Rumor has it that the French don’t “do breakfast.” According to another rumor, we pig out on croissants all the time. So, what constitutes a typical petit déjeuner français? It’s true that most French people have a light breakfast at home before heading out to school or to work: a glass of juice, a bowl of café au lait, a tartine or a couple of biscottes with butter and jam; that’s about it. Habits have changed somewhat: a cup of yogurt or some cold cereal might also make an appearance. Croissants are weekend treats, unless… I confess to being a serial croissant eater when I am in France: good ones are impossible to find in Modesto so I make up for it when I find myself in Paris. It’s quite special to start the day at a neighborhood café and watch the regulars interact with the servers while sipping a nice cup of tea or coffee in which I blissfully dunk a long slice of crispy baguette smeared with Brittany butter (the kind with salt crystals); and a perfect croissant, because every day feels like Sunday when I am in Paris…
Vocabulary
Le P'tit dej': short (and familiar) for le petit déjeuner
Le petit déjeuner français: French breakfast
Le café au lait: coffee mixed with milk (usually in about equal proportions)
La tartine: a slice of bread topped with other ingredients
La biscotte: a store-bought bread product similar to Melba toast