Bon appétit: PHL’s first French Gastronomy Week begins

The Philippines has played host to numerous food festivals, but the Week Gastronomique from October 13 to 18 will be the country's first French Gastronomy Week.

During the event's press launch in Taguig City on Monday, French Ambassador to the Philippines Gilles Garachon asked, "Do you eat to survive or to enjoy food?"

For the French, eating is not just about surviving. In French, said Garachon, the idea of gluttony is not necessarily something negative. It is loosely translated as "gourmandise," which means to indulge in good eating. This is what Week Gastronomique will highlight: the simple appreciation of good food.

The French Embassy in Manila has brought two French food and wine experts to Manila to talk about the art of eating smarter: oenologist and "Poet of Wine" Jacques Puisais and Hong Kong-based health specialist Dr. Georges Halpern.

Wine and cheese

The two will be hopping from one university to another. They will give lectures about wine pairing, nutrition, and trends in food and beverage industry at University of the Philippines (October 14), Far Eastern University (October 15), and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (October 16 and 17).

From October 15 to 17, there will also be a Wine and Cheese Festival at SM Aura Premier in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), at which Puisais will give a lecture on the basics of wine tasting and pairing.

While the SM Aura event is going on, medical professionals will gather at Le Jardin in BGC to discuss the health benefits of wine and related topics on October 16.

To cap off this French-centric food event, Mercato Centrale in Taguig City will host the French Outdoor Night Market on October 18 in partnership with the French Chamber of Commerce. Aside from showcasing French and Filipno food and produce, there will also be a pétanque tournament—a French game of throwing heavy balls at a small target ball—and wine appreciation sessions.

Moreover, French restaurants Aubergine, Brasserie Girolle, Le Champêtre, and Le Jardin—all in BGC—have prepared degustation menus for the entire month of October.

Week Gastronomique is just the start of bringing more French cuisine to the Philippines, Garachon told reporters. When President Benigno Aquino III visited France in September, he signed bilateral agreements with French President François Hollande to increase cultural exchanges between the two nations.

After the first French Gastronomy Week, Garachon revealed, Filipinos can expect "a day of French cuisine" in 2015. — BM, GMA News