French Fries Missing from Paris Olympic Village Menu... What Is the Reason?

Increased Fire Risk from Prolonged Use of Deep Fryers
Eco-Friendly Diet Pursued... Excluding Avocado and Foie Gras

The dining tables in the athlete village of the Paris Olympics, which opens on July 26, are not expected to feature French-style fries (French fries).

[Image source=Pixabay]

On the 31st of last month (local time), foreign media including the New York Post reported that French fries will not be served at the Paris Olympics due to fire hazards in the athlete village dining hall. The athlete village dining hall accommodates more than 3,500 people daily, serves 45,000 meals, and operates 24 hours a day. In such a cooking environment, using deep fryers filled with oil for a long time to make French fries increases the risk of fire accidents, so it is interpreted that French fries were excluded from the menu from the start. Instead, the Spanish dish "Patatas Bravas," which will fill the gap in potato dishes, can be tasted. This dish consists of roughly cut roasted potatoes topped with sauce.

France aims to reduce carbon emissions at the Paris Olympics. To this end, more than 80% of the ingredients used in the athlete village dining hall will be sourced from France, and among them, 25% will be ingredients grown within about 250 km of Paris. Disposable tableware and plates have also been removed.

Also excluded from the menu is avocado, which has been identified as a major cause of environmental destruction. Avocados are known to require an enormous amount of water during production and generate a large amount of carbon during export. This production and distribution process is considered inconsistent with the eco-friendly values pursued by the French government for this event.

Foie gras, a French delicacy considered one of the "world's three great delicacies," has also been excluded due to concerns about animal cruelty. Foie gras has been criticized for its production method, which involves force-feeding geese with a hose to fatten their livers. Additionally, since the menu is designed for athletes, wine?one of the things that come to mind when thinking of "France"?will not be served.

Instead, the athlete village dining hall will offer about 500 different menu items to accommodate athletes from various countries. Chef St?phane Ciseri, in charge of the athlete village, explained, "Cheese, a pride of France, veal steak enhanced with mild sauces to bring out its natural flavor, and baguettes baked by France's finest artisans will be prepared." In addition, chefs from French Michelin 3-star restaurants will present creative French dishes. Foreign media stated, "The food at this Paris Olympics athlete village carries the pride of the French government in gastronomy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.