Universal Music's boss pays unsuitable "tribute" to Georges Moustaki

French singer-songwriter Georges Moustaki died on Thursday at the age of 79.

As you would probably expect from an artist of his stature, there were many moving tributes.

The national daily Le Figaro called Moustaki "un artiste extraordinaire"

On her official page, the minister of culture, Aurélie Filippetti, paid homage to "the man who had composed for some of France's musical giants before revealing himself as a great interpreter of his own songs."

Given Moustaki's roots (both his parents came from Corfu) TF1 took perhaps the more "popular", but nonetheless fitting approach.

Alongside running a segment on Moustaki's career, the channel's prime time news sought the reactions of a couple other famous Greeks (in France).

A tearful Nana Mouskouri sang him a short "message of love" and TV presenter Nikos Aliagas remembered the "sincerity in his eyes".

Outside of France, international news organisations such as the BBC and Deutsche Welle ran pieces on their sites.

And the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova sent her condolences to Moustaki's family and friends in a statement on her official page.

Inevitably their were also tributes from the famous and the less well known on Twitter, expressing their sense of loss and admiration for the man, or simply linking to videos and performances of their favourite songs.

Everyone, it seemed, wanted to their pay respects to the man and his life - and quite rightly.

Except for one particular person. Pascal Nègre, the head of Universal Music, France - the label for which Moustaki recorded.

 Alongside calling Moustaki one of "the last legends, an artist and a poet" Nègre couldn't, it seems, resist reminding his 35,000 or so followers that Moustaki's works were available on Universal - ending his tasteful Tweet with RIP.

While many might view Nègre's Tweet as inappropriate (and indeed were soon poking fun at it in reply), he couldn't see anything wrong with what he had done.

"Why should I regret it?" he said.  "I paid tribute to an artist we were fortunate enough to produce and I simply gave information that we hold a lot of his musical catalogue."

Well, as you obviously need telling M. Nègre, it's called opportunism. And it's in pretty poor taste.





Georges Moustaki - Le facteur par kyssiane

Not yet another flippin' TV cooking programme - French MasterChef season 3

Turn on French telly it seems, and among the trash reality programmes, imported US series and sports you'll be treated to something that in recent years has become a trend - cooking shows.

Thursday sees the return to French screens of MasterChef - for its third season.

MasterChef - The contestants (screenshot TF1)

Yep the self-proclaimed home of gastronomy and the country which has, if not exactly its food then the whole business of preparing, serving and eating it as one of Unesco's intangible world heritages, has succumbed to the invasion of the culinary game show that, quite frankly, seems to put the emphasis as much on it being a contest as it does the obvious talent that some participants have.

It's not enough that there's a whole channel, Cuisine +, dedicated to food and what can be done with it in the kitchen (available without encryption to those who have the very basic Canal + subscription on channel 41)

Both M6 and TF1 have taken concepts which originated in the United Kingdom and adapted them for a French viewing public.

On M6 there's a daily serving of "Un dîner presque parfait" (based on Channel 4's "Come dine with me") which has also morphed into a "very best of" version to find an annual winner among the purely hobby cooks.

And proving there can never be too much of a good thing. the channel also has Top Chef an adaptation of the US show - this time professionals who obviously need the exposure take on each other to be crowned...well you fill in the blanks.

Both the very best of Un dîner presque parfait and Top Chef have more or less the same set of judges.

For the moment TF1 has just the one cooking game show, MasterChef - oh and the inevitable sidekick, Junior MasterChef for the highly precocious.

The original concept is of course British - so a huge round of applause to the BBC - dating from 1990 and revamped into the international monster it has since become in 2005.

Sadly France has also caught the bug

There's little need to explain how it works. Even of you're unfamiliar with the original, it doesn't take a doctorate to work out that the a panel of judges struts and tuts, nods and shakes collective heads and decides the fate of the contestants as they're put through ever more ludicrous kitchen scenarios to find the eventual winner.

MasterChef - the judges (screenshot TF1)

Chefs Frédéric Anton and Yves Camdeborde along with journalist and food critic (and thereby living by the maxim perhaps of those who can't, write about it) Sébastien Demorand
will be returning once again as the jury.

