i think that the french gastronomy is one of the best in the world, not by nationalism but because france despite england or even italy (amaizingly good) have a lot more of different terroirs so much more different products and dishes. it s amazing for a small country.

secondly like the latins in europe we have a particular relationship with food, we like that and it s also a major part of our social life, living in liverpool for 6 months it s seems it s not the same thing here. you can find some people who likes proper food but in general it s just a take away, a restaurent or some frozen food. maybe it s the early industrial revolution and the cut from the countryside roots

and for the culinary diversity here from the chinese, to the italian, evry foreign restaurant is accomodate to the local taste, lot of meat and juice.

and always the good old cliche about frogs and snails, or worst: the meat not properly cooked...

sadly even in france things change

sick sad world

remy , liverpool, england

just to finish
france gastronomy have 36 000 differents dishes when most of the other countries have 600, even india or china haven t a such important diversity
and for the funding of the french farmers, good old cliche about he poor english man who pays for the ungreatfull gallish farmer.....
not all french farmers received them and most of them succeed without them
and the english don t really pay for that since they have answer their money back
finally the pac have succeed in preserving agriculture in europe
who is not just an economical activity but also part of our culture and landscape
but people who don t care about what they have in their plate can t understand that

remy , liverpool, england

Louise, Japan
Australion - sounds as intriguing as Wolf Bliss.
(I think I had a guess at Wolf Blass but one should make an effort when making a biting comment to spell things corroctly!)

nigel, london,

Davyc, Chi, UK:

"The UK housewife is a terrible cook,she is lazy using prepared foods from packets and tins."

I beg your pardon!

Granted, "the UK housewife", as you put it, is well-known for using pre-cooked or preserved ingredients. This is a hang-over from WWII, and certainly those of my grandparents' generations have a keen taste for foods like these. However, the majority of English people that I know either cook with fresh ingredients or they do not cook at all. And perhaps if it tasks like these weren't so often left to the women of the world (who nowadays also have to work, on top of cleaning, cooking and childcare) then we would all have more time for balanced, fresh meals.

I'll be the first to admit that the UK has hardly any cultural foods (though we love to experiment with Indian, Chinese, Italian cooking styles, to name a few), but there is no need for you to be so insulting.

Brijit, Paris, France

Nigel,
I think Su may have been referring to the Australion wine Wolf Blass!

Louise, Niigata prefecture, Japan

ahahahahah!! Carla, please, tell Monsieur Sarkozy which gastronomy is the best in the world!

Riccardo, Torino,

France has the best food? Nonsense. What have the French got that compares to Shepherd's Pie, Trifle or Chicken Tikka Masala?
Nothing!!

J Roberts, Manchester, UK

Whether French food is the best in the world is just a matter of opinion, and certainly not mine, i don't see the need for it to have protection. I'm sure Sarkozy will try and scrounge more money for his inefficient French farms,(paid for by the Brits) it's about time the CAP was scrapped.

R McCabe, Middlesbrough, UK

If the French want to have their cooking protected "as part of the world’s cultural heritage" surely we should ask to have our self-loathing protected in the same way.

Mind you, it may not be necessary, judging by the comments here. It looks as though you just have to say "French" and the cultural cringe runs rampant.

jon livesey, Sunnyvale, CA/USA

Here we go again.... The French always fall back on the same old ' we have the best food in the world' line blah blah blah. Broken record. The thing they don't realise is that times have changed and the reason for their falling econmy is that they do not move with the times. Always stuck in the same time warp. Move on and get over yourselves.

Sherry , Hampstead, London, UK

I've spent plenty of time in France over the years and I think no one can beat their steak and chips with pepper sauce. Certainly some French dishes are superb but on the whole I think that the average English woman is a better cook than the average French woman. They are not the only ones who can cook cassoulet. I make it very well but I don't eat it because I don't like it.

After cooking a dinner party for French guests, I was told I was a good cook "for an English woman". Compliment indeed.

