Food Culture Challenge: France vs USA

We're comparing the food cultures of France and the United States in 10 categories, identifying similarities, differences, likes and dislikes between the two countries. We pick a winner in each category along with an overall food culture champion. Do you agree with our winners???? Let us know in the comments!
00:00 - The Food Culture Challenge
01:01 - Meal Times
03:03 - Forks & Knives
04:33 - Meal Courses
06:07 - Water & Ice
07:27 - French Apéro vs American Happy Hour
09:25 - Food On the Go
11:13 - Fast Food
13:36 - Food Origins
14:58 - Butter
17:06 - Long Meals
19:31 - Challenge Winner
Follow our journey @ baguettebound.com/
Book a 1:1 Consult: BookWithRaina.as.me/BaguetteB...
About Us:
We are an American family of 3 who moved to France for an extended stay adventure in 2022.
We wanted to experience Europe as more than rushed tourists on a 10-day vacation. To dive into the culture, learn a new language, experience daily life, and truly know what it was like to work and live somewhere other than the US.
In France, we set up a business, enrolled in a middle school, found housing, and even got our cat a European passport!
While in the US preparing to leave, the information we found about staying in France for longer than a short vacation was directed at college students, young & single digital nomads, or retirees. Where was the useful information for families like us?
With a year under our belts in France, we created Baguette Bound to pass on what we have learned. We hope to make it easier and inspire other families who are interested in experiencing a long stay in France with their families. Stay tuned for more information on French culture, local travel ideas, and the logistics of moving across the world.
Follow our journey @ baguettebound.com/
Book a 1:1 Consult with us: BookWithRaina.as.me/BaguetteB...

[@zeldadaws9618]

For water in restaurants, just ask for une carafe d'eau😊 More than often chilled and definitely free!

[@laurentpaumier3103]

Yes and it's mandatory. With a meal they have to give you tap water if you ask.

[@matrac684]

@@laurentpaumier3103 water and bread are mandatory

[@Maria-js9ou]

And they often bring you the carafe d´eau without even asking

[@saraha9937]

Yes, i disagree with the point about water. Bred & water are traditionnally brought to the table and it's free. If they forget, ask for it. And the ice... first of all, it IS in the drinks at fast food joints. At restaurant, it's really cultural. I hated having so much ice in a glass of water by default in the USA. I always forgot to ask without since it's not like that in France. The USA are used to cold stuff, same with full on AC running in stores.

[@stephenvandulken6948]

Last time I was in Paris, a few years ago, the owner of the restaurant said it was illegal to give me tap water so I had to buy bottled. Took advantage of an innocent British tourist, it seems.

[@aidanclarke6106]

We don't serve butter with the meals because there's already 150g of butter in the dishes 😅❤

[@BaguetteBound]

C'est Vrai ! !! 🤣

[@stephanedaguet915]

« ... because there's already 150g of butter in the dishes » ... 🤔 ...humm ... yes but what is the problem with butter 😋? I am norman and I put butter (beurre doux here in normandy, no salty butter here we aren't breton) with cheese and saucisson ... and I have a good health ... 🤗

[@LizzieJaneBennet]

​@@stephanedaguet915 I'm from south of France. Olive oil culture🫒. BUT I can't eat marmelade, saucisson, ham, oysters or Roquefort without some bread and butter.

[@stephanedaguet915]

@@LizzieJaneBennet Here in the North of France, particularly in Normandy, we reserve oil for engines... it is considered a lubricant... 😅

[@LetsChillPage]

😅 So funny and so true! (I'm French, even if the name of my channel doesn't seem to be). But like some of you say, in France, butter is typically only offered at the table with certain dishes, such as smoked salmon or ham, radishes, and dry sausage, but also with certain cheeses such as Roquefort, Bleu, etc., and jam for breakfast. You can also put a dab on grilled meat (which has not been cooked in butter, therefore).

[@pierre-frederickgalland5810]

We must not forget that buying local products is not only a question of the freshness of the products. It is also a contribution to the reduction of co² and prices. This makes it possible to limit transport costs and the pollution emitted by these means of transport. And this makes the local economy work and especially the small producers and not the big manufacturers, who will supply the supermarkets.

[@uweinhamburg]

Supporting the local economy seems to be a big point for the French...

[@wawan3961]

@@uweinhamburg Yes, because otherwise it means big companies can relocate their labor to countries where it's cheaper, which in turn drives down wages in France. The same goes for food, if it's produced more cheaply on the other side of the world, french farmers are forced to lower their prices. And contrary to what was said earlier, it's unfortunately often more expensive to buy locally, which means it's a solution for the well-off and not for those who are struggling.

[@Pointillax]

9:25 Eating while driving is actually an infraction. The Code de la route states that the drivers attention must be exclusively on the road and that they must be abble to manoeuver safely at any time. Similarly smoking while driving has become an infraction aswell. People still do it, but if a cop sees you doing it he can pull you over.