The (cough, cough) "excellent" Carole Rousseau will play host (not much to do there apart from call out names and explain to viewers what's happening in her monotonous pitch) and all the contestants of course are going to give the best of themselves - not just 100 per cent worth because that would be undestatement but 200 per cent, 500 - or hey even a 1,000 per cent. Why not?



Something like 24,000 apparently applied to take part, but thankfully the judges have whittled that down to (just) 100 among whom of course will be this year's winner.

Full of hyperbole, the promotional videos says the level of candidates this year is incredibly high (well it's hardly going to say they're a bunch of no-hopers, now is it?) there are going to be more surprises, some really difficult tests and  of course exceptional moments including - apparently - serving up a meal from a cave for some pot holers!



Why?

Well, because this is not really about cooking is it? Instead it's a game, entertainment in which, we're led to believe, the best cook wins.

To avoid the programme, be sure to be watching another channel or doing something entirely different from 20h50 on Thursday evening.

Bon appetit.

The Waitress from Hell, "If you're not happy, clear off!"

You have to wonder sometimes about Internet guides on the best places to eat out and comments made by those who've apparently dined at a particular restaurant.

After all, who's not to say that the "positive" reviews are in fact being written by Net-savvy restaurant owners keen to counterbalance anything negative that might have been said about them.

The key word surely has to be "caution".

And if you read of one person's unbound enthusiasm for a place among several less-than-glowing reviews, then perhaps you've only got yourself to blame if you don't take heed of what would appear to be the reality of what's going on.

Such is the case of a seemingly charming restaurant in a side street of the centre of the old city of Albi in southwestern France.

Albi was designated a Unesco World heritage site last year, and it's easy to understand why.

It's rich in history, culture, architecture, nature, sport.

Sainte Cécile cathedral, Albi

In fact it's got the lot, including a waitress who makes the Wicked Witch of the West look like Mary Poppins.

She works at a restaurant in rue de la Piale, where you'll find several places serving food more-or-less typical to the region.

None of them is swanky. Instead their menus consist of simple, decent, wholesome dishes, and eating there should be a delight.

Rue de la Piale, Albi

"Should" being the operative word.

Because where the Waitress from Hell works, you're far from being guaranteed a warm welcome.

The restaurant proudly displays a recommendation from the 2010 edition of the influential French restaurant guide Gault et Millau on a beam of the timber-framed facade, just next to the main entrance.

This year though, it doesn't feature among those chosen by the critics.

Perhaps it has something to do with the reception clients receive from that woman.



A review from one person who encountered her, described the service at "deplorable".

But the thing is, you don't actually need to eat there to "enjoy" the ambience and quality of hospitality provided by a dragon in a pinny.

A hot summer's evening in August, and while savouring a meal at a neighbouring restaurant, diners were treated to a display of French arrogance at its glorious best.

The "Waitress from Hell" was evidently upset with a couple of customers, and she didn't care who knew about it.

While it wasn't clear to anyone unfortunate enough to be within screaming distance as to what the poor clients had actually done, it was all too obvious that they were IN THE WRONG.

Their first bawling out lasted several minutes with the woman, whose job it was (remember) to serve and ensure the clientele was happy, making it loudly known that, "She had done her best but there was just no pleasing some people and they (the customers) should stop complaining."

The clink of cutlery and the chink of glasses and hubbub of conversation from diners at other restaurants stopped as everyone turned to watch and listen.

They weren't to be disappointed as the ogress continued her tirade.

Somehow though she seem to rediscover her composure and needing time to breathe became aware that perhaps she had gone just a tad too far (let's be generous).

There followed a calm, a half-hearted apology and a return to some level of dignity.

But you knew it was just too good to last and several minutes later the harridan was in full flow once again, raising the decibel level up several notches just in case someone, somewhere in the vicinity hadn't heard first time around.

It was the same bad-mannered tone ending with an aggressive flourish to the couple that if, "Things weren't to their liking, then perhaps they should go somewhere else."

Wisely they did.

Customer service with a difference - guaranteed - at the restaurant with the Waitress from Hell

Conclusion, if you want to be insulted, then this is the place to go.

If you want to watch customers being humiliated, then choose one of the neighbouring restaurants and wait for the shrew's show to begin.

Bon appetit.

Gazpacho - à la française

It's summer and a great time to enjoy a typical Spanish dish; gazpacho, a cold tomato-based vegetable soup.

Absolutely delicious even if sometimes the chef tends to be a little heavy-handed on the garlic.