I once went to a dinner party where the French hostess made her "signature dish", scrambled eggs with truffle. Everyone enthused over it but I thougt it was disgusting. However, when I tried making scrambled eggs with truffle oil myself, it was delicious. Maybe she just wasn't a good cook.

The French have always had an "attitude", with regard to their "superiority" over others, regarding a whole lot of things, their cuisine being one of them.

I still love France and some of the French.

Rosy Knight, Sheffield,

what's with all the comments here? either nationalisitic or simply stupid. the same two traits so criticised in m. sarkozy.

btw - su, manchester - what is wolf bliss? sounds intriguing.

nigel, london,

Plenty of people on here are saying they've eaten French food and been disappointed with it.

All I can say is this: you must have been eating in all the wrong places.

The whole culture of food in France is wonderful. Even thinking about comparing it with the tasteless rubbish that is the English staple diet is quite laughable.

I think Sarko is right to try and protect this jewel of French culture and can understand why so many people in a country that has virtually relinquished its identity (i.e. the UK, with its identikit town centres full of chain stores and junk food outlets) don't even begin to comprehend what he is on about.

Jon Leigh, Southern, France

Italian cuisine is the best I have seen. Delicious, varied, light and without the pomp. I lived there and it is delightful at any time of day.
Foie Gras is the fatty liver (I think) of a duck specifically force fed for this purpose. That concept is digustingly cruel and I have never eaten it for that reason.
French food is nice but no way is the best in the world.
What arrogance from Sarkozy.
How fair minded of him to ensure he uses Frances EU presidency to better things for the French. Something like 40% of the EU subsidies go on agriculture which generates about 5% of EU employment; but most of the EU agriculture is in France! So the rest of EU is giving money to support French farmers.
Mr Sarkozy got one thing right French cuisine is the best in the world according to the French - but no one else I suspect.

Jack Sprat, Bristol, UK

Come on, give the French their due; they do seem to be rather good at this cooking lark.

David Masu, Zürich,

Just to say I'm French, but I didn't vote for him, and even people who voted for him are very sorry now.

So please, don't think that all French people are like that ....

elen, paris,

I must admit that the behaviour of Nicolas Sarkozy during this campaign was shameful. Even if he is president,he does not have to behave like that. I think that a president should act as a model for every French people.

Furthermore, I do not think a president should care about gastronomy,because ,to my mind, it is not the main point of the job of a president,despite the fact that I love french food
Moreover,a president is elected by a majority of people and that is why he has to behave properly

However,Vive la France!!

Geogeo A., Ruen, France

What is the problem, here? French cuisine (in all its variety) IS magnificent and worthy of commemoration. The art of food preparation is one of the jewels of French culture, as wonderfully pleasing as the language, itself. And Mexican food is unique and worthy in its own right, too. Why would the U.N. have a problem registering these contributions to the world's culture?

James P, Sacramento, California

French food is beginning to taste as bad as the taste that Sarkozy's presidency is leaving in our mouths!

Grow up, Sarko!

Saurabh Sircar, Philadelphia, USA

I like the chinese food et also african food !

I am a french woman i live in france at carcassonne and like a lot of people in my country i think : it's a SHAME ON US !
Because we have the most bad president of our History !
Many people are very furious against him !

Arrogant, obscene, il fait honte à la France, à cause de lui , nous sommes devenus la risée du Monde !
Mondieu encore 4 ans à attendreavant son départ ! Quelle catastrophe va-t-il encore faire ?!

The french people are écoeurés ( sorry , i dont know in english) !

Ramez Jeannette, Carcassonne -FRANCE,

Just shows the French arrogance: A poor little country, failing at everything, first to give up in any conflict and now desperate with a chip (or should that be a "french fry") on their shoulder about a few bits of middle to good quality food.

If I'm driving I travel straight through to Spain or Italy, places where you really get good food.

Mikko Takala, Drumnadrochit, Scotland

Am i missing something.The no 1 meal in France is Steak and Chips followed by Pizza,France also sell more MacDonalds burgers per head of population then any other country outside the USA. You need to visit Cornwall for top quality fresh food.

