...French toast is not from France. It originated in Albany, New York by restaurateur, Joseph French and was named after him.
Here are a few more little-known facts about France.
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More than 250 million bottles of champagne are produced in France each year – 60% for the French market and 40% for exporting. |
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Joseph and Jacques Etienne Montgolfier were two French brothers from Vidalon-les-Annonay, near Lyons, who made the first successful hot-air balloon. The first balloon was launched in December, 1782, and ascended to an altitude of 985 feet (300 m). |
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Mayonnaise was invented in 1756 by the French chef of the Duc de Richelieu. After the Duc beat the British at Port Mahon, his chef created a victory feast that was to include a sauce made of cream and eggs. Realizing that there was no cream in the kitchen, the chef substituted olive oil for the cream and a new culinary creation was born. The chef named the new sauce "Mahonnaise" in honor of the Duc's victory. |
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French was the official language of England for over 600 years. |
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The "O.K." sign (forming a circle with the thumb and forefinger) means "zero" or "useless" in France. |
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The Eiffel Tower in Paris is one of the most famous symbols of France. It was built in 1889 for the World’s Fair. The tower stands 984 feet tall, has 18,038 pieces, weighs 7,300 tons (same as 1,000 elephants) and has 1665 steps. It was the world’s tallest building up until 1930. |
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Every summer more than 100 professional cyclists race in the Tour de France. The race is approximately 2,000 miles long and lasts up to three weeks. |
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The world famous Louvre Museum and Art Gallery in Paris was built in 1190 and was used as a fortress. |
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All over France, wine is free with most meals (including lunch) but you have to pay for milk for your coffee. |
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The original name for French fries, which was described by Thomas Jefferson, was "potatoes, fried in the French manner." |
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In France, French bread is called "une baguette" and contains no fat, so it becomes stale very quickly. Bread is eaten at all three meals, and forms the most important part of breakfast. |
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There are over 800 McDonalds in France and the first one was built in 1979 and is located in Strasbourg's Les Hall shopping center. |
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Getting married in France is not an easy thing to do. One person must satisfy the 40-day residence requirement and the marriage needs to be announced ten days before it is to take place, usually by an ad in a local newspaper. |
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The French Flag (blue/white/red) was created during the French Revolution. At this time the white was the symbol of Royalty and blue and red were the colors of the city of Paris. When a crowd of Parisian people came to Versailles and forced King Louis XVI to return and to stay in Paris, a flag with the white “guarded” by the red and the blue was designed as the symbol of the Monarchy under Paris control. Voilà! |
| For more information about life in France, click here. | |