Now you might think that the French, when they decide to "revisit" a recipe - albeit from another country - and add their own special touch to a classic, would come up with something rather special.

After all back in November last year the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) recognised French gastronomy as a world treasure when it added it to its list "aiming to protect intangible slices of a nation's heritage."

That was the somewhat formal and convoluted way of saying it had been given the official seal of approval and was the first time any country's gastronomy had been included.



That's all well and good, but take a look at the preparation suggestions on a box of dinky glasses for amuse-bouches available in a chain of hard discount (or "ard discoont" as pronounced in French) stores up and down the country.



Can't read what's written without having the print enlarged?

No sooner said than done. Here you go.



You see that?

The third tip on what to make, and how - "Espagne: gaspacho (mixer 1 boite de tomate pelées avec un bocal de poivrons égoutté et un concombre épluché."

For those of you whose French is a little on the rusty side, that reads - "Spain: gazpacho (mix 1 can of peeled tomatoes with a jar of drained peppers and a peeled cucumber."

Nothing like fresh ingredients...and that's nothing like etc...

Yum.

Bon appetit.

Or should that be buen provecho?

France grants bullfighting cultural heritage status

Think bullfighting, think Spain - right?

Well not quite. The controversial blood sport is also popular in parts of southern France.

And France has become the first country in the world to recognise bullfighting as part of its cultural heritage.

A bull and a raseteur at the 75th Cocarde d'Or, Arles, France 2006, from Wikipedia, author JialiangGao

As the French daily Libération reports on Friday the ministry of culture announced that bullfighting had been "identified as an 'intangible cultural heritage' giving it the same status as tarte tatin (an upside-down apple tart), fest-noz (a traditional Breton night festival), Aubusson tapestry and Grasse perfumers."

Its inclusion comes as part of France's obligation as a signatory to the 2003 Unesco Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

But as the ministry also stressed the decision did not constitute "any form of protection, promotion or special moral bond" and "there was no intention to propose bullfighting for inclusion on Unesco's Intangible Heritage list," as had been the case for French gastronomy which was awarded that status last year.

But opponents of bullfighting were quick to condemn the announcement.

"Frankly I find the decision appalling," Claire Starozinski, the founder and president of l'Alliance anti-corrida, told the regional daily Midi Libre.

"At first I wondered how a ministry in a country which promotes 'enlightenment' could also encourage such a barbaric tradition," she continued.

"On reflection though I don't see it as protecting bullfighting, but if we're ready to give intangible cultural heritage status to popular movements then why not also include rave parties?"

Others critics were less measured in their obvious disgust; among them the former actress, model and singer and not animal rights activist, Brigitte Bardot.

"Including bullfighting on the list of France's cultural heritage is a huge mistake (Bardot used stronger language)," she wrote in an open letter to the minister of culture Frédéric Mitterand on the Brigitte Bardot Foundation website.

"I'm shocked because such a bloody and barbaric activity has nothing to do with French culture," she said.

The news came on the eve of opening of the five-day Féria De Los Ninos in the southern city of Arles.

And locals seemed delighted at the move.

"Bullfighting is part of our tradition and out heritage," Alain Lartigue, organiser of the festival told BFM TV.

"We don't want in any way to 'oblige' people to come to watch bullfighting but simply to respect the liberty of those who do want to come to do so."



A bloodsport of historic, economic and cultural importance or a barbaric, shameful and contemptible activity? French singer-songwriter Francis Cabrel sums it up best perhaps in his 1994 song La corrida.

Albi's Pause Guitar festival line-up announced

If you're looking to attend an open-air concert in a spectacular location this summer then perhaps you need look no further than the southwestern French city of Albi.

Albi (from Wikipedia, author: Marion Schneider & Christoph Aistleitner)

The line-up for this year's Pause Guitar festival taking place July 7-10 has just been announced, and if you're a fan of the French music scene, then it's definitely the place to go.

All four of the acts nominated in this year's category of Best Newcomer at Les Victoires de la Musique, the French equivalent of the Grammys, are slated to appear; winners Lilly Wood & The Prick, Ben l'Oncle Soul, Camélia Jordana and Zaz.

Also performing at various venues throughout the city will be Joe Cocker, Philippe Katerine, Gaéten Roussel, Aaron, Cocoon and, and and...