Bill Rees, Truro, Cornwall

Italian food is far superior to French food. French food is over complicated, too rich and out of date for modern tastes: very much like French wine.

M Grelton, bath, UK

The best gastronomy is chinese. So there!

jake, Beijing, China

Just proves that the French President is living in a dream world, where French wine is best, French food is best and French culture is best - why would Unesco want to prolong a French myth? Give me a Balti and a Wolf Bliss anyday.

su, manchester, uk

If the food is so good why do we need to protect it?


p.s.) Foie Gras isn't food, it's sadism...

nir, Jerusalem, Israel

Sarko's problem is that he's RIGHT, about this and a world else; and that, as our own Francis Bacon observed four centuries ago, 'No remedies cause so much pain as those that are efficacious'.

Noel Falconer, COUIZA, France

Let him protect some real food before France starts poisoning its youth with "Turkey Twizzles"

Martin, London,

I am quite shocked by the superficial generalizations I read here; as if it made sense to assess the general quality of food in a country! It is already quite difficult to rate a restaurant, but a country!
Another easy way to practice French bashing, always a popular sport...

mathias, Limoges,

Not sure if the UN is the right body to protect French food. Even if they did, what difference would it really make to "Les paisants". What would be a sure fire winner is if he (Sarkozy) made sure that additives of all forms were slowly removed (in order that the free market could adapt) from foods, fertilisers and pesticides taxed to high heaven and ensure the farmers market model is re-established.
Let's all agree French food is v. good, whether the best or not is an unanswerable question. To those that suggest other nations have the best, well done at least there are some out there that enjoy good food and will try other nations food.
It's really horses for courses, Thai food in Thailand, roast beef (on the bone) with yorkshire pudding etc all marvelous stuff.
What I hope we can all do as good citizens, is to ensure that we the consumer pay the farmer or local producer in a manner as direct as possible, and not via middle men or the Common Agriculture Policy which France supports

Mark Chearnley, Stavanger, Norway

Having lived in Oz for 20 years and UK for 12 with travels to Asia, Europe, my choice:
1 - Thai food in Thailand. Not the stuf that passes for it outside

2 - Vietnamese food
(the above two are in a class apart, both healthy and fragrant)

3 - italian food (great peasant food. Brilliant use of ingredients)

4 - Indonesian/Malay food - Strong hot food with intense flavours.

5 - sri lankan food (my own) Only if you like coconut. A bit like thai but not the same wide play with tastes

6 - Indian food - south for preference and health. But also some Northern dishes.

7 - Chinese food - especially dim sum, noodle soups

8 - French cheeses and wine.

9 - Japanese

I think ready made meals should come with health and life warnings - this meal could bore you to bits.

NR, Bristol, UK

How rivetting.The importance of correctly made crepes suzettes cannot be over -emphasised in a world where only a few billion live below the poverty line.
What will the next French project be - a prize for the best genocidal event in a former French colony perhaps?

Louis À.Healy, Dublin, IRELAND

We were in Paris recently and were served the most appalling food at a recommended neighbourhood bistro not a tourist trap. It was interesting to see that the menu makes it clear that they still do not serve British meat. The (French) steak my wife had was inedible. This is not the first time we have eaten badly in France. French cuisine is in a time warp and Sarko wants to wrap it up safely in a cocoon. They should learn from British chefs how to innovate.

Shugar, London,

Talk about being fool of yourself! I never liked French cuisine, not to mention the fact that I think foie gras is disgustingly cruel.
Italian food all the way!

NT, Toronto, Canada

If it is that good, why then does it need protecting?

And surely the EU president should be looking after all EU farmers not just French ones - or is the 6 month presidency merely a chance to promote ones own country above the others?

Andy, Ashford, Kent

listing french cuisine as part of world cultural heritage will make it even more conservative.
French doesn't need protection but competition and innovation.
Stop luring people with non problems (religion, food...) and solve the real one, Mr Sarkozy ( Economy, integration, malthusianism).

denis, paris, france

The French do have the best food and wine and it should be preserved. The best restaurant in the world is Le Plat du Jour in Reims.

