Good Taste or French Taste? The Meeting Place of Gastronomy and Social Distinction
Good Taste or French Taste? The Meeting Place of Gastronomy and Social Distinction

Summary/Abstract: The French gastronomic model, based on a genuine culture of taste, and sustained by a model of social conduct has exerted an extraordinary fascination on European elites since the 18th century, as they have unequivocally associated it with the splendor of the Court of Versailles. We will find this not in the least surprising when we see that certain behaviors are adopted, just as certain foods or drinks are consumed, only for what they are able to evoke in the collective imagination. The search for the subtle and complex French taste has become almost an obsession over time. With its social and especially cultural polish, “good taste” inextricably links modernity, politeness and gastronomy, codifies table manners and social relations, because we do not eat only to nourish ourselves, but also to share with others the joy of conviviality.

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