A Portrait of France (part 4)...

The cheese board may include goat's, cow's and sheep's - milk cheeses to be eaten with bread or a knife and fork. Up till date, there are more than 300 type of cheese available in the France market. Cheeses is a must have after meal of the day.
Breakfast ~ The French rarely eat cereal, eggs or meat for breakfast, so assorted breads, spread with butter and jams, are the morning choice. These include croissants : flaky, buttery crescent-shaped pastries; a piece of baguette (shown above) which is split in half and spread with butter and jam to create a tartine; pain au chocolate: a buttery square roll with a melted tablet of chocolate inside; and brioche, an airy muffin-shaped egg-enriched yeast bread.

This is washed down with coffee or tea and, in some cafes, a glass of red wine, which is purported to maintain good digestion. The most common form of coffee at breakfast is cafe au lait, espresso coffee served with warm milk.

The Classic French Menu

The TRADITIONAL French meal consist of at least three courses. Les entrees or hors d'oeuvre (starters) include soups, egg dishes, salads or charcuterie, such as sliced sausage or ham. For les plats (main courses), fish or meat is served often with sauce, and accompanied by potatoes, rice or pasta and vegetables. Cheese comes before dessert, which can include sorbets, fruit tarts or patisserie. A fixed-price menu is the cheapest option.