Fernand Point – The Father Of Modern French Cuisine

From “classical” French cooking, with heavy usage of butter and cream, time-consuming reduced sauces and elaborated cooking methods and presentation, tagged with expensive exotic ingredients like foie gras and truffles, Fernand Point was one of the first French chefs that rebelled Escoffier’s rule where he serves fresh food with reduced amount of fats and meats used and that food served to his guest are all prepared on the same day itself. Point also uses sauces minimally and served in a smaller portion that makes food more appetible. In addition, he is also the first chef in France to start sourcing for local and/or exotic ingredients, where the concept of “Farm to Table” came about. Point states that “Each morning the cuisiner must start again at zero, with nothing on the stove. That is what real cuisine is all about”, which reinforces his ideas that he is really passionate about using the freshest ingredients available around you through seasonality.

Fernand Point, born February 25, 1897 in Louhans, France, is well-known as the Father of Modern French Cuisine, or Nouvelle Cuisine. He worked with his father at a small buffet restaurant in the railway station in Louhans, where he, as a young boy, first learnt how to cook from his mother and grandmother, whom are both excellent Cordon Bleu cooks. He then apprenticed at the Hotel Royal in Evian with Gorges Bocuse, who is father of Paul Bocuse. Slowly, the family moved to Vienne and his father opened a small restaurant near Gallo-Roman Pyramid. Before his father’s death, he left the Restaurant to Point, where he reopened it as “La Pyramide” in 1923, inspired by the Gallo-Roman Pyramid, where the restaurant’s symbol, presentation trays, or even butter moulds he used were pyramid shaped.

Point thinks that a great cook should not be static and instead cooking to suit changing tastes and times, where it was a novel concept at that time. That resulted in set menu that are changed daily, based on what season it is at that time. With his persistence on his novel beliefs, he not only welcome high-profile clienteles like actors or politicians, but also anyone who can pay and want to try his food. La Pyramide was awarded 3 Michelin Star due to his persistence on his beliefs, his fantastic cooking skills and his frequent interaction with the customers despite him being the first celebrity chef that leaves his kitchen to talk to his customers. On Appendix A, it depicts an example of a La Pyramide set menu, where it is hand written everyday due to his beliefs and seasonality.

With all he had done, Point had wrote a book named “Ma Gastronomie”, where he compiled his experiences at La pyramide, his menus, recipes, quotes, et cetera. He believed that a cook must read, see, hear, try and observe everything in order understand and learn a bit out of it. It was later translated to English and published in 1974 and 2008, where Thomas Keller citied that the book had helped him significantly in his training.

With his use of fresh, locally sourced ingredients and his steer towards healthier way of cooking due to the Feminist Wave in the late 19th century where women were eating more vegetables and salads, and smaller portions because consumption of meat, alcohol and large portion are considered masculine, he was able execute his beliefs successfully. In addition, the construction and development of freeway system allows him more access and speed to get the fresh products into his kitchen. He also changed the way people consume champagne from past to present. He helped a Taittinger, a French wine family to develop a champagne that can be consumed at all times and occasion rather than only during celebratory event.

Point’s beliefs also corelate with what we known today as farm to table concept as he uses products that are local and close to La Pyramide, in Vienne, France. This novel concept he created at his time had inspired many chefs who are famous today like Paul Bocuse, Alain Chapel, et cetera, where they further promote and develop Nouvelle Cuisine. In conclusion, Fernand Point had interest me with his use of more locally source products and less use of meat products due to the changing taste during his time. His way of adapting to the demands paved ways to plant-based or plant-forward food today. His contribution helped me understand that cooking less meat and fats can also yield the same satisfaction and taste despite lacking in animal proteins. In most Asian society, parents have the perception of a healthy diet comprises of expensive meat cuts, nutrients added products and health pills, where it just all depends on what food we eat. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is believed and is effective, that the food we eat have medicinal benefits to our health. Similarly, it can also worsen your body if you consume beef or hot chilies during hot and humid environment. Although Point wasn’t introduced to Traditional Chinese Medicine at his time, he helped us understand better that food can be medicine too.