French President Jacques Chirac, whose recent comments on British and Finnish cooking provoked a minor diplomatic incident, claimed on Thursday that French cuisine is part of the reason for the longevity of his compatriots.
Listing in a television interview France’s strengths, Chirac lauded the merits of the national cuisine.
“French cooking, it should be given the tribute it is due,” he said, arguing that “it has perhaps, certainly, its role in the long life of the French people”.
He caused a furore earlier this month when he was overheard saying British cuisine is the worst in the world after Finland’s and joking “the only thing they have done for European agriculture is ‘mad cow'” at a Franco-German-Russian summit in Russia.
Asked about that judgement, he replied: “No, no, I did not say that.”
The life expectancy for men in France is 76; for women, it is 83. — AFP