Catherine de' Medici contributions in french cuisine?

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

In 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.

Answer 3

She brought the fork to the french table. She introduced broccoli, green beans & truffles to French cuisine