[@phd3365]

Security first 😉

[@ariannewdnotbe]

I laughed when I saw your videos on the French food culture. I’m an American, married forever to a 🇫🇷 guy. We live in the US, but have always gone back to 🇫🇷 for family, a couple of times each year. When I was newly married , I was astonished by the amount of time my MIL would have for meals. Because she was so happy we were there, she’d invite ppl for lunch & dinner. We would eat breakfast-tartine et café, & then go out in Paris to shop for lunch. This involved going to the crémerie, le boucher, l,épicerie, thé boulangerie, etc. Then, we’d go home to prepare a 3 course meal FOR LUNCH. After the meal, we’d clean up & DO THE EXACT SAME THING FOR DINNER! I thought it was insane, but now, I love the 🇫🇷 food culture. Takes getting used to.

[@danielalexandre4008]

😅 Bonne description d un week end français !

[@scoobidou]

you should go to britany. They are si proud of their salted butter that they serve it for each meal !! And they are right, it's awesome !

[@nellygs702]

You would find a whole new level of love for butter in Brittany, yes 😅

[@user-rp8io9vy4v]

In the North, in general. I feel like this video is very "South France". I'm From the north east, and there's butter at every meal, we even add it on potatoes for supper, and we definitely eat fries with our hands, even if they're crazy hot.

[@marjorieorveau6707]

Eating on the go; the one thing people do here is breaking off the top of a baguette on coming out of the bakery... can't resist a warm baguette. Loved this video TY

[@kimberlywaegaert8220]

I am an American that has lived in France for 21 years now. The butter thing is definitely not just for breakfast in most of France. Here in the North east and in Paris, it is a big thing to have butter and ham on baguette for lunch.

[@LisaMoo54]

I don't have a problem asking for butter for the baguette in the restaurants and it is never refused. Just gotta ask!

[@IpStuffOliv]

i guess you understood that we do not eat just to feed ourselves, we love food, we talk about food when eating, discussing other recipes. It's a moment to enjoy with others.

[@olivierdelatouche9453]

As a french, i know nobody who eats pizza or burger or fries with a knife and fork, except in fancy places ! Cool video guys

[@philippem5695]

Ben dans un restaurant classique (hors Mac do et autre), difficile de manger les burgers et les frites et les pizzas avec les mains

[@olivierdelatouche9453]

@@philippem5695 mouais, meme là, ça depend du restau ... au rital du coin de la rue ou a dellarte ou au bar tabac brasserie en bas du taf, les frittes burgers et pizza c est à la main ! Dans le 5 etoiles avenue montaigne avec les beaux parents et le burger rossigni au foie gras on evite

[@philippem5695]

@@olivierdelatouche9453 J'avoue peu fréquenter les ritals du coin et autres dell'arte comme d'ailleurs les restaus de l'avenue Montaigne. Entre les deux il y a des masse de restaus où on utilise les couverts et où il serait limite inconvenant de ne pas le faire

[@olivierdelatouche9453]

@@thordsalmond8189 non, je dis pas ça, je dis que je connais personne en france qui mange un burger avec un couteau et une fourchette, à part dans des restaurants vraiment classe. Je ne pretends pas etre détenteur ou gardien d'aucun savoir quelconque. Je sais meme pas comment vous pouvez lire ça dans mon commentaire ... mais bon ... on va pas commencer à apprendre à lire à tous les (inserez ce que vous voulez comme mot dégradant ou insulte) qu on croise dans les commentaires youtube hein

[@TelManothHexperax]

Je mange burger, frite ou pizza avec couteaux fourchette ...beaucoup plus pratique / hygiénique de pas s'en mettre plein les doigts ..

[@brunomathon2279]

In Brittany or Normandy, you can eat butter all the day. In Brittany, butter with salt , and in Normandy without salt.

[@MrSebfrench76]

Pardon??? Du beurre doux en Normandie?? Sacrilège!!😁

[@paullejeune4959]

@@MrSebfrench76 c'est un mécréant au bucher !

[@Lakta81]

J'habite en normandie depuis 8 ans (Parisienne avant) et ici, c'est team beurre demi sel! Je ne connais pratiquement personne qui aime le beurre doux

[@christophe77700]

The butter doesn't really disappear during the day, but it's not in the form you're hoping for. In a large northern part of the country, cooking is done with butter unlike in the South, where people cook more with olive oil. If I can give you some advice, one day at a restaurant, try the Sole Meunière or the Raie au Beurre, 2 very fine fishes with which cooking with butter goes wonderfully.

[@stefane6382]

In normandy, they eat butter every time 🙂

[@vincentvegeta6172]

Butter ! 🤣 You don't live in Normandie obviously. Butter is mandatory there, for each meal

[@LetsChillPage]

😋😅

[@jean-yvesberrou8963]

As in Brittany ! And did you taste salted butter? Mostly in the northwestern part of France?

[@yvesd_fr1810]

It's rather crème fraiche in Normandie ! Note taht butter may be added in some dishes, such as cooked potatoes, and also as "beurre maitre d'hotel" i.e. with garlic and parsley...

[@Jonathan_T]

My "correction" POV as a French but I live in a big city : Fork & Knives : for me it's more a generation thing. Young people eat way more with their fingers globally. But yes, the majority of +30 people eats their burger with forks & knives (sometimes when I'm eating with coworkers I'm the only one eating with my fingers, thank god I'm a pro). Water & Ice : There are restaurant that brings you tap water automatically in France : good ones^^. Don't be scared to ask for a "carafe d'eau" added to your drinks : waiters are use to it. For Ice yeah sorry about that but it's globally a colder country 😂 As a french I'm always fascinated with your crappy motels that Always propose a fridge of ice, wtf 😂 And finally butter^^ : I think your POV is more a regional thing. I really think butter consumption vary a lot in France depending on the region. In some regions, we eat it at every meal, in others, only salted butter (In Bretagne especially, don't get me started on ther patisserie made of 80 % butter 😅). So keep exploring, you'll be surprise. PS : gj on the titre de séjour !

