

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France is Fascinated by Food

Vivienne Bolton

Vivienne Bolton
The French take food seriously and market days are lifestyle-critical. Here our Guest Contributor, South African-born craft and food writer Vivienne Bolton shares favourite seasonal recipes based on what's out there now in local markets. Food, she says, is a national pastime, so join in.

To View Vivienne' Recipes - click here