WhatshouldbemoreFrenchthananoutdoormarketonasunnySundaymorning?Theairisfilledwithvitalfragrancesfromthefruitsandvegetablespiledhighinthegreengrocers’creativelayouts.AtraceoftheAtlanticblowsofftheshellfishonthefishmonger’sbedofice.
This,youthink,istheveryessenceofFrance,untilreadthoselittlesignsthattellyouthetomatoes(whicharereallyprettytasteless)comefromMoroccanhothouses,thegrapesfromSouthAfrica,andthekiwisfromChile.
Forgenerations,theFrenchhavepridedthemselvesontheirdistinctiveness.NothinghasstoodforFrance’ssenseofexceptionalismmorefamouslythanitscooking.Gallictalent,tasteandtechniqueshavebeenexportedallovertheworld.Andthereinliespartoftheproblem.FromtheThamestoTokyo,non-FrenchcookshavecrackedthecodesofthebestFrenchcuisine.Meanwhile,whatwasmediocreelsewherehasbeenimported.(Believeitornot,onerestaurantassociatewithafamousParischefservessteakwithasaucethat’sindistinguishablefromthestuffonaBigMac.)Theresult:manytourists—aswellastheFrenchthemselves—nolongerseewhat’ssospecialaboutFrenchcooking.
Thedeclinegoeswellbeyondrecentsurveysthatshowgrowingcomplaintsaboutmediocrequalityandhighprices.Moreandmorerestaurants-ownerssaythatgovernmenttaxandeconomicpoliciesarelimitingtheirprofits,andtherebyhurtingtheircapacitytoinvestandhiremorestaff.TheyhavegotstuckintheredtapeforwhichFranceisinfamous—nottomentionregulationsfromBrusselsthataffecteverythingfromsalestaxestothebacteriaintheBriecheese.ManywarnthatexpandingtheEuropeanUniontotheeastwillhurtsmallFrenchfarmers,whoremainthebackboneoftraditionalcuisine—and,henceFrenchidentity:UnfortunatelyfortheFrench,therearefewreassuringanswerstothesequestions.
France’sproblemisn’tthelackofcreativity,butratheranunfavorablepoliticalenvironmentforcreativity.Ifyou’rechokedbybureaucracyandtaxes,assomuchofFranceis,“thereisnotmuchyoucando,”saysRaymondBlanc,bornintheJuraregionofFranceandchefofthetwo-starhotel-restaurantManoirauxQuat’saisons.“IcanopenabusinessinEnglandinfivedays.InFranceitwouldtakethreemonths.”ThemanoirauxQuat’saisons,bytheway,isinOxford,Britain,France’sancientrival.And,whenitcomestocooking,afutureoneaswell.
还有什么比晴朗的周日上午的露天市场更具法国风情呢?空气中满是水果和蔬菜的香味,这些水果和蔬菜被商贩们摆放得极具创意.鱼贩子们冰床上的新产品还带着大西洋的痕迹.
你可能会认为这就是法国的精髓所在,直到你看到那些小标签上标明西红柿(真的很难吃)是摩洛哥的温室里培养出来的,葡萄是从南非出产的,而猕猴桃的产地则是智利.
对于几代法国人来说,他们都为自己的独特而感到骄傲.没有什么比烹饪更能代表法国的优越性.法国人的烹饪天赋,品味以及技术已经遍及世界各地,但是却存在着问题.从泰晤士到东京,非法国本土厨师已经破解出了最高水平法式烹饪的秘诀.与此同时,其他地方平庸的烹饪技艺被引入法国.(信不信由你,一家号称有巴黎名厨的餐馆做牛排用的酱料与做巨无霸所用的酱料别无两样.)其结果是:许多游客——连同法国人自己——根本就看不出法国烹饪到底有什么特别.
这种衰落与最近一项调查吻合.这项调查显示人们对法式烹饪的平庸及高价的抱怨在不断增加.越来越多的餐馆老板声称政府的税收和经济政策使他们的利润减少,因而削弱了他们进一步投资或者雇用更多员工的能力.他们陷入繁文缛节使得法国声名狼籍——更不用提布鲁塞尔的那些条条框框,从销售税到布里干酪里的细菌含量,这些条条框框的影响远处不在.许多人警告说,欧盟东扩会损害法国小农场主的利益,而这些人是法国传统烹饪的支柱——因此出现了法国的身份问题.让法国人感到不幸的是,对于这些问题,至今没有找到让人放心的解决办法.
法国的问题并不在于缺少创造性,而是政治环境不利于创造性的发展.如果官僚作风和税收压得你透不过气来,就像法国一样,“你根本就没办法有所作为.”瑞蒙德.布朗说道,他出生在法国的钕拉地区,现在是一家叫做四季庄园的二星级宾馆的主厨.”在英国,我能在五天之内开店,而在法国则要花上三个月时间.”顺便说一句,四季庄园开在英国的牛津,法国的老对手那里.在烹饪方面,英国在未来仍将是法国的竞争对手.
