French things that aren’t really French

I’m always amused by American stereotypes of the French, and the things they expect to find on a first visit to France. Visions of berets and baguettes, expectations of pastries and poodles.

While you can count on straightforward (read: rude) French waiters and a strike to ruin your travel plans, there are plenty of things that the English language prefixes with being ‘French’. But is that always accurate?

French things that aren’t French

French toast: Don’t expect to find a pile of French toast waiting for you for breakfast. French toast is called pain perdu, or lost bread, and it’s what the French sometimes do with bread that has gotten too stale to eat. You can’t order it in restaurants, and French families aren’t accustomed to that sort of sugarly, caloric overload at breakfast. Try a pain au chocolat and cafe creme instead.

French manicures: First of all, nail salons are hard to come by. A French book I read referred to nail salons being the brasseries (typical French cafe/bar/restaurant) of America: in other words, there’s one on every corner. Most do offer French manucures, but the fact that they refer to it as being French (not Français) is an instant sign that it’s not authentic. To my amusement, I recently found a salon offering ongles Americains, or American nails (acrylic tips). Nails are often painted, but the classic pink-and-white-tip isn’t seen very often.

French fries: I think that French fries are a bigger part of an American fast-food diet than the typical French one. However, you can still find frites in most French restaurants. Steak frites (a simple steak with fries) and moules frites (a bucket of mussels with a side of fries) are particularly popular.

French bread: Luckily for my carb-obsessed self, this is one thing that is still completely and totally French. Boulangeries are everywhere, and you can pick up a baguette for no more than 1 Euro. The French are shocked when I explain that you can’t have a fresh baguette for every meal in the States, as it usually costs $3-4.

French kissing Unfortunately, I have yet to find a French man to test if French kissing is really French. However, the French tradition of ‘faire les bisous’ (or air-kissing on either side of the face) is alive and well. The French are not huggers or hand-shakers, they are air-kissers.

I’m still always a bit shocked when I see two young macho French guys greet each other with les bisous. Even though most of my friends here aren’t French, we still faire les bisous whenever we greet each other. Not going to lie, it’s way more fun than a handshake and less awkward than a hug particularly since I have a large personal space bubble.

French poodles: They’re everywhere, particularly in Paris. My favorite is when they’re with a manly French man out of all the breeds, you chose a poodle?! Really?! It’s just so stereotypical.

Here is your opportunity to share with us what other ‘French’ things aren’t really French? And what things are very French to you?