People often ask me whether or not I experienced culture shock when I first arrived in France. And while I definitely experienced linguistic shock the first few times – overwhelmed by my inability to understand or communicate – once that hurdle was overcome, the truth is, I didn’t.
At the end of the day, I moved from one large, cosmopolitan city to another. I often joke that The Country Boy, who moved two hours from home, likely faced more culture shock than I did.
That said, there are a few small things I encounter on a daily basis that still strike me as strange, eleven years in.
For example, the French are not overcome by an overwhelming attention to food safety, the way Americans are. (I often joke that they’re a bit too laissez-faire about food poisoning, but it’s not far from the truth.)
Eggs, butter, cheese, and even, in the case of my ex-father-in-law, yogurt, can live on the countertop, as can pots of stew that were made yesterday. And while I’m totally on board with eggs and cheese, I firmly believe that leftover beef bourguignon belongs in the fridge. (Except when I’m too lazy to put it away. Then I’m culturally assimilating.)
But it doesn’t end there. On my food tours, folks will often comment on the prevalence of wasps and flies surrounding the fruit at market stands, and on more than one occasion, I’ve seen flies at the delis and butchers too. I suppose one learns to live with it, but it still kind of bugs me (tee-hee), at least when it comes to meat.
But what truly strikes me as strange is an odd obsession with refreezing previously frozen things. For as little as they seem to worry about foodborne toxins, to listen to most French people, if you defrost a steak, then change your mind and refreeze it, you will die immediately.
(Never mind that the USDA thinks it’s perfectly fine.)
One other strange cultural difference I still see today is an odd obsession with the proper way of folding letters to be placed into envelopes.
Now admittedly, maybe I missed something major, growing up. I wasn’t the most observant of kids. (I’m also not the most observant of adults.) So I’ll concede that maybe Americans are all just as finicky about folding letters and sticking them in envelopes.
…But I don’t think so.
At any rate, whenever I fold a letter and stick it in an envelope, the Country Boy looks at me as though I’m insane, and then informs me that whoever is receiving said letter will also find me insane.
Luckily, my ballot to vote in the upcoming election was pre-folded.
Beef and Beet Bowl with Roasted Vegetables (serves 2)
2 beets
10 Brussels sprouts, halved
2 parsnips, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 hearty pinch fleur de sel
1 tablespoon butter
1 3-ounce sirloin steak
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup baby arugula
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup red sauerkraut (or other sauerkraut)
2 scallions, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wrap the beets in foil and roast for 40 minutes, or until tender. (If possible, do the night before. If not, chill while preparing the rest of the bowls.)
Toss the parsnips and sprouts with the oil and salt. Arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
Heat the butter in a pan. Season the steak with fleur de sel and cook for about 3 minutes per side. Set aside to rest.
Combine the spinach and arugula, and divide evenly among two bowls. Whisk together the mustard, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper, and drizzle a bit over the lettuce.
Slice the beets and toss with the remaining dressing. Arrange the beets in one section of the bowl, the kraut in another, and the roasted veggies in another. Slice the steak against the grain and arrange in a final section of the bowl. Sprinkle with scallions and serve.