France, the member of European Union. Famous France soups.

There is no one country in the world where eating and drinking represent such a strong reflection in culture.
One of France's first gourmets Grimond de la Reyniére (1758-1838) said in his calendar for gourmets that a soup was to a meal what a beautiful entrance hall was to a house. Until the middle of that century (for the country population at least) soup was the main and only warm meal of the day. A pot with soup hung over the fire, any available vegetables added together with water (without broth, because meat was afforded only by the minority), and it would be left to cook by itself for several hours. A slice of bread was placed n the plate and the soup poured over, as is still the tradition with Bouillabaisse. So it is no accident that French call their evening meal souper, a soup in which the bread was dunked. The bourgeoisie didn't want to be remind of those thin soups and they also didn't wish to be deprived of its beneficial effects, so they served up potages ( thick soups).



Today the soups became a part of every menu in France and they are not only a beautiful hall but a the basic foundation of a good meal.

Famous France soups:

• Bouillon - Clear meat, fish or vegetable stock
• Bisque - Soup with crayfish, lobster or other shellfish
  
• Créme - Soup thickened with flour and potatoes or dried vegetables
• Consommé - Very concentrated meat stock made from ground beef boiled with root vegetables.
• Gratinée - Soup baked with grated cheese.
• Potage - Either a thick creamy soup with pureed vegetables and with meat stock base.
• Potée - The name for the cabbage soup.
• Soupe - Soup with substantial ingredients, not pureed.
• Velouté - Smooth, very creamy soup made from single vegetable and thickened with egg yolk and often flour.