DIJON the new French

DIJON the new French capital of gastronomy When presented with good food and wine, the French are apt to break out into song says Janine Marsh. Ban Bourguignon may sound like a robust chicken casserole flavoured with red wine but in fact it’s an anthem, a catchy ode that celebrates the French lifestyle. The words go ‘La – La la – La la la lère – La la – La la – La la la la la’. It’s a tuneful round of applause sung in honour of a superb dish or a sumptuous glass of vin, with hands raised above the head – twisting, turning and clapping in time to the rhythm. It’s said the song was born in a bar in Dijon in 1905, the capital of Burgundy, a part of France that has a reputation for the very best in French cuisine and wine. Well, the proof is in the pudding – and you’ll find it at the Cité International de la Gastronomie et du Vin in Dijon. It’s a bit of a mouthful, and it may sound rather a dry title but I promise you this landmark destination which opened in May 2022, is anything but. UNESCO added the “Gastronomic meal of the French” to their Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2010. The accolade recognises a thousand-year-old tradition of preparing good food that includes making everyday meals a celebration. The French Government decided to create a venue to showcase and promote French gastronomy and wine, and Dijon was chosen. It has form. UNESCOlisted vineyards, boeuf bourgignon, gougères – and in Dijon library there’s even a specialist collection of food books and menus, more than 30,000 of them. Homage to gastronomy The Cité de la Gastronomie et du Vin is on the site of an abandoned hospital built in 1204 along the old Roman road – it has been a landmark for visitors for centuries and now is a landmark for gastronomy. The ancient buildings have been restored and rejuvenated and additional architecturally fabulous buildings created for this foodie city within a 28 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 29