[@marygee3981]

😂The French would faint at seeing a US chain store selling croissants with "bioengineered food" in the ingredients list.😮 (WEIS)

[@nox8730]

I can confirm that. Amongst the countless reasons i absolutely refuse to ever go to the USA, the number one is probably food. I always look at ingredients before buying stuff. I like my stuff to be with no additives whatsoever. Which is a given here. I would become anorexic in the USA, because i know for a fact that i could never have the courage to willingly absorb poison.

[@Jamirio]

​@@nox8730 But the concept of bioengineered food is coming to Europe if not already there, the rich elites of USA such as Gates want the same scheme for the World.

[@francoisleyrat8659]

Re meal times : what you are describing is mostly small towns/rural areas (where many working people do go home to eat lunch). It's quite different in large cities and in Paris where you can eat whenever you want, with more round the clock services, and people commute from afar and therefore eat in company cafeterias. More generally restaurant opening hours reflect local habits and also labour laws. Fast food is big in France, as you have noticed, with international (with a local sourcing of food) and local franchises. What you could have noted also (that might be an interesting new episode) is that in traditional wine drinking countries like France, "wine and cheese" is not a thing, wine is mostly consummed with meals, sometimes during aperitives. Wine is generally not a stand-alone drink (except for some urban yuppies) you drink in the sunset, after a 6 o'clock dinner, before going to bed (which is mostly an Anglo-saxon fantasy) although there is a vanishing tradition of "digestives". Therefore French wine is mostly meant to be paired with food, unlike "new world wines" which in my perception are typically tannic, woody, heavily flavoured because people mostly drink them outside meals. Thanks for your interesting contributions!

[@BaguetteBound]

Great information, thank you. You are right about the differences in the approach to wine, but that could be an entire video on its own. Thanks again.

[@briansavage1408]

Paris is not representative of France, any more than New York city is representative of the US.

[@dazlebluefrogify]

When i'd finished my national service here (i'm dual english/french born and raised, my first 22 years spent in england ) i stayed here, in Grenoble where i live in the local cafe you would see men drinking "un ballon de rouge " or blanc or even "blanc /cassis",small glass of red ou white wine or white with blackcurrant and this at 7 /8 in the morning ,thing have changed though in the 36 years i've been here 😁😁

[@mariemoulinec3569]

I am French and having a meal without a dessert is just impossible. I just feel as if I have not finish my meal. So i am still "hungry" (not really but some food is missing) so it has hard to concentrate on work/sleep (depending if it was lunch or diner)

[@BaguetteBound]

Oh my gosh, I told Jason I was starting to feel this way the other day! I feel the meal is unfinished without at least a little something dessert, which is very new for us and I never expected!

[@LetsChillPage]

As a Frenchman, for me, it's to eat a meal without bread (baguette, of course, lol), except when it comes to eating Asian.

[@photolover6944]

Sorry, but I don't think you're a real French (lol) ! For a true French, it's having a meal without cheese which is impossible ! The dessert comes after the cheese.

[@LetsChillPage]

@@photolover6944 Hello, France isn't populated with the same person X 70 million. Of course, we share approximately the same food culture (bread, cheese, wine, dessert, whatever you say, etc.). But that doesn't mean every person eats exactly like the others. For example, I drink wine or eat cheese occasionally during convivial meals with a group of friends or with extended family. But the rest of the time, I happily do without it. Have a pleasant week,

[@agarrigue002]

@@BaguetteBound A little late but in some part of France we say "A table comme en amour, le changement donne du goût" (At dinner like in love, change adds taste). You've been eating "salty" food all meal long, now it's ending and to celebrate that you need sugar based food ! Also, like you said, we don't usually snack a lot here is France so it's one of the rare occasion we've got to enjoy sweets :)

[@maximusaugustus4976]

In restaurant, ask for "tap water" (carafe d'eau). For butter, it's not only for breakfast. We eat butter also with some cheeses and some cold meats (charcuterie). And we have diiferent kind of butter : non salted, half salted and salted. Make your choice ;)

[@Valjao67]

It’s so interesting to see the cultural differences we are not even aware of if we don’t travel. As for the butter, you will find some in restaurant if you eat seafood, especially in Bretagne or Normandy. It’s true that eating butter after breakfast is not common, except in Normandy where people eat butter in every meal at home, even with cheese, what a food faux-pas! For eating with hands, we avoid doing that in restaurant. We do that when we eat a take away lunch or at home with no guests, but as you, i eat my fries with my hands, it’s part of the pleasure, even in a restaurant !

[@zobzoby2183]

US wins Butter... Really? It's a joke?

[@exvagoergosum]

Jason gave the point to US only because there's butter all day long on their table. He also said that French butter was delicious. By the way, the US point for cold water was questionable too but hey, they had to find a way to give a point or two to their homeland. 😁

[@davidtisserant2229]

I agree, US loose the butter war and not just a little!

[@danielcreveuil]

À real joke

[@AuxaneST]

Unless they are based in Normandy or Brittany they have not tasted the best French butter. May be the only reason for this sacrilege...