Heck, if you want a full list of who'll be playing when and where, and you want to books tickets, head over to the festival's website and take a look around.

If (French) music ain't your thing then Albi has plenty more to offer.

It's the capital of the département of Tarn and just an hour's drive away from one of the country's largest cities, Toulouse.

Set on the river Tarn, it's architecturally stunning with a host of terra cotta brick buildings typical of the region, most notably the 13th century Sainte Cécile Cathedral.

Sainte Cécile Cathedral, Albi

Not to be missed either is the Palais de la Berbie which since 1922 has also housed a museum dedicated to the works of the city's most famous son, the painter Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa.

Last August the Episcopal City of Albi became a Unesco World Heritage site.

It includes the Cathedral, the Palais, the Pont Vieux - a stone bridge built in the 11th century and later clad in the characteristic red brickstone - as well as parts of the banks of the river Tarn.

Albi, river Tarn

Pinup girls promote French cheese

Looking for an unusual Christmas present? Well the Association fromage de terroir might just have the answer.

It's a non-profit organisation set up in 2001 to support France's cheese makers and retailers and help them "educate the public and the industry in general".

And for the sixth year in a row it has produced a calendar giving cheese rather a different angle.

It is, as the Association describes on its website, both "cheeky and sexy" (there's no denying that) with the 12 pinup girls striking poses which apparently follow the course of French history throughout the centuries from the Middle Ages to the present day.

The intention, according to the Association is to "celebrate not only the role of women in the tradition of cheese-making but also to emphasise the importance of France's gastronomic heritage in which cheese has played an important part."

Of course in France wine and food are an integral to the country's history and culture and that was undoubtedly very much in the minds of Unesco experts last week when they decided to recognise French gastronomy as a world treasure.

And cheese is undeniably an essential part of that gastronomic heritage.

France is well known for the diversity and number of cheeses, and there are plenty of quotes to back up that up including most famously former president Charles de Gaulle's 1962 quote, "How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?"

Proceeds from the sales of the 2011 calendar will help the Association (in its own words) "to continue the fight to maintain biodiversity, which guarantees the beauty of our land and the quality of our cheeses."

It puts forward a whole argument about independence, freedom of speech and the threat to France's small producers of high quality cheeses from multinationals flooding the domestic market with cheaper alternatives (you can read all about it on the website).

Screenshot from YouTube, "Making of the 2010 calendar"

But is the Association's claim that its calendar "promotes the art of the French life style" really anything more than jumping on the "sex sells" bandwaggon as a way of the ends justifying the means?

After all the link between Géraldine Gruyère, Estelle Livarot, Adeline Camembert and the nine other lasses is pretty flimsy (apart from the creative surnames) if not downright non-existent to say the least.

Still it isn't the first time, and certainly won't be the last, that an image of a pretty woman is used that has little or nothing to do with the product or service that is being promoted.

The calendar can be purchased from the modest price of €18.75 from the Association's website.

French farmer fined for feeding ducks cannabis

You might want to check your diaries because the following tale sure seems as though it's an April Fool.

But even though it's without doubt just a tad ridiculous and certainly offbeat, it is in fact true.

A court the southwestern town of Rochefort has fined a local farmer, Michel Rouyer, and given him a suspended sentence for feeding his ducks cannabis.


Yep, you read correctly. Rouyer, who keeps 150 of the birds and fattens them up in time for the seasonal rush in France on foie gras, had cultivated a dozen or so cannabis plants as well for purely "medical reasons" of course.

Mind you not his own.

According to Rouyer, who lives in the village of La Gripperie-Saint-Symphorien, he used the leaves of the plants to feed to his ducks in the final weeks before they were slaughtered because cannabis acted as an excellent dewormer.

It was a claim he made when he appeared before magistrates insisting that, "A specialist advised me to do it" and maintaining that the plants were grown exclusively for use by his ducks and he didn't trade in the drug at all.

And his lawyer, Jean Piot, in defending his client, told the court that, strange as the explanation might be, "None of the ducks had worms and were all in excellent health."

Perhaps not surprisingly that argument failed to cut much ice and Rouyer received a one-month suspended sentence and a €500 fine.

It seemed to cut little ice with the court though who handed down a €500 fine and delivered Rouyer a one-month suspended sentence.

It is, as the regional daily Sud Ouest remarks in reporting the story, certainly a most timely decision coming in the same week as Unesco recognised French gastronomy as a world treasure.

