When you think of good food, you may as well be thinking of French cuisine. However, do you know how French cuisine came by? The history of French food dates back to medieval times. During this time, French cuisine was served simultaneously in what’s called the service en confusion. Meals were mainly made of spiced meat and dictated by periods.

The presentation of food is what made it more enticing. Culinary masters would use consumable components to make the presentation more beautiful and better. Peacock or roast swan was considered one of the restrained dinners.

The 15^th and 16^th centuries saw massive influence in French food as more culinary arts originated from Italy. This was more influenced by the marriage of a Florentine princess to Henry Duc d’Orleans. Italian chefs had started making dishes such as manicotti and lasagna. Accordingly, they had begun using ingredients like garlic and truffles.

The 17^th and 18^th centuries saw advancements in the French high cuisine, Haute Cuisine. The origin of this cuisine is well-documented in La Varenne’s recipes. He was a gourmet specialist who authored the first “true French cookbook.”

A defining moment in French cuisine came with the French revolution. The fall of guilds meant that French cooks could create and offer a variety of food products as they wanted. The revolution led to enlightenment that reshaped the French food industry. More culinary masters started to explore different avenues of finding ingredients and meals.

The 19^th and 20^th centuries were characterized by the modernization of high food. The beginning of modern French cuisine is owed to chef Georges Escoffier Auguste. He was a proprietor of many restaurants and a culinary writer who drew his inspiration from Marine-Antonie Carême’s formulas.

Auguste streamlined Carême’s formulas and gave them his touch. He discovered the modern-day French cuisine and the organization of the modern French kitchen, the mise en place.