The French language is inviolate. Sacred. The meanings are exacting and precise. They have a governing body (the Académie Française) and it can, with absolute authority, tell you what words mean.
It literally publishes THE official dictionary, which is the last word in French.
"What the Académie Fran-says, Goes."
(Thanks, I'm here all week, tip your waitresses, try the veal)
In spite of this (or perhaps because of it?) the French tend to relish in rejecting any notion that other languages' words might mean A.n.y.t.h.i.n.g. at all.
I find this endlessly endearing and deeply resonant, as a person who has embraced descriptivism in American English especially as The Answer To Maintaining One's Sanity.
I also find it outrageous and totally unacceptable. And then I cheerfully accept it.
Take for example, the tacos.
By which I mean, French Tacos.
By which I mean this:
French Tacos (always with the s, even in the singular) are not strictly speaking, tacos.
Or even moderately speaking.
Or loosely speaking.
French tacos have a similarity to the notion of a taco in the same way a star nosed mole -- by virtue of being four legged, and also having a face -- has a similarity to a Great Dane.
French tacos are street food.
And there's a tortilla!
That's pretty much it.
The tortilla is large.
The tortilla is large.
The fillings generally include: meat(can be merguez sausage, chicken tenders, shawarma or any number of other things*) French fries (in which it feels linked to a Greek gyro, in my mind), a melted cheese (often a sauce made with Emmental but others make an appearance) a sauce (a kebab shop sauce like Algerian sauce, white doner kebab sauce, etc.) and vegetables (often some sort of salad mix).
*Although since most kebab shops in French are halal certified so they can safely serve North-African born Muslims, pork generally isn't an option.
The tortilla is filled with ingredients arranged in a flat rectangle, and the tortilla is folded in a sort of origami-shape to match which is why one of the slang terms for it is "matelas" -- French for Mattress.
It has been described as a "rather successful marriage between panini, kebab, and burrito"
The picture above is the one I had for dinner my first night in Toulouse. Inside were white doner kebab sauce, chicken cordon blue, a mixture of veggies, white donner kebab sauce and cheese.
It was delicious. It was not a taco. It was a French Tacos.
If you're in the country -- especially in the southeastern part of the Hexagon where they originated -- I highly recommend you try one if you find yourself craving fast food, or in need a filling, cheap, prepared meal.
It was delicious. It was not a taco. It was a French Tacos.
If you're in the country -- especially in the southeastern part of the Hexagon where they originated -- I highly recommend you try one if you find yourself craving fast food, or in need a filling, cheap, prepared meal.
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