Quack - man!

Unesco recognises French gastronomy as a world treasure

French cuisine really IS the best in the world.

Mousseline de patates douces à l'orange , coquilles Saint Jacques poêlées

If anyone really needed confirmation of that, they need look no further than the decision on Tuesday by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to add it to a list "aiming to protect intangible slices of a nation's heritage."

That's the somewhat formal and convoluted way of saying it has been given the official seal of approval and it's the first time a country's gastronomy has been included.

All right so "intangible heritage" might seem a slightly highfaluting term at first glance, but as Cécile Duvelle, Secretary of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (there's a mouthful-and-a-half of an official title) says on the organisations website, it's intended to protect and recognise traditions that are threatened by increasing globalisation (see video).



The perhaps extraordinary idea of applying to Unesco first took shape in 2006 when a group of leading French chefs, with not of course the merest hint of gastronomic prejudice, launched a campaign trumpeting that (French) "cuisine was their culture".

The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, took up the cudgels so to speak when he gave his backing to the official application when it was slapped in last year.

And when experts met in the Kenyan capital Nairobi this week, it was thumbs up for French grub and the whole ritual of presenting, serving and eating it deciding (among other things) that it "plays an active social role within its community and is transmitted from generation to generation as part of its identity."

In short it tastes good and the French like to eat!

Catherine Colonna, France's ambassador to Unesco, was naturally delighted by the decision and said, perhaps a little unnecessarily, how much her fellow countrymen and women enjoyed a meal.

"The French love getting together to eat and drink well and enjoy good times in such a manner," she's quoted as saying.

"It's part of our tradition -- a quite active tradition," she added.

She's not kidding.

As anyone who has ever had the pleasure of being invited to a family meal in France and experienced the delight of tucking into deliciously and lovingly prepared dishes, food still plays an important part in everyday life.

The traditional weekend spread stretching on for hours might be something of a tired cliché, but it does exist, and there is of course a wealth of mouth watering regional gastronomic specialities.

And let's not forget the fascination or almost social obsession the French seem to have with food and chattering about other dishes virtually to the exclusion of the one they're currently "enjoying" as mealtime conversation revolves around - what else, but food.

Bon appétit.

The longest chip in the world is...(of course) a French fried potato

There's something strange going on in the north of France.

Just a couple of months after the folk of Sainghin-en-Weppes created a new record for the world's longest chip, French fry, frite or whatever you choose to call it, those from Violaines have gone one better.

Actually they've gone several centimetres better if the truth be told by serving up a chip measuring a whopping 34 centimetres - 9.5 cms longer than the previous record holder.

All right, so perhaps it's not the sort of thing that'll set the country talking or help in its application to have French grub recognised by Unesco as part of the world's cultural heritage.

But it is enough to make it into the Guinness book of records (if as expected it is validated) and a feat (or should that be a "frite") for the locals to be proud of.

Perhaps there's something in the air or more likely the soils as the two towns are just 11 kilometres apart and as everyone (surely) knows a giant chip requires one heck of a spud.

The idea for an attempt came when a friend of Sébastien Billet, the man behind the big chip, dug up a huge 1.2 kilogramme potato - enough for a record or two in its own right.

But the 40-year-old had bigger plans for the brute of a vegetable and inspired by what had taken place in September in Sainghin-en-Weppes, he the 40-year-old thought he would make try his own luck.

He chose the venue - the brasserie Chez Chantal in Violaines - for his monster fry-up, and under the watchful eye of an official adjudicator, the potato was fried.

"We a bit potty," admitted a delighted and proud Billet.

"I've already had calls and orders for two-and-a-half tonnes of chips, and I don't even sell them," he added.

A tale then which might perhaps make the Belgians, often the butt of French jokes about "strange" accents and love of chips, smile a little.

And perhaps it counts as pay back time for the somewhat snooty fashion in the which the French often view the cuisine of their smaller neighbour and that less than politically correct joke that asks, "Where is the biggest chip shop in Europe?"

Answer: "On the border between France and the Netherlands."*

No word on how much ketchup, mayonnaise or vinegar was needed as an accompaniment.





*Hint - a quick glance at a map will show you that those two countries don't share a frontier - because Belgium is in the way.

McDonald's at the Louvre - quelle horreur!

