France’s worldwide gastronomical event, Goût de France/Good France, is back for its 6th edition, and restaurants in India are once again participating in force. From October 14 to 22, dozens of restaurants across India will serve French-style menus focused on sustainable gastronomy. They join chefs and restaurants across the world and over 150 French embassies and consulates in this annual event celebrating French cuisine.
This year’s edition will focus on the gastronomy of the future by highlighting commitment to a more eco-friendly, sustainable cuisine, as well as on the Centre-Loire Valley region, the “Garden of France” whose gastronomy dates back to the Renaissance and has shaped an exceptional way of life, opening a window onto French excellence. Over 40 restaurants and hotel groups across India to create French menus from October 14-22.
Restaurants across India, chefs, importers of French products and other stakeholders of gastronomy in India are taking part in the initiative by creating menus that promote French gastronomy, French gourmet food products and wines in sync with the themes of the event. In total, more than 40 restaurants are part of Good France in India this year. Participation from India has been exceptional since the first edition in 2015. India has consistently ranked among the top five participating countries worldwide, which reflects the Indian public’s growing interest in French gastronomy. Looking forward to the event, Emmanuel Lenain, the Ambassador of France to India, said, “France and India are two nations boasting an exceptional and diverse gastronomical tradition. We have much to learn from each other in this area. I am glad that once again, India is amongst the top countries participating to the Goût de France/Good France initiative and I invite everyone to seize this opportunity to take a taste of France.”
The Goût de/Good France initiative, conceived by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is carried out in India by the Embassy of France, Business France, Atout France – France Tourism Development Agency and the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI) in partnership with the participating restaurants.
The Embassy of France shared on its social media handles the recipe of a cardamom saffron crème brûlée, a French desert with an Indian twist created by the chef of the Residence of France. Viewers were invited to try the recipe at home and share pictures and videos of their take to participate in the contest. The winner is Raavi Kapoor, a young Delhiite studying French at the Alliance française de Delhi, who posted on Facebook a delicious and beautifully done interpretation of the recipe. She has won a complimentary dinner for two at one of the participating restaurants.
A social media contest has been launched by Atout France India. Participants can take part by visiting one of the participating restaurants during the Goût de/Good France event and clicking a selfie of themselves enjoying the Goût de/Good France meal with the menu and uploading it on the contest post of Atout France India’s Facebook or Twitter accounts. A lucky winner stands to win a 2-night stay for 2 people in the Loire Valley of France, in the elegant Domaine des Hauts de Loire property courtesy Relais & Châteaux and the Domaine des Hauts de Loire. (terms and conditions apply).
With its rich national heritage, the Centre-Loire Valley Region is a land of talents. Originating from the tables of the ancient kings of the Renaissance, its gastronomy is an ode to its fertile soils, its forests and the rivers running through its vast landscapes. As the Garden of France, the Centre-Loire Valley Region has for centuries been shaping an exceptional way of life, opening a window onto French excellence which still today is the pride and joy of its tourism industry. The region’s food is inextricably linked to local cultural life, and Centre-Loire Valley is today at the heart of the new, thriving event season, of the Nouvelles Renaissances 2021 Festival, which celebrates the region’s historical reputation for creativity and bold innovation among all the arts. Several gatherings and events with food and wine stakeholders from the Loire Valley have been lined up for this new cultural edition. In close collaboration with the 2021 Goût de/Good France programme, these events will aim to provide an experience of local, sustainable and eco-friendly art of living throughout the region, drawing on all its history and resources. With local produce, producers, a friendly atmosphere, ethical restaurants, zero-waste cuisine, knowledge-sharing and taste education, 2021 will be seen as a “renaissance” for food and its new eco-friendly challenges.
Christophe Hay, an advocate for local produce and Goût de/Good France Ambassador, said, “When I think of my Loire Valley, many images come to mind: rivers and ponds, forests, fields, kitchen gardens, castles, farms, vineyards, wild flora and fauna.” A native of Vendôme, he works hand in hand with local producers and offers local, seasonal food with the aim of highlighting and promoting his region’s rich cultural heritage. Rehabilitating fish from the Loire, promoting game from the Sologne region, demonstrating traditional varieties in his kitchen garden, this chef’s cuisine goes beyond the plate. Ethical and sustainability commitments have recently earned him the distinction of “2021 Chef of the Year” from the Gault & Millau restaurant guide. An advocate of new gastronomy, Christophe Hay has also made it a priority to share his expertise on food and educate young people. After learning from his peers to have a passion and respect for good products, and with support and collaboration from institutional actors in the region, he is dedicating part of his time and activities to new generations in the Centre-Loire Valley Region, whom he is educating on produce and the world around them.
