Many capital cities try to reach out to tourists.

Paris has about 70 million tourists annually, so its no wonder they try to reach out to the tourist population as much as possible. Their economy can thrive in this sort of environment, giving the city reason to advertise to tourists using the culture and cuisine to draw them in. Parisian cuisine is one of the many mechanisms used to entice tourists to visit France. According to the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, France is the most popular tourist destination in the world, with more than 70 million tourists annually (Manthei).

The food in France is considered by most to be the most refined and glorious food in the world. Paris is known as the birthplace of fashion and cuisine. In fact, many times a chefs education is deemed incomplete until he has traveled to France to study. (Food in France). The French main dishes contain: fresh vegetables, meat and cheeses. French cuisine is well known for its freshness and high quality dishes. The French people enjoy their main meal in the evening and this meal often consists of three courses starting with a "hors doeuvre", a starter dish which often is soup or a salad and bread, then the main course and afterwards some cheese or fruit (France Facts).In France, beer is considered a luxury and expensive to purchase. However, wine is usually given free at most restaurants for lunch and dinner. The French love

cheese with their wine. The country produces over 400 types of cheese, but you can find over 1,000 different varieties of cheeses in grocery stores. Hot Chocolate is a popular drink in France, though they like to drink it from bowls and dip various types of bread into the liquid. Depending on where you go for wines, you will find that different regions use different amounts and types of grapes. For example, the Northern part of France uses one type of grape while wines from the South use multiple blends of grapes. The types and techniques are never mentioned on the wine labels of French wines. (Fun Facts About France). Arguably considered to be the world's most refined cuisine, it evolved from centuries of social and political change. The Middle Ages brought lavish banquets to the upper class with ornate, heavily seasoned food prepared by chefs such as Guillaume Tirel. The era of the French Revolution, however, saw a move toward fewer spices and more liberal usage of herbs and refined techniques, beginning with Franois Pierre La Varenne and further developing with the famous chef of Napoleon Bonaparte and other dignitaries, Marie-Antoine Carme (Wheaton).

French cuisine was codified in the 20th century by Georges Auguste Escoffier to become the modern version of haute cuisine. Escoffier's major

work, however, left out much of the regional character to be found in the provinces of France. Gastro-tourism and the Guide Michelin helped to bring people to the countryside during the 20th century and beyond, to sample this rich bourgeois and peasant cuisine of France. Basque cuisine has also been a great influence over the cuisine in the southwest of France (Wheaton).

Ingredients and dishes vary by region. There are many significant regional dishes that have become both national and regional. Many dishes that were once regional, however, have proliferated in different variations across the country in the present day. Cheese and wine are also a major part of the cuisine, playing different roles both regionally and nationally with their many variations.