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Catherine de Medici was the queen of France in the sixteenth century. She ruled alongside her husband whose name was Henry. Henry didn't love Catherine but loved another lady who was thought to be the most beautiful in France. He paid her for sexual favors. Catherine de Medici brought Italian herbs and food to France, and French cooking was based on that.
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∙ 14y ago
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∙ 11y agoIn Caterina's age, Florence represented the height of worldly sophistication. It was a city from whence a highly profitable international banking business was run and, along with Venice, Florence was the most conduit of entry for the exotic spices of the East. Being born into Florence's leading family, Caterina thus grew up in an environment of unique refinement and luxury. When she was married off to the french prince Henri (to become King Henri II in 1547) in 1533, part of the marriage agreement entailed that she was allowed to bring a retinue of master cooks and pastry chefs, and herein lies her contribution to what became the famous French cuisine.
As a simple example of her contribution to the French cuisine, let it just be said that before her arrival (and for quite a long time afterwards) the French ate with their hands; Caterina did not, she brought the fork to France.
Before her arrival French cooking was good, but not apparently much distinguished from those of Germany or England. She brought finesse, spice, presentational flair, technique and theatricality to the eating experience, this to a country that was (brutally put) a largely "meat'n'potatos" landscape. The Florentines also brought techniques to preserve and keep foods fresh for longer times.
Later another Florentine married another French king, further strengthening the Franco-Florentine gastronomical cord. And in this context it is important to underline that this was specifically not a Franco-Italian cord (an explanation frequently suggested), but a clearly Franco-Florentine connection. Italy as a unified nation did not even exist until the 1860s, and even today Italy does not have a unified cuisine, but rather a collection of regional cuisines that differ quite markedly from each other. Had Caterina come from another part of Italy, say Naples, the effect would have been quite different.
What we can easily say is that that she was (in culinary terms at least) in the right place at the right time, and she certainly sowed the the know-how and passion for food of her native city in a very fertile land. If the french kitchen went on to develop into one of the world's truly great world cuisines, they do owe a good share of that to Caterina opening new vistas to them at an early point in time.
Would the french cuisine have reached greatness without Caterina? Maybe, but it would have been different. It was not just the food that made Caterina's importance so great. The fork, table manners, making dining a theatrical experience to be enjoyed by all the senses, luxury and refinement, not to mention her bringing about the inclusion of well-dressed women at the dining table, etc. Florence already had all of this; Caterina simply brought this with her to one of the great European courts, and the effects of her proud legacy can be felt to this day, in the fine food and dining experiences we encounter in modern french cuisine.
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∙ 11y agoShe brought the fork to the french table. She introduced broccoli, green beans & truffles to French cuisine
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What Did Catherine De Medici Do?
Catherine de' Medici's occupation was royalty. In other words queen.
What are the contributions of auguste escoffier to the hospitality industry?
Georges Auguste Escoffier was central to the development of modern French cuisine, also known as haute cuisine. He was a chef, restaurateur, and writer.
Who discovered the French cuisine?
the french
What impact did Catherine de Medici have on the french society?
She was very unloved by the French because she was Austrian by birth, sometimes considered a spy and a traitor, seriously misunderstood, considered wrongfully to be a spendthrift, constantly trying to please and meeting opposition at every turn. She was a fine lady, a good Queen a tragic figure. She also never said "Let them eat cake" when talking about the peasants not being able to have bread.
What did the Huguenots do?
Huguenots were French Protestants who fled to Holland, England, and America in search of Religious Freedom. The St. Bartholamew's Day Massacre, instigated by Catherine Medici, mother of the weak juvenile King Francis of France, and other Catholic Persecutions drove them from France.
What Did Catherine De Medici Do?
Catherine de' Medici's occupation was royalty. In other words queen.
What did Catherine de Medici do for the French kingdom?
La Saint Barthélémy : killing the non catholics!! But she was Italian born may be it explain it!
What did Catherine de medici want?
she wanted fame, love, money. which she got when she married the french king SHE WANTED HER PARNETS BACK
What are the contributions of auguste escoffier to the hospitality industry?
Georges Auguste Escoffier was central to the development of modern French cuisine, also known as haute cuisine. He was a chef, restaurateur, and writer.
What happened during the Italian Renaissance the Medici family?
They were very powerful in Florence. A pope was a Medici and they had the banking system in Florence. Catherine Medici married the French king. The family supported the arts and hired Michelangelo to make David and for a time daVinci was also had them as a sponsor.
Was a word for French cuisine?
Cuisine IS the word for French cooking.
What is 'cuisine' when translated from French to Italian?
Cuisine in French is cucina in Italian.
What was the Language spoken by Catherine de Medicis?
Catherine de Medici, was born in Italy, so probably spke Italina, and was the Queen of france, so also Spoke French. She probably also spoke English as well.
How do you say my kitchen in French?
a kitchen is spelled "une cuisine" in french
Is French cuisine are a continental cuisine?
yes
What is the uniqueness of French cuisine from other cuisine?
Traditional French cuisine is reputed to be a fat cuisine. This is of questionable truth, certainly not generally true for modern French cuisine, and certainly never was a unique aspect of French cuisine. Other aspects of French cuisine include its diversity, inventiveness, or the nation's passion with its cuisine, none of which is unique to French cuisine. Both, those attributes might be cited as characteristics of French cuisine. Any region's cuisine evolves with disregard of political boundaries. Adjacent countries will almost always share many of the characteristics with a specific country's traditional cuisine, rendering any claim of "traditional cuisine of country X" questionable. For example, the cuisine in the south-west of France is very similar to northern Spanish cuisine, while eastern French cuisine shares similarities with German, Swiss and Italian cooking.
What is the uniqueness of french cuisine from other cuisines?
Traditional French cuisine is reputed to be a fat cuisine. This is of questionable truth, certainly not generally true for modern French cuisine, and certainly never was a unique aspect of French cuisine. Other aspects of French cuisine include its diversity, inventiveness, or the nation's passion with its cuisine, none of which is unique to French cuisine. Both, those attributes might be cited as characteristics of French cuisine. Any region's cuisine evolves with disregard of political boundaries. Adjacent countries will almost always share many of the characteristics with a specific country's traditional cuisine, rendering any claim of "traditional cuisine of country X" questionable. For example, the cuisine in the south-west of France is very similar to northern Spanish cuisine, while eastern French cuisine shares similarities with German, Swiss and Italian cooking.
