Prestigious, coveted, hallowed, is the niche occupied by the genre of French cuisine in the realm of culinary art. In a conversation laced with cups of coffee and punctuated with sips of wine, Catherine Baschet, International Development Head, Le Cordon Bleu, the world’s most prestigious gourmet institute, who was in India recently, elucidates the age-old symbiosis between epicurean excellence and French cuisine.

“In French, the word cuisine denotes both the art of preparing dishes (cooking) and the place in which they are prepared (kitchen).The whole concept is an “Art”. The French take pride in spending time, investing in quality products and producing elaborate dishes,” she says.
    French cuisine covers the diversity of its regions, products, wine and food association, table decoration and the various social customs. The French were the first to codify culinary