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There is a word in French that is widely used about food and that is "correct". It is meant as a compliment but it also underlines an innate understanding. A butcher, a fishmonger, a restaurant, a market stall, a baker can all be "correct" but above all a meal is "correct" and dishes are prepared "correctement". Which means not just that they are well-cooked, but that local standards and traditions have been followed.

French food is still deeply rooted in its ingredients and seasons. Above all, though, it is regional. Suggest to a Marseillais that a cook from Alsace can prepare a bouillabaisse "correctement" and you will be greeted with pure scorn; a scorn similar to that heaped on a Marseillais who offers a choucroute. In THE FOOD OF FRANCE, Sarah Woodward offers a fascinating and practical guide to the extraordinary range of food that France has to offer in its different regions and across different seasons. She shows that there is a profound sense of place and time to be found in the food of France - but that wherever you go, "correct" food is something to be celebrated.