The Gastronomic Capital of the World

We will discuss portions of his chapter, The Gastronomic Capital of the World; focusing especially on the twentieth century, when resistance to globalization and foreign incursions became an overriding concern of discussions of French cuisine. At the dawn of the twentieth century, Paris was the capital of not just a food-loving nation but a global gastronomic empire and a mecca of modern decadence. Yet as French power declined in the twentieth century, and Paris seemed besieged by tourist traps, fast food, and influences from the former colonies, some retreated into nostalgia and rustic provincial traditions, while others forged new avenues for culinary creativity in the global age, such as the recent « French tacos » phenomenon.