[@JohnPilling25]

No way - French butter is way better.

[@jean-michelpichon217]

Worth noting that we have "apéritif dînatoire" which is an apero which doubles as evening meal, in these ones we have much more consistent food alongside our booze. Try it one day, bake some savory cakes, set some potato chips or anything you want. Don't hesitate to ask people to bring stuff to eat too.

[@marinade999]

Just found out about your channel and as a French it is really interesting to hear your point our view on our culture. It really is interesting to see that things I consider to be the most normal thing, really are not on the other side of the world. For the meal courses point, in 2023 a study showed that the French spend the most time at the table in the world (2:13h/day in average vs 1:02h/day in the USA). But your explanation of why it is like this is really good. It is the time where you gather with your friends or family and talk about everything. Once i saw a reportage on a family in the US and they did not eat at the same time, they’ll eat sitting on their phone and rushing back to their bedroom. I was shocked, in 18 years with my parents I don't think we have ever eaten not all together at the table.

[@michellelkphoto1543]

So I am half British, born and raised there, and I grew up with having proper manners drilled in...to include ALWAYS use your fork and knife. Then I went on a date with my future husband and he took me to a place that sold fried chicken! His face was priceless when he realized that I had taken that chicken to bare bone...with a fork and knife! LOL

[@BaguetteBound]

This is impressive! 😂

[@nellygs702]

My husband is able to even cut and eat a shrimp with a fork and a knife. My mother told me the exceptions tolerated would only be fries. About the bill : it's considered very rude to bring the bill, a complete lack of basic politeness. You have to ask for. Thank you, it was fun to watch

[@BEYSeamaster1]

But the French use a toooooooooooooooooon of butter in their cooking. So you are having indirectly all the butter you want. 😂 I love butter too. Especially in Europe. What we call butter in the USA is 2 molecules away from plastic. 😯

[@nox8730]

Depends what kind of food you make. I hardly use any butter for cooking, except when making pastries, obviously. There are not so many recipes that require butter in France. Brittany would, probably. Like salted crepes. But that's not everything.

[@marygee3981]

🎉Thanks! Very enjoyable video!😊

[@fredguelen7630]

You. Just. Start. The. Butter. War.

[@robbabouk302]

It's awesome how you've been able to understand our (food) culture so quickly... and so rightly without any real mistake! Pro-tip : If you want butter at restaurant, look at the "charcuterie" entrées they usually serve it with butter (and bread of course), and you can ask for more eventually.

[@charlescello]

Interesting observations. I've always asked for a carafe d'eau in a restaurant (which, by law, is free) and sparkling water when that is what I desire. Some restaurants have brought butter at lunch/dinner, but may be because they realized I am American. I noticed you didn't mention butter with the cheese course!

[@BaguetteBound]

Ah! Thanks for mentioning the carafe d'eau (pitcher of water) being free to ask for by law, as we were talking I didn't think to mention it. And cheese courses! You just reminded me we didn't even talk about those!!! So many more French food fmvideos to make.😅 Thanks for commenting!

[@dominiquebellaud7489]

In northern regions of France people bring butter to the table at meals.

[@as_ppl_33]

I heard this very often from US citizens visiting France, that restaurants don’t offer free water. It’s something that very common to have tap water. Just ask for « une carafe d’eau ». It’s true that waiters will ask you if you want a bottled water or tap water. The more they sell bottles, the better their business is. There are a kind of restaurants called « Brasseries ». Usually they open from 6-8am till 12pm-2am non stop.

[@FranckTessier]

If you want to eat butter more often, you just need to travel in 'poitou' 'Bretagne ' or 'Normandie ' they are using butter everywhere.

[@synkaan2167]

16:30 We also serve butter with certain dishes like radish, and we also use a lot of butter in the cooking, especially if you are living in Brittany or Normandy for instance, but it's true in the south they use a bit less butter and more oil. Note that too much butter isn't very good for your health anyway :D

[@Dunwael]

Your videos are cool! 1/ Water: there are 3 choices in restaurants. Tap water, still bottled water, sparkling bottle water. No ice though 😊 2/ Butter: You are not in the right region for that. Brittany it is. Here, restaurants will even serve you butter with your basket of bread by default.

[@jonsnow3402]

We can eat butter at lunch with some specifics items like seafood, radish, blue cheese, boiled eggs, etc.

[@huflo3178]

Welcome here you guys! Hope French people treat you well! 🤗

[@DannyTomasso]

Nice video, but I would like to add two more points: TIPPING goes to France by a mile! While in USA you HAVE TO tip 18-20% everywhere, in France is zero. That makes a huge difference on the bill. Second point, breakfast in France is mainly croissant or pain au chocolat and coffee, (or something similar) while in USA is eggs and bacon, or similar. In UK is English breakfast, which is huuuuge😅. Enjoy your stay in France and keep the videos coming. Thank you

[@kathyacemoi3241]

le pourboire en france est à la convenance. Ils fait parti des "bonnes manières". le pourboire signifie: le repas était excellent ou j'ai apprécié le service du personnel. c'est plus perçu comme un remerciement de l'accueil reçu.