Timothy Murray, London,

French public opinion is not duped. The ridiculous idea about French cuisine is only yet another thing destined to make us all forget the one he had the day before - that is how he works. More important is his attack against the Conseil Constitutionnel - the last time the rectroactivity of laws was accepted was under the Vichy government!

Fourches, Madranges, France

Back in 1989 the Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke called a heckler a "silly old buggar" and caused mild outrage amonst older people. It became one of his most memorable quotes but didn't harm him too much electorially. Quite the opposite the honesty was appreciated.

a don, Sydney, Australia

Protecting our food supply is hugely important, and perhaps encouraging small providers of "quality" product is the way to go.

What we mustn't carrying on doing is encouraging bulk providers who use vast amounts of fuel and no human skill to produce our food.

Andy Dyer, London, UK,

I lived in France for 2 years and Belgium for 1 year. I personally do think that french food is the best. They understand and respect food, as a general rule every french person knows how to cook from fresh ingredients, but most brits seem to rely on processed meals.

It is unfortunately true that processed food is becoming more available in the hypermarches, but not on the Uk scale just yet!

Many good UK restaurants have caught up with, and some have surpassed, their french equivalents, but as a nation we still lag far behind.

Unfortunately Paris does have some truly awful tourist restaurants, if you want a good restaurant in Paris you are best advised to search out the smaller restaurants down the side streets - these are the ones the locals use and will, I am sure, pleasantly surprise you.

Pete, Bristol, UK

la cuisine française Best Before Date - July 14, 1789

I Johnson, Ramsgate, UK

French Food as cooked in restaurants and aubergs is the best in the world.I do not know if the same can be said of the home as I have not had the pleasure.I bet anything it is better than in the UK.The UK housewife is a terrible cook,she is lazy using prepared foods from packets and tins.

Davyc, Chi, UK

Hi, I just want to answer to James Hazan. When you say "Pauvre con" or "Pauvre idiot"...it isn't related to the fact that the person is really poor ! It's an idiomatic expression. That strengthens the insult....

Another point => I read in the comments that some people say that French food is bad...gosh, in my family I have the best cookers ever. Since my childhood, I've eaten excellent meals every Sundays (that could be easily compared to excellent restaurants)...I'm French, I'm able to the see the weakness of France but also the strenghts. And food is a reaaly strenght in France !!

Marie-Céline, Paris, France

Well, all I can say to those of you who have lived in/visited France who criticise the cuisine, you must have been very unlucky. Certainly, there are poor restaurants in the area in which I live, as there are poor restaurants in every country. If you take the time and ask the locals where they eat, then you will discover, as I have, a veritable treasure trove of fine restaurants which are reasonably priced, which offer a wide range of local and national dishes. If I can doctor the famous expression "when a man is tired of French Food, he is tired of life; for there is in France all that life can afford", this sums up my sentiments perfectly.

Mathew Rowlands, Perpignan, France

I don't agree with you Marie Claire. I have been living in London for 4 years and I miss so much a good restaurant just like the one in Paris and I feel rather stranger that you cannot find good food in Paris. Miss the mussel chips maybe? Not curious enough? never satisfaid?

Marie, London, uk

37 years in France - yes pretty good, especially Lyon et les environs, but Belgium just as good - a bit better maybe, true of Switzerland in parts and certainly small village food in Italy whacks la cuisine française.
Anyway must get on now with my letter to the UN on Welsh rugby cultural-linguistique heritage - protection thereof - UN peacekeepers at Wales - France match - just about as silly as Sarkozy.

richard jones, Athens, Greece

I think the quality of the cuisine has weakened in my country and so has the dignity of the President.What a shame on us all....

MARTY, quimper, france

It's increadible how most of the people are stupid... Your discussions are like : " The yellow is the most beautiful color in the world !!!" We don't care if French food is the best of world ! ... And i don't care even if i am from the country of the "fois gras".... Fortunately, the key is the diversity. As I need english food to more appreciate French food we need the dishes and tastes of all the world.