The Louvre in Paris is about to get a new neighbour, as the US fast food chain, McDonald's, plans to open an outlet in the underground mall (Carousel du Louvre) at the approach to the museum.

And "Quelle horreur" seems to be the response from many according to a report in Britain's Daily Telegraph.

Any trip to France of course means enjoying some of the fine grub for which this country is rightly proud.

France even has an application pending with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to honour its cuisine.

But if you think the French take a traditionally dim view of US culture and especially its food and drink, think again.

Yes it might well seem to some a little incongruous having such a symbol of modern "culture" right next to a temple of art, but Starbucks is already in the Carrousel du Louvre.

Then there are the facts and figures for McDo's (as it's called here) that speak for themselves.

There are over 1,000 outlets here already. In fact the one opening within waddling distance of the museum will be its 1,142nd as it celebrates 30 years of business in France.

And besides why should the Louvre be spared the same fate that has already "befallen" other prestigious French sites such as the place du Capitole in the heart of Toulouse?

McDonald's, place du Capitole, Toulouse

The French clearly love burgers. McDonald's itself opened 30 new outlets last year and collectively its eateries reportedly pulled in 450 million customers making it the company's biggest market outside of the US.

The country even has its own fast food restaurant chain (although it started life as Belgian) in the shape of Quick, with over 300 restaurants.

And get this.

In last week's episode of the reality television game show Koh Lanta, the French equivalent of Survivor, what did the two contestants who won the reward challenge get as their luxury?

Yep you've guessed it. Burger and chips in the middle of the jungle.

Oh well. Perhaps it's a lost cause and the French shouldn't be too snooty about McDo's setting up shop right next to the Louvre.

Make mine a Mona Lisa burger please - with French fries of course.

Fancy grub

It might seem rather strange that France, of all countries, should feel the need to have official international approval for its cuisine. After all it’s pretty much recognised as a gourmet’s paradise. But that’s exactly what the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, is after.

On Saturday, shortly before issuing that now famous insult that has had the headlines buzzing ever since, Sarkozy gave his backing to a plan for French cuisine to be listed as part of the world’s cultural heritage.

As of 2009, France is going to slap in an official application to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to honour this country’s food.

The somewhat extraordinary idea dates back to 2006 when a group of leading chefs in France, with not the slightest hint of gastronomic chauvinism, launched a campaign trumpeting that “cuisine was their culture”.

With 400 signatories garnered, they’ve now got the seal of approval from the head of state – a man, it must be said, not exactly renowned for his taste in haute cuisine, Indeed the Eurodisney-loving Sarkozy is often perceived as the kind of person who might be far happier wolfing down a juicy burger with fries.

But never underestimate a desperate president who’s looking for a boost in the polls. Nor a man who will take over the rotating presidency of the European Union later this year and fully intends to make reform of the common agricultural policy (in France’s favour of course) his crucial issue.

Sarkozy has now decided that not only does the France have the best grub in the world but that agriculture and the jobs that produce the food every day are the source of this country’s “gastronomic diversity”.

“It is an essential element of French heritage”, he told an already converted audience at the opening of the massive agricultural fair on Saturday.

Now Unesco is an agency that is supposed, among other things, to support projects to protect traditions in the developing world. And certainly another declared goal is also to encourage all countries to nominate sites within their own borders to ensure the protection of their natural and cultural heritage.

So where does French food fit into all of this you might wonder. Well in a nutshell and put rather simply, it’s probably a stab at good old protectionism.

On the one hand France wants to halt what many here see as the creeping influence of fast food in the daily diet – a noble gesture perhaps. But on the other hand, it also wants to prevent in particular the mass production of cheaper “fine quality” products, long the domain of the French, and the perceived threat of the global food industry.

Unesco’s seal of approval might give France the legal tools with which to protect its own way of producing certain foods and drinks – a sort of internationally enforced “patent” to put it crudely.

How the application will be viewed is questionable, although it will probably raise a few eyebrows even though Unesco is based in Paris.

After all a similar attempt by Mexico back in 2005 to have its cuisine registered was rejected and jury is still out on a current request from Iran to have the Persian New Year feast included.

Italy is also rumoured to be considering an application for its own culinary status. But perhaps the real test will be if Britain ever tries to convince the rest of the planet that its rich tradition of stodgy puddings should be declared part of the world’s heritage.

Persiflage