[@elcascador1543]

for the butter it dependend in which region you are, in britany or normandie you might have butter with your bread

[@ericburlot8952]

Dans l'ouest de la France et plus particulièrement en Bretagne ,il est courant d 'avoir du beurre à tous les repas 7H 12H 19H Avec du pain évidemment !!!! J'adore vos vidéos. Continuez ainsi. French fan

[@sapinta]

The only time I had butter served to me with bread in a restaurant was in France, in Bretagne. We didn't ask for it and I was pretty perplexed, but apparently butter is expected to always appear on your table in Bretagne 😂

[@davidhaley8542]

Here's another category concerning French food culture: the service when eating out. First, one only leaves a small tip if any tip at all. A couple of euros is normal. Servers in France receive wages and are not dependent upon tips. This leads to a second point: servers neither hover over guests nor interrupt the meal nor try to upsell. French service is very discreet. Servers will watch from a distance and reappear as if by ESP when a guest is ready for another course or has another need. In the U.S., I am often tempted to respond to "can I get you anything else?" with "yes, you can get me some time without you bothering me. If I need you, I will let you know."

[@axoram]

sono italiano ma amo anche io la cucina dei nostri cugini francesi , le baguette e tutti i prodotti da forno sono una cosa magnifique🙌

[@Nozael92]

Je suis français et j'adore la cuisine et les fromages de nos amis et cousins italiens.

[@tadduniannick2042]

Grazie mille

[@francisleveque2939]

​@@Nozael92Drucker et Holtz sont de retour ! 😂

[@pascalluzineau3184]

you have free water in all restaurants and it is often served cold, so no need for ice cubes, and especially not in wine, fortunately…

[@gerona48]

We have a number of very different experiences. For example, the water example. Here in the SW, the server will bring a large bottle or carafe of very cold water. One never has to ask. Plus, we see multiple people eating fries with their fingers. The bottom line is the differences may be regional. I love the structured meal times. My husband hates it. 😉

[@lindylee1139]

Très intéressant

[@user-es7wb4go8l]

And by the way, my mother was taught to peel peaches with fork and knife at her boarding school in the 30s. She let it down, but showed it us from time to time for the fun of it.

[@nox8730]

Must be difficult. But it is probably about getting used to it. I still do that with shrimps.

[@xavieryonter9879]

About the butter: you can often find it at lunch. As an entrée, you can have some "radis" (radish) "à la croque au sel". People would serve just the vegetables with some bread, butter and salt. It may sound frugal but indeed, it’s very tasty and a good way to have your kid eat some "crudités". Also, one of my kid doesn’t like cheese. At dinner, instead of cheese, he often asks for a tartine or two. Loving cheese, I didn’t even think about it, but he made a point here!

[@dms2368]

Love it. The only AOP type designation I know of in the US is with Vidalia onions. They are grown in Vidalia, Georgia and by state law it also governs when they are released for sale AND all others grown outside of that region are "sweet onions".

[@MikeS29]

In Italy, the DOC and DOCG are like the AOP; a standard that must be adhered to to be called by a specific name, even Pizza Napolitano. Every type of food has that provenance. The "G" at the end of DOC stands for "guarantee" so is even stricter.

[@Nozael92]

And these labels are still guaranted (but translated) even when the product is outside the country, in france we buy AOP italian products.

[@matthieuappenzeller9244]

In France we also have IGP. Good that you have similar mentions in Italy. If I travel there and eat, I would prefer local food.

[@filiaaut]

These mentions exist within the entire EU (the initials change depending on the local language, but the principle and logo are shared). Switzerland also has an AOP system, with a different logo because they can't use the EU one, bug again, it works the same and serves the same purpose.

[@hidroxttv4238]

Good job!

[@steveh46]

Speaking of eating in cars, I remember when my French brother-in-law's cousin came to the US with her boyfriend in the 1980s. I got some last minute tickets to an exhibition by the US Olympics basketball team. (It was a big deal to me, basketball wasn't so big in France at the time.) We had to leave right away, no time for dinner but I pulled into a Burger King drive-in window, ordered some food and handed it to them to eat as I drove to the Dean Dome. They sat there with the food in their laps looking like they didn't know what to do with it. Eat in a moving car???!!! No way! Different culture where food is to be savored, not gobbled on the way somewhere.

[@alainroulet8686]

butter spread on bread, with cheese. and half-salt is even better, even at breakfast, with jam

[@celestinarcelus79]

Actually it's four courses, don't forget the cheese moment before dessert !

[@francoislambert4739]

Yess. Cheese is essential.

[@rickchandler2570]

Yeah I kinda disagree with some of them but for a different reason. Americans are all about immediate gratification (I'm American as well.. but live in Portugal) so I think only getting butter or food at certain times allows you to look forward to something and appreciate it more than just having it whenever you want. Portugal is VERY similar to France in many, many ways and I've adjusted to their culture and I really appreciate it now.

[@fionavl7071]

i like your channel i'm french and it is cool for learn english

[@carolinemead7747]

We’ve lived in France for nearly 20 years, you definitely do get butter with your bread in Michelin* restaurants (usually from a small local producer). Also if you ask for butter in a restaurant they’ll likely bring you some. We have friends from Lille and the tradition there is to have butter on your bread when eating cheese, so when they’re in a different area they’ll simply ask for some butter and I’ve never known them be refused.

[@pierre-yvesdantec3802]

For butter at every meal , please comme to Britanny.

