France, food and globalisation: ‘Gastronomic patriotism’ and its limits in language, attitudes and political discourses

Laurent Binet, Coventry University

Abstract: This article aims at presenting and analysing the tensions created by globalisation with regards to the topic of food in France. The public expression of these tensions has usually come from French politicians and bodies and they tend to represent wider fears about French identity. It can be argued that a “gastronomic patriotism” has become more common since the 1990s in order to defend an heritage which is considered increasingly threatened by globalisation. Nonetheless further study suggests a more complex reality, as the French consumer seems to respond well to market forces which are successfully offering more and more Anglo-American practices. Language, culinary habits and marketing strategies show that foreign borrowings are gaining impetus. Yet, concerns about globalisation and the Other still remain publicly voiced, notably on the right side of the French political spectrum. Questions have thus now turned to the role of immigration and particularly the impact of the Muslim religion on French gastronomic heritage.