Development of Nouvelle Cuisine and the Role of Paul Bocuse in 20th Century French Cuisine - Coursework Example

Freshness, lightness, and clarity of flavor are the main points of emphasis in nouvelle cuisine (smith Andrew 78), Nouvelle cuisine acknowledged the unhealthiest of the haute cuisine and sought to rectify it. The cuisine emphasizes low calories, sugars, and fat in the foods prepared. Ingredients with excess salt and refined sugars are also reduced. Hence the natural color, texture, and flavor of ingredients surfaced in the food served.Nouvelle cuisine is an updated version of French cuisine containing a healthy approach.

This cuisine takes a short time to prepare and requires fresh ingredients. It is a favored cuisine due to its low fat and calories in a world where people are strict on their diets. Today nouvelle cuisine takes many forms. The name still refers to the period of the culinary revolution in French in the twentieth century. However different chefs the world over have adopted it in their cooking. Nouvelle cuisine is healthy; therefore most people looking to check their weight adopt nouvelle cuisine.

It is also a style of cooking recommended for children because it is healthy and avoids refined sugars. Calories and refined sugars cause many health problems both in children and adults. Nouvelle cuisine is healthy and helps one avoid such health issues.The most obvious characteristic of nouvelle cuisine is the fact that it utilizes fresh ingredients. The chefs have to visit the market every morning to acquire the freshest vegetables possible. The use of leftovers is forbidden since freshness is a priority.

Frozen foodstuffs or ingredients also have no place in nouvelle cuisine. The use of preservatives was also out of the question for nouvelle cuisine. Simplicity also characterizes the making of nouvelle cuisines.Nouvelle cuisine rejects complicated methods of cooking. It also reduces the number of steps undertaken to ensure that preparation and consumption take a minimum amount of time. Steaming is another major characteristic of nouvelle cuisine. Steaming vegetables, game birds, and fish ensure the preservation of their natural flavors and nutrients.

Steaming also reduces the time consumed as opposed to frying and boiling.   

The nouvelle cuisine is also characterised by quality as opposed to quantity. The earlier haute cuisine included large amounts of food meant to fill an empty stomach. The nouvelle cuisine however, replaced the quantity with quality. The food is light and fresh evoking satisfaction as opposed to filling the stomach. The cuisine is also recognised for its awareness of healthy food. It realises the importance of nutrients and the effect on people’s health. It is characterised by natural ingredients which are low in calories, fat and sugar.

Hence it is a first choice for ladies and others aiming to check their weight. Spices in the nouvelle cuisine are minimally utilised. The spices are only applied to heighten the natural flavours of the ingredients used. Another characteristic of the nouvelle cuisine is that its menu is short and flexible. The menu is dictated by the availability of fresh vegetables and ingredients. The menu varies every now and then depending on ingredients in the close markets. The aesthetic aspect of the food is not forgotten in the nouvelle cuisine.

The presentation is still considered an important aspect in the cuisine. Simplicity also applies in the presentation. The layout of the food on the plate is beautiful and simple. The fragrance and aroma of the food reflects the aesthetics of the presentation. The cuisine is widespread, therefore, most chefs utilise their local vegetable and fruits to make the cuisine. They improvise their local products to create more and better recipes that suit their culture and their people. Development of nouvelle cuisine Nouvelle cuisine is French for new cuisine.

Cuisine defines a method or style of cooking and presentation for a certain culture. The term nouvelle cuisine was used long before the twentieth century. Vincent La Chapelle and Menon had their works described as nouvelle cuisine in 1740. The next century also had Gorges Augusts cooking referred to as nouvelle cuisine. Three journalists popularised this term during the twentieth century. During this time new ideas were popping up in every section of life. The cinema, invented by the Wright brothers was revolutionising.

Students of the previous haute cuisine also felt the need for change. Three journalists led in the revolution of the culinary industry. The journalist popularised nouvelle cuisine through a magazine they started in the 1969. Henry Gault, Christian Millau, and Andre Gayot founded their magazine Le Nouveau Guide. The magazine was the first of its kind and was dedicated to food and wine. Paul Bocuse is a French chef greatly associated with the nouvelle cuisine. As a young chef in the late 1950s, he and Guerard and Chapel invented nouvelle cuisine.

The cuisine was lighter and more freestyle replacing heavy traditional sauces. The cuisine characterised the reduction of cooking oil and other ingredients, thus introducing a much lighter meal with the presentation of a small amount of food. The large traditional metal plates were also replaced with smaller and artistic plates. By 1975, nouvelle cuisine had become a revolution that was sweeping over the world. In fact during that year the Harpers and Queens a British magazine featured nouvelle cuisine as the newest food fashion.

During this time the world had become aware of the need for healthy nutrition. Nouvelle cuisine therefore appealed to many people. It involved making food with the freshest of ingredients and the consumption of light meals (Mellita Adamson 256). It emphasized on natural ingredients and the importance of their nutrition to the human health. Nouvelle cuisine is said to have borrowed from the Portuguese way of cooking. During its creation Portuguese trickled into the country bringing with them richer and better methods and types of food.

Influence of Japanese food presentation appeared in nouvelle cuisine. The revolution, spear headed by French culinary students became a success in the 1970s and 1980s. The Michelin restaurants were most successful and celebrated in those days.