And just for that and to help good tastes and healthy cuisine, we need to fight for the diversity of all the cuisines !
IT IS NOT A MATTER OF TASTE !!!!

ruthenensis, Toulouse, France

The French do not know how to make mayonnaise.

Farrukh, Woking, UK

French restaurant food is certainly over-rated and often over-priced with wine prices in particular being inflated by a factor of at least four or five.

The annual Salon Agricole in Paris is an opportunity for politicians to show how close they are to the agriculteurs and paysannes whose votes keep them in power.

A nightly parade, shown on the news, of these French leaders performing the ritual of shaking hands with farmers, stroking cattle and goats, cuddling piglets, eating and drinking the produce of their loyal subjects. It's the French equivalent of kissing babies.

R Bingham, Lauzun, France

I totally agree with Mr Sarkozy ,
french cuisine plays a very big part in french culture and should be protected as such !!!!

I don't agree with Mr Saunders opinion at all, he has obviously never been to any good french restaurants !!!!!!!!!

Also Anglo Phil what kind of absurd comment is that, the french language is one of the most elegant languages in the world.

sophie M B Eni, Hertfordshire, UK

I live in Belgium - truely great cuisine and heaps better than the french. I work regularly in Paris and in Lyon and am bored stiff of getting no vegetables and tiny over-priced and over-salty portions. Sarco's put his foot in it again. Parisian cuisine has been taken over by multi-national fast food outlets and he knows it which is why he is bleating. The last time a French president made comments about food they lost the olympic bid so one wonders what the backlash from this one will be

Cavanagh Marie-Claire, Brussels, Belgium

"Pauvre (poor) con" how on earth did Sarkosy know that this con was poor?

james hazan, Huddersfield, U.K

Here's some more cultural heritage for you: McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks, TacoBelle, Burger King, Cocacola, Marlboro, Mars, chewing gum and my grandmother's apple pie.

Brock, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Here here Geoff Saunders. French food is very regionalised which means that where I live, when you get fed up with duck or steak or more duck, there is nothing else. It may be cheap to eat out here but the standards are lower than in the UK and as for choice - there is none. The French are living in the past if they think they are the Gastonomes of Europe. Fabulous country, wonderful people, poor food.

Wendy , Bergerac, France

Until you have eaten confit de canard you have not lived
Allez les Bleus and all things French

Mathew Rowlands, Perpignan, France

What utter tosh!

Having lived in many countries, and France for the last 7 years can I say that, "No, France really does not have the best food."

It has been the biggest disappointment I experienced living in France - the only one actually, everything else is wonderful.

Sorry - they may have the best history but they have been overtaken by many others.

I have yet to eat anything in France that is as good as the average gastro-pub in London; and the best meal I have ever had was in Bar Meze (Lebanese cuisine) in Oxford.

If French cuisine was still so wonderful Sarko wouldn't need to be doing this would he?

Geoff SAUNDERS, Moscow, Russia

By a long the best,parts of Belgium and Switzerland 2nd,Italy does not really have one

AJ Fraser, Paris, France

As a next step perhaps the French could ask for their language to receive United Nations protection before it also dissapears.

Anglo Phil, Hudersfield, England

I cant understand the french as I am British but its easy to see why Sarko is so unpopular . The middle and working class voted for him and gave him power but his reforms are not working and the majority of french are now worried and paying the price .

Andrew ex pat, Paris , France

Hey Sarkozy,

Have you ever eaten any Turkish food??

I know French food but I suggest you "Try Turkish Ottoman quizine and taste different variety of Kebap's first and I believe you will be a devotee of Turkish quizine

zeynep, ankara, turkey

Totally correct i love him his right to protect real food and Frances food heritage is fantastic !..why are we Brits such a bunch of wimps please ?

John Benson-Smith (Chef), Manchester, Greater manchester

So France has the best gastronomy? Mamma mia.

Tom Denne, Limanton, France