Food is something I’m very passionate about and I spent months looking forward to eating delicious food in Paris. In the pictures are just some of the amazing things I’ve eaten while in France: almond milk and mocha ice cream, an applesauce filled pastry, crème brûlée, and a mocha eclair. Some of my other favorite things I’ve had so far that I was too excited to take a picture of were a Nutella filled crêpe, some cheese and spinach filled ravioli with a creamy sauce, and falafel. A lot of these things are food I love getting at home, but here they’re some of the best I’ve ever had. Also, I honestly don’t even like eclairs at home because of the texture of the filling and the overall taste, but I decided to give them a try while in the country that they’re originally from and it was one of my favorite things I’ve eaten here so far. But to contrast to this, I’ve never cared for macaroons and the one I tried here didn’t make me change my mind so I guess I’ll have to miss out on those.
I’ve formed a bond with another vegetarian student from a different program, and it’s been fun to find meat free food with him and talk with him about the differences we’ve observed. Yesterday we found a vegetarian kebab wrap from a cafe on the same street as Cité that was very good, very cheap, and very likely to be something I get more than a few times. Being a vegetarian, the deserts are always safe to eat so those have been my favorites, but French main course dishes have been harder to find without meat. I contemplate going vegan a lot and it would be much more difficult to do here than in America, from a culture prospective. Here, so many dishes that are rooted in French culture contain dairy. I’ve seen a few places offer vegetarian or vegan alternatives. There was a pastry shop that had a sign for a vegan option but I was passing by and couldn’t stop to try it but I hope to go back before the end of my stay. Also, the almond milk flavor of ice cream I had may have been vegan, but I wasn’t sure. In America, it’s much easier to avoid eating animal products if you cook for yourself. In most large grocery stores there are sections or entire aisles dedicated to vegan alternatives and meat substitutions from countless different brands to cook with. Here, I’ve only found a few items in one store, but maybe I missed more options. Why are there these differences? Are there less vegetarians and vegans in France than in America and therefore the demand for the alternatives is lower? And are there less people with this lifestyle because it’s not accepted as well here because using meat products is so rooted in the culture and it’s dishes? Or are there just as many people who don’t consume animal products as there is in America, but the companies in France just don’t make many alternatives available? These are some of the questions I hope to find answers to as I explore more meat free options in France, I hope to look into all vegetarian restaurants around Paris, as I’ve found quite a few good ones back home.
I don’t eat meat, too, and I’ve noticed many of the same things you have! The French do seem to enjoy putting meat in everything, and I’ve had to pull out my phone at dinner a few times to translate a word and make sure it isn’t meat. I wonder if it’s because food/food preparation is such a large part of French culture, so to them they’re proud of the hearty dishes they serve.