The two most “French” things I can think of are French food and the French language. Sound about right? Naturally, for someone hoping to learn more about French culture, a day that successfully combines both of these things is a dream.
The annual Taste of Paris festival allowed me to not only try countless incredible dishes, but also take part in authentic language practice with locals. Learn more about some of my favorite parts of the event below!
Sampling Different Foods
The admission price to the Taste of Paris festival allow you to check out different chefs’ booths and learn more about their products and techniques. I tried fresh baked babka, a variety of vinegars, Thai spiralized zucchini, chocolates, and infused water at these booths. Everything was great! Miam!
Additionally, pop-up restaurant stands all over the expo hall served full dishes by well-known chefs for a price. We loaded money onto our payment cards ahead of time and tried wonderful raviolis, tarts, tacos, meats, desserts and more. Every taste was savored and discussed, just as it should have been.
Attending Classes and Workshops
Throughout the session, experts led different cooking classes and other workshops. While we did not plan ahead enough to secure a spot in a cooking class, we still had options upon arrival.
My friend Catherine and I decided to participate in a wine tasting (for obvious reasons)! A sweet old French man explained all out how we can use each of our senses to properly examine win and get the most out of any tasting experience. I learned a lot about wine, spoke and listened only in French, and best of all, got some delicious free wine!
Chatting with Chefs and Specialists
Probably the best part of the experience was seeing everyone in action and getting to be a part of it. We asked about the dishes when ordering and receiving each of our tastes, and my friend even got a photo with a famous chef she follows on Instagram. Even when things seemed a bit overwhelming to explain or understand in French, we made it happen, which definitely grew our confidence regarding our language skills by the end of the day.
Now that I am living in Paris for a while, I’m enjoying doing more than just museum hopping and visiting impressive monuments. Attending such a cool event with locals made me feel more a part of this city and culture, and obviously I got some great food and wine out of the experience too!
Robin Round the World 
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