If there is one particular dish that intrigues me from France, it will be Beef Bourguignon. As an Indonesian accustomed to eat stew, the meal would be my go-to if I ever lived in France and missed comfort food.
Hailed from the Burgundy, Beef Bourguignon is a hearty stew made of the region’s best products: red wine and Charolais beef. The Charolais cattle, found around the Charolles region of Southern Burgundy, are reputable for their tender and excellent quality meat. It perfectly complements Burgundy’s rich red wine (especially Pinot Noir or Gamay) when stewed together as Beef Bourguignon. Thus, the dish is reflective of Burgundy’s identity, for it consisted of their prized native ingredients. Yet this dish is also very ‘French’, as characterized by the use of herbs (thyme, parsley and bay leaves) than spices commonly used in their Middle-Eastern/African counterparts. Additionally, the recipe also includes onions, carrots, mushrooms and garlic.
Beef bourguignon has its origins as a peasant’s food, dating as far back as the middle ages. It was invented to slow-cook tough, unwanted meat and other available ingredients to provide sustenance. However, the dish became popular within the French public and restaurants when Auguste Escoffier published a written recipe in 1903. Today, the French overwhelmingly voted for Beef Bourguignon as their top national dish. Thus, it rings true to Pankhurst’s idea that cookbooks are integral in the nationalization of cuisine. Cookbooks made beef bourguignon more accessible to consume in their everyday life, even without the Charolais beef or authentic red wine from Burgundy. Thus, it is then understandable how the French strongly identifies themselves with Beef Bourguignon.
Annette's Taste of Europe 