French vs. American food rules: Misunderstandings at the table, with sociologist Claude Fischler and journalist Guillemette Faure

In conversation with Pamela Druckerman

What’s wrong with telling your French host you’re a vegetarian? What shocks French people about Thanksgiving? How is it that Americans have far shorter average mealtimes than the French, but are more likely to be overweight? Why do many French people think that having a sandwich for lunch isn’t eating?

How we eat reveals a great deal about us. Join us for a conversation about the unspoken rules of French dinner parties, the nature of eating in each country, and why French and Americans have so many misunderstandings at the table.

Claude Fischler is a French sociologist and anthropologist specializing in food, and the author of books including Manger. Français, Européens et Américains face à l'alimentation ("Eating: French, Europeans and Americans Confront Food") and l’Homnivore. He was one of the first social scientists to look at food as a major interdisciplinary research topic, and has studied cross-cultural approaches and the social dimension of meals.

Guillemette Faure is a columnist for M, the weekend magazine of Le Monde. She’s the author of nine books including Dîners en ville, mode d'emploi ("Dinner Parties: A How-To") and La France made in USA. She spent 12 years as a journalist in New York for Le Figaro and other publications.

Pamela Druckerman is the author of five books, including the forthcoming rhyming picture book for children Paris by Phone.