[@lazyshoggy]

The part with the butter is funny, we live in SW too and sometimes use butter in meal ; for example to soften saucisson or radishs.

[@olivierwalter9916]

you love butter ? let's try kouign amann ! A special desert from bretagne ! They will give it to you with a special paper for your fingers not to be greasy...

[@elizabetheyma-davies8584]

I’m British and married to A Frenchman, we live in Britain! All those things you have pointed out apply when he eats, laying the table, knife and fork, no snacks, 3 meals a day, however, British bread is horrid , you need butter to make it taste better, but french bread is so gorgeous, you just don’t need it. I love your videos. You look so happy and fulfilled with your life in France. Bonne chance ❤

[@ralfkrahe2493]

Even though butter may be limited to breakfast in France, my wife and I would give the point to France purely on taste. Most (if not all) American butter doesn’t come close in terms of flavor. Whenever possible, we buy beurre français in the US … and look forward to our next trip to France, in eager anticipation not just for the butter. Great list that we can agree with otherwise. :-)

[@BaguetteBound]

This is soooooo true! I wasn't even thinking about that when we made the video. I think I've gotten spoiled here the past year and forgotten the quality disparity. European butter has higher fat content on average than US butter and I agree it makes all the difference in flavor. Thanks for pointing that out!

[@graadlon]

@@BaguetteBound Hi frenchie here!! The butter culture is different region to region in France. In brittany where most of butter is produce ( and Normandy) we practicly leave on the stuff. You will see it EVEYWHERE. There is also a quote that say : ' a breton without butter , dies !!" (Un breton sans beurre, meurre !) Maybe it's because you leave in the south where it is much hotter than here in the northwest. Cheers for your content. So happy that you appreciate the country, it's people and culture !!

[@didierjacob250]

@@BaguetteBound Bonjour, je suis Français, et j' ai été agréablement surpris de voir Mac Donald , créer des hamburgers avec des produits, fromages régionaux français, cantal, roquefort...... adaptation au pays, malin!!!

[@LisaMoo54]

French butter is the best!

[@phildoyle4098]

@@BaguetteBound I would also point out that it is possible to ask for le beurre at lunch or dinner.

[@stef75017]

We cook with butter and you can ask for butter after breakfast to eat with ham and pickles, or if you are eating radishes. But I suppose you settled in the south “the oil zone of France”. In the north of France, we would use and eat more butter.

[@pnwesty7174]

You got the butter wrong! French butter is superior by far, and you can have it at home. The thing for me is that - the bread is so much better, it kind of stands on it's own. I'd rather have good bread at dinner than some kind of reheated "dinner rolls" with Safeway butter.

[@Nozael92]

Hi, Bonjour, I m not agree with you when you say that butter is only for breakfast. We use it to cook, especially meat. We have butter with radish, smoked salmon. Our "sauces", (how do you say "sauce"in english ?) often contain butter. We put butter in our pastas and vegetables especially green beans. In some regions you have butter with cheese (and nearly everywhere with Roquefort cheese). Our most inconic sandwich is Jambon-beurre (Ham and butter). Nearly all our pastries contain butter (especially in Brittany). The thre of you are amazing, thank you for sharing, i think i undersatnd a little more american culture thanks to you when you pointed out differences between the two cultures.

[@didierprevost1160]

Je souscris entièrement au commentaire de Christophe77700 : Nord de la France, cuisine au beurre. Sud de la France : cuisine à l'huile d'olive. Et oui, en Bretagne, le beurre est salé.

[@richard_ager]

So interesting. I'm English so I learnt a bit about American culture as well as French!

[@sebastienlola]

hello, the butter is there ! in the food itself 😊

[@StartBusFrance]

The knives & forks made me laugh. Totally agree - how can you eat a burger with cutlery, but most French people would or cut smaller bits. I also hate eating a pizza without cutlery 😂. But for some of it it's about food etiquette and good banners, you don't want to appear rude. Might be different eating at home.

[@BaguetteBound]

This came up with our French instructor one day and he said the same thing! That is he was at lunch with his colleagues from work, he could never eat a burger with his hands! But if he was with friends - maybe. I secretly love this so much about French culture and people. That the respect and politeness of just being in public with your community means even eating in a way that's thoughtful of those around you. ❤ 🇫🇷

[@didierjacob250]

@@BaguetteBound ...à propos du beurre, après le petit déjeuner, tartine beurre, croissants au beurre ou autres fromages, , il y a bien des occasions de continuer à en manger, en pâtisserie ( gouter le gâteau breton Kouign-Amann, plein de beurre !!! ) crêpes au beurre salé, poisson au beurre, fruits de mer....avec le Japon et la crête, le moins de maladies cardio vasculaires, longévité, alors attention quand même....cherchez vous une maison ?

[@lollygee172]

This may be my biggest cultural hurdle! I think food tastes better when you ca eat it with your hands LOL. SO American! Can’t imagine trying to cut through a hamburger or pizza crust without it ending up in my lap…or on the floor! I better start practicing.

