"What's your favourite dish?"
This is a question that, as a chef, I am asked very often. The question is harder to answer, especially as I get older because I find myself with a variety of favourite dishes for different occasions - so how can I choose one? For example, on holidays, by the seaside, during the winter or when you are with loved ones, or in a larger group sharing a meal. However, I can safely say that my favourite food has to be, le fromage.
There is something about French cheeses that I simply cannot resist.
I recently spent seven weeks in France to shoot and my divine journey took me along the route of this year's Tour de France in search of the best gastronomic specialities of each region. If you’re a foodie, you probably think this is the best job in the world!
Okay, yes, it really is, but it doesn't come without consequences - I am looking at my waistline right now!
Most of the regions I visited this year have a tradition of making beautiful cheeses.
While wine is very dependant on tradition, landscape and climate - cheese can be so different from one part of France to another.
As for chefs, pâtissiers and winemakers, young French cheesemakers are becoming innovative in order to compete and distinguish themselves from industrial producers.
There are many ways to buy excellent cheeses all over France, and, on the whole, good quality cheeses are very good value. It is possible to buy cheeses directly from the farm, as many farmers are trying to cut out the middleman in order to take control of their products and you may also find yourself witnessing the milking of the animals and the making of the cheeses, while you are on premises.
There is a farmers' group, called ' ', which means 'welcome to the farm.' This particular website lists local farmers of all types who welcome visitors to sample and buy their products. Many have B&B accommodation available and most are situated amidst beautiful landscapes - especially those in the Alps and the Pyrenees.
Source: Gabriel Gaté
One of the things I love about filming is uncovering all the local farms and rural markets selling their fresh produce. These specialist traders will sell from their refrigerated trucks, and in almost every there is at least one excellent cheesemaker that sells all the major French cheeses, as well as a selection of the best local ones. Tasting before you buy is all part of the charm and these cheesy offerings spark the perfect excuse for a picnic feast to accompany local bread and wine.
Cheese is still an important part of a special French meal, and in traditional regional restaurants, a glorious cheese platter is a popular feature that excites travellers far and wide.
The local and the classic fromages are always well-presented and sometimes it's not a platter but a large trolley that the waiters wheel from table-to-table that is hard to ignore - and when it comes my way I simply can't resist it.
Taste le Tour with Gabriel Gaté airs every night from Saturday 6 July and finishes Sunday 28 July 2019. Visit the to catch-up on episodes online, scroll through recipes or find out more about the show.
