La Belle Vie: French expressions for flirting and France's best sweet treats
From France's favourite day to eat pancakes to phrases you need to know for Valentine's Day and some love for the French 'bake off', this week's La Belle Vie newsletter offers you an essential starting point for eating, talking, drinking and living like a French person.
La Belle Vie is our regular look at the real culture of France – from language to cuisine, manners to films. This newsletter is published weekly and you can receive it directly to your inbox, by going to your newsletter preferences in “My account”.
If you are a fan of crêpes, then you'll want to make plans with your French friends this weekend, as Friday marks La Chandeleur, one of France's oldest Catholic holidays.
Unfortunately it does not involve a day off from work, but it does involve plenty of wacky superstitions and of course delicious pancakes.
La Chandeleur: The day the French get really superstitious… and eat crêpes
Before I moved to France, I saw crêpes as the fancy, French pancakes. Once I got here, I learned that there are two very distinct varieties: galettes (the savoury kind) and crêpes (the sweet ones).
If I had to pick a favourite, I would probably go for a classic crêpe with salted caramel on top. The Local asked readers which type of French pancake they preferred, and I was surprised to see which one came out on top.
Daily dilemmas: Is it a savory galette or a sweet crêpe?
Crêpes might be sweet, but they kind of occupy their own status. They are neither a dessert nor a baked good (crêpes never see the inside of an oven). Though, if you ask my Breton partner, they absolutely do count as dinner (that might be up for debate).
And while crêpes are certainly less complicated than macarons, it is still impressive to watch someone who knows what they're doing smooth out the batter and masterfully flip the thin pancake. If you are a fan of watching French bakers in action, then I'll recommend a favourite TV show of The Local France's editor, Emma Pearson.
She claims that Le Meilleur Pâtissier (the best baker) is even better than the British original.
Five reasons the Bake Off is better in France than in Britain
On the topic of sweet treats, one way you can tell that the month of February has begun in France is to pass by some chocolate shops. As soon as the second month of the year comes along, they love to break out their Valentine's decorations and heart-shaped candy.
Even though la Saint-Valentin is not as widely celebrated in France as it might be in the UK or the US, people do start talking about love a bit more as Valentine's Day rolls around...and they might use some rather strange expressions.
Ten need-to-know French expressions for Valentine's Day
If you are looking to find someone special to spend February 14th with, you could start by testing out online dating in France. A lot of the apps are the same as outside of France, though there are a few French-specific ones.
Even if you are not ready to fully commit to online dating, you could always use it as a way to practice your French skills.
How to tackle online dating in France
And if you find someone worth inviting to a Valentine's Date, you might want to have a few French phrases in mind to help you flirt (or draguer en français).
I would advise against quoting Lady Marmalade, if possible.
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La Belle Vie is our regular look at the real culture of France – from language to cuisine, manners to films. This newsletter is published weekly and you can receive it directly to your inbox, by going to your newsletter preferences in “My account”.
If you are a fan of crêpes, then you'll want to make plans with your French friends this weekend, as Friday marks La Chandeleur, one of France's oldest Catholic holidays.
Unfortunately it does not involve a day off from work, but it does involve plenty of wacky superstitions and of course delicious pancakes.
La Chandeleur: The day the French get really superstitious… and eat crêpes
Before I moved to France, I saw crêpes as the fancy, French pancakes. Once I got here, I learned that there are two very distinct varieties: galettes (the savoury kind) and crêpes (the sweet ones).
If I had to pick a favourite, I would probably go for a classic crêpe with salted caramel on top. The Local asked readers which type of French pancake they preferred, and I was surprised to see which one came out on top.
Daily dilemmas: Is it a savory galette or a sweet crêpe?
Crêpes might be sweet, but they kind of occupy their own status. They are neither a dessert nor a baked good (crêpes never see the inside of an oven). Though, if you ask my Breton partner, they absolutely do count as dinner (that might be up for debate).
And while crêpes are certainly less complicated than macarons, it is still impressive to watch someone who knows what they're doing smooth out the batter and masterfully flip the thin pancake. If you are a fan of watching French bakers in action, then I'll recommend a favourite TV show of The Local France's editor, Emma Pearson.
She claims that Le Meilleur Pâtissier (the best baker) is even better than the British original.
Five reasons the Bake Off is better in France than in Britain
On the topic of sweet treats, one way you can tell that the month of February has begun in France is to pass by some chocolate shops. As soon as the second month of the year comes along, they love to break out their Valentine's decorations and heart-shaped candy.
Even though la Saint-Valentin is not as widely celebrated in France as it might be in the UK or the US, people do start talking about love a bit more as Valentine's Day rolls around...and they might use some rather strange expressions.
Ten need-to-know French expressions for Valentine's Day
If you are looking to find someone special to spend February 14th with, you could start by testing out online dating in France. A lot of the apps are the same as outside of France, though there are a few French-specific ones.
Even if you are not ready to fully commit to online dating, you could always use it as a way to practice your French skills.
How to tackle online dating in France
And if you find someone worth inviting to a Valentine's Date, you might want to have a few French phrases in mind to help you flirt (or draguer en français).
I would advise against quoting Lady Marmalade, if possible.
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