Navigating the French

Did you know that it's illegal to call sparkling wine Champagne unless it's made within a 130-square-mile region of France? This is just one aspect of an essential French concept known as terroir, an idea that links geography, culture, regionalism, and identity. Emily talks with cooking school owner Fred Pouillot about why the French care more about regional cheeses than regional sports and how on...

The French word aimer is used to mean both like and love – but despite this dual role in the language of romance, it's not actually used all that often! Journalist and author Sylvia Sabes joins Emily to discuss why "I love you" is far from a perfect translation for Je t'aime. Find Sylvia Sabes https://twitter.com/OnlyNParis https://www.instagram.com/sylviasabes/?hl=en https://sylviasabes.com/ Find...

You don't just set the table for the French Sunday meal – you endimancher it! Here to discuss this word as it refers to that oh-so sacred weekly ritual of the family meal is French culinary journalist and co-founder of Le Fooding, Emmanuel Rubin. Rubin has graciously agreed to converse with Emily in English, but if you need help following, a transcript is provided! Find Us Online Website: https://...

French is a gendered language, which means that not just people, but objects from table to knife to, yep, COVID, have a gender (feminine, masculine, and feminine, fwiw.) To speak about the nuances of genre, Emily is speaking with Loic Bourdeau, a professor at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette specializing in feminist and queer studies. https://twitter.com/loic_french Find Us Online Website:...

This week's word encapsulates a combination of wandering, people-watching, and embracing the unexpected. Join Emily Monaco and Federico Castigliano, a professor of French and Italian in Beijing and author of Flâneur: The art of wandering the streets of Paris, in chatting about flânerie. federicocastigliano.com Instagram: urban_reveries Find Us Online Website: https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/...

The word francophonie might seem to mean "the ability to speak French," but when explored through a socio-political lens, it emerges as something far more complex than one might think at first glance. Our guest this week is Gemma King, Senior Lecturer in French Studies at the Australian National University, specializing in contemporary cinema, museum and cultural studies. To contact Gemma King: Tw...

Show up at 11:30am at a French person's home, and you'll likely be invited for apéro. But what makes this tradition stand out from cocktail hour? And why the heck can't you pour your own drink? Forest Collins, the cocktail expert behind 52 Martinis, explores this uniquely French pre-dinner (and pre-lunch!) tradition. Find Forest Collins: https://www.instagram.com/52martinis/ Find Us Online Website...

In 1789, France officially protected a separation of Church and State with article 10 of Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen. But the reality is... a bit more complicated. To help us navigate the nuances of laïcité, Emily is joined by journalist Lindsey Tramuta, author of The New Paris and The New Parisienne. https://twitter.com/LostNCheeseland https://www.instagram.com/lostncheeseland/?hl=en...

Bonjour doesn't just mean "hello" in French. It's an important conversation starter whose absence can lead to poor customer service or even true offense. To find out why, Emily is chatting with Julie Barlow, Canadian journalist and co-author of The Bonjour Effect. Find Us Online Website: https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/navigatingthefrench Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parisundergroundra...