[@StartBusFrance]

@@lollygee172 I bet that there's a market for etiquette courses about "eating a burger" with knives & forks 😄🍽

[@venemautube]

Sometimes I refer to the Netherlands (yes, yes , yes , I am Dutch) as the 51st state of the USA. There is McDonalds everywhere, Subway, Burger King and all kinds of snackbars with french fries to go. Everybody speaks english. The Dutch and the French are quite different.😮

[@tadduniannick2042]

For food yes, France 10 nederlands 1😂😂😂

I love your videos since I discored it. This one is nice and I agree with most of your choices but I would like to add my own ;-) I laughed a lot with the "fork and knife" section as I remember I organized with a deep countryside kids group (I am a former school teacher) a trip to Bordeaux with a lunch in a Mac Do restaurant. For most of the kids it was a first fastfood experience and for the mayor of the village who was there, sure it was the first one too !! With my teacher colleagues we had a very nice moment when we saw him pulling out his Opinel knife from his pocket for cutting his burger. Sure he thought it was the good way as he could just have kill a wild pig in the forest for eating. But now it is very common for everybody to eat with his own hands a burger, a sandwich, tacos ... Thanks for this appreciate part of the US culture. In fact, the fork invention is not so old ! It was completly usual in the old days to eat with hands and "fourchette" which means "petite fourche" was just add to the french way of eating at the royal court of Louis, I can't remember the number ;-) ... It went on the full society gradually after. I am not sure it could be invented in France. Maybe it went from another european country. The only point I completly disagree with you is the use of butter. Sure I love good butter traditionnaly made with raw milk and salt as it is made in the north west, Brittany, Pays de Loire, Charente ... I never eat butter for breakfast but I use butter for cooking which can swift with oil for better taste if you care to not burn it. I cannot imagine eating oysters or radis (I am lazy to search for the english word) without bread and butter. I loved my only one trip in the US as I met nice people on the riversides, it was a fishing trip in Utah and Oregon. But I don't have a nice memory of the food ... It is a kind way of telling it ;-) I was also very shocked by the large number of young people in an overweight situation ... It seems it would be better for exerybody if the US people follow our way of eating but sadly I think french people are rather following the US way and loose ours. Thank you for your appreciations on our differnent ways of living, to give me opportunity to train my english and once again welcome in our old country.

[@BaguetteBound]

Thank you for sharing these stories! Merci d'avoir partagé ces histoires ! 😊

[@mumimor]

Very late to the party, but I'm so old I was a teenager when McDonalds and Burgerking came to Europe, and we were fascinated by the concept. However, it turned out at my first visit to Burgerking that I didn't have the skills to eat without a knife and fork. I literally couldn't do it. And this is with the background of my mother who had travelled abroad and was very much into eating with ones hands. I had eaten corn on the cob, and artichokes.But a burger? Impossible.

[@julien5053]

For the convinience food, it's because you are in a smaller town I guess. In Paris, it's like in the US, you can find "brasseries" that serve meals whenever you want.

[@conreo]

I will be interesting to have a follow up of this video in few years, to see how you vision change and what you didn't notice before.

[@Obsywon]

Actually when we french host long-lasting diners with friends & family over, we kinda dance around the subject of leaving after a while. It's not uncommon for guests to imply (or outright say) "we should get going", and then staying a while longer just chatting around. Leaving too early can be read as 'oh, so they didn't like hanging around with us'. Hosts tend to give small cues when it's time to go, but outright requesting your guests to leave is seen as kinda impolite, especially if you're not close. There's a lot of unspoken rules when it comes to hosting or being a guest to a long diner with people you're just getting to know !

[@IesKorpershoek]

Nous passons plusieurs lunes par an dans la région de l'Alsace et nous reconnaissons une grande partie de votre histoire. Lorsque nous mangeons à l'extérieur, que ce soit au petit déjeuner, au déjeuner ou au dîner, le beurre n'est jamais un problème.

[@christinelionnet1859]

The origin of food is required by law and french people want to help the producer next d'or. In Bretagne salty butter at every métal, and in the cuisine

[@pearlyrown2548]

About fast food: you forgot to mention that most of the bakeries propose sandwiches and salads...

[@FumerPue]

I don’t know where you live in france, but in my part of France, we eat butter from breakfast to bedtime. For real.

[@pyramethisbe2214]

4 courses in restaurant s, "amuse bouche " with your drink, entrée ,plat , dessert and un petit café

[@richard_ager]

Talking about knives and forks, what amuses us in the UK about Americans, is that you don't use them throughout the meal. You cut up the food beforehand and then just use the fork. We've see this on Celebrity cruise ships.

[@stephanedaguet915]

Interesting fact about our american friends ... I am norman and despite the fact that I have probably a lot of viking ancestors I think it is a kind of barbaric manners ... 😋😂

[@maryannsegal2807]

The standard when I was growing up was...cut your food as you go. It's stuck with me - I would NEVER cut up all my food beforehand in public. (I admit to doing it at home, if I am eating while working at the computer.)

[@marygee3981]

🎉In northest US we were taught to cut a portion with knife in the right hand, set the knife down, switch the fork to the right hand, eat, repeat. 😅

[@heliedecastanet1882]

I am French and I must confess that I kept from my childhood the habit of eating a croissant around 5pm 😉

[@thierryf67]

AOP is also a E.U. denomination. Earlier, in France we used AOC (C for Controllée/Controlled), you can yet find it on old wine bottles. There's also a less restrictive appellation named IGP (earlier VDQS in France), which is only a geographic specification.

[@LisaMoo54]

Yes, Thierry, I came to the comments to mention the same thing. It's a European Commission requirement.

