Label Rouge – The French seal of quality
Enjoy like God in France: There is probably no other country in Europe that is as closely associated with the term "enjoyment" as France. The French meet for all important events in their lives over a good meal. The quality of the food is just as important as the aspect of conviviality. French cuisine is characterized by long-standing regional traditions and rural production of food. But in France, too, the industrialization of agriculture was pushed forward from the 1950s onwards. In 1960, a handful of French poultry farmers opposed this trend. They wanted to hold on to their traditional rearing methods and initiated the national quality seal "Label Rouge". For the benefit of the poultry - and our palate!
Whether in daycare, at school or at home at the dinner table: the French learn from an early age that good food not only fills you up, but is also the glue that holds society together. At lunch or dinner, fewer than three courses are rarely served. A meal thus provides the perfect time for stimulating conversation. In France, anyone who invites friends or relatives to dinner often goes first to the local weekly market, which usually takes place at least twice a week.
Fruit and vegetables are on offer, which – unlike in Germany – are usually cheaper than in the supermarket. In many places, hand-made baked goods and sausages, cheese from small farms, and meat and fish are also on offer. These are usually more expensive than in the shops, but of exceptionally good quality. When shopping, you exchange ideas with the producers and benefit from their knowledge of the individual products, which can be used directly in cooking and passed on to your children. A cycle that has been tried and tested over generations and forms the basis for high-quality food being so relevant across broad sections of society in France. There is a reason why France's culinary achievements were added to the list of intangible world heritage of humanity by UNESCO in 2010, putting it on a par with cultural achievements such as the Argentinian tango, Portuguese fado, and Spanish flamenco. In this context, it is also understandable that an official seal of quality such as Label Rouge was able to establish itself early on in France... WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ MORE?