[@IronFreee]

You can find butter on the table for lunch or dinner, especially if you go to the North-West part of France, in Bretagne or Normandie. I remember seing butter on the table at familly meals. But people don't usually put butter with greasy food like "foie gras" or "saucisson sec" (except with strong cheeses, to make them taste milder). Or people will simply put it on a small piece of bread (my familly called that "beurotter" and used it in sentences like: "Arrête de beurotter ou tu n'auras plus faim pour la suite"). You can order a "carafe de Chateau la Pompe" (tap water) in restaurants. Most French people will use their hands to eat specific food in specific curcumstances. "Canapés" at a buffet or pizza slices at a friends gathering are eaten with hands. In urban areas, you'll see people eating patisseries, sandwitches, quiches and other "fast food", in public places, using their hands. But nobody eats while walking or in public transports. French people are generally less selfish and entitled than Americans. They usually focus on driving rather than risking to kill other people because they couldn't refrain from eating while slowly cruising on the left lane like in America. (There's 8 times less people killed by car accidents in France).

[@yacetube]

Butter does NOT go away. It is in many dishes recipes. Less in the south where olive oil is big thing. But croissant, pastries, cakes, cookies, fried things, sandwiches, many sauces, or on the bottom of oven meal.. which melt and goes into the sauce for fish and meat, and many more.

[@brunoevenou3788]

Of course we have butter at lunch or dinner, mostly with "entrée" food, like seafood, radish...

[@NovaStar1967]

For lunch, butter comes on your jambon beurre sandwich

[@mariecaillaud8693]

By the way, you should try the Surgeres's butter, and the salty butter too, it's gives differents wibes....

[@stephanedaguet915]

I am norman and I eat butter (beurre doux here in Normandy) at lunch and dinner especcially with bread and cheese or saucisson. I think it is the same in Brittany but with salty butter. Mostly depending on the region. May be most common in northern France. I eat a entire 250g plaquette of butter each week ... made in normandy of course (Isigny) ...

[@SyuSept]

I'm french and I can guarantee that french people eat their burgers with their hands 😊

[@laurentpaumier3103]

I'm french and can tell you that even if you are a well educated person you don't have to eat everything with knife and fork. You do it only in fancies restaurants. With family and friends it's not rude to eat pizza, chicken leg/wing, fries, etc. with hands.

[@AlbandAquino]

Being able to trace WHERE your food is coming from is a staple of French food (accountability reminder). Just for the simple fact that, YOU, as a consumer will be able to source more local food is you want to... As a French national married to an American woman, I love it. I can tell her, Hey: that zucchini is coming from this place. Those carrots, they are from there. Do you want to visit the place and strike a deal with THAT local producer? Be our guest. Local farmer's market...

[@afterburner94]

Regarding butter, as a Frenchman, I was in heaven when I visited Wisconsin because it was butter and cheese paradise. I''m not talking about Land o Lakes, but real artisan butter almost AOP quality. It was awesome. I agree, butter all day, everyday.

[@DanielCordey]

AOP/IGP products are available all over Europe (all countries). Also, you can perfectly get butter with your bred in higher level restaurants, but rest insure that the meal in front of you has probably been cooked with butter 🙂

[@hellohjbgjh]

Errmmm for the burgers, I am French, grew up in Franche Comté, have always eaten them and fries with my hands directly, as my relatives, friends... ^^ Maybe that's South-West of France they're weird 🤣 I heard some eating all the time with fork and knife, but they were students in hotellerie (they even had the obligation to use a knife to cut their apple, at the ecole de Madame Cheval in Besançon and we thought that so ''posh'' that always laughed at that!), or very posh people, the bourgeoise, so I would say a really small proportion of the population (maybe less than 10% for sure!) 😊

[@matissebrement1938]

I'm french and the use of fork and knife is mostly when you are in public, I think that it might just be that you make to much noise when eating, after all a Burger with chips is better when eaten whith hands

[@EquuleusPictor]

Even in a bigger city, you should expect the working hours of a restaurant to be: lunch (11:30/12:00 - 14:00) and dinner (18:30/19:00 - 22:00/23:00). The only exception is fast food restaurants/ kebabs which are open all day long.

[@sebabustos]

Meals in France will have 3 courses (or even 4, if you include the cheese after the main course), but the portions are much more reasonable. You can actually have all those courses and not overeat.

[@PyromancerRift]

The butter is not on the bread, it is in the pot ! We cook everything with butter. There's butter in almost everything. If it's not butter it is olive oil anyway.

[@pierrebocquillon6247]

Hi there.... Nous avons vécus 3 années à Atlanta GA.... and we loved it... Mais , nous avons été très surpris de découvrir des usages de table qui seraient "grossier" en France ... Comme tenir sa fourchette droite plantée dans la viande comme un pieu..... ! If you can't read French.... let me know and i'll turn into English... ( American one... ) We love what you publish... It is fun...Y'all carry on guys Pierre from Vendée

[@BaguetteBound]

Look at that "y'all" in the French!! 😍

[@golgotisme]

About butter, it depends on which region of France you are.. In the North of France, cooking is made with butter, in the south with oliva oil .. And you're allowed to eat butter when you want ! You should go to your "fromager" and ask for butter of "jersey" caw.. this butter is just wow !!