Thursday, September 25, 2008

In France, they peel things.

In France, everyone peels apples, pears, potatoes, peaches, cucumbers, and anything else that one can peel. Now, I do not necessarily report this as a bizarre act. Perhaps one could have an aversion to the fuzziness of a peach or the juxtaposition of texture between the interior of the cucumber and its exterior lair. Perhaps. The perplexing part to me is this: why does no one in the States peel an apple and everyone in France does? I have never seen a French person eat a non-peeled apple just as I have never seen an American eat a peeled apple. Yes for pie or cobbler or any other delicious baked apple treat, Americans peel apples, but not for a simple snack.
So I asked a French woman why she peels apples.
“Did you know that no one in America peels apples?”
“No. We do here in France. Or at least, my mother did, so I do.”
“Why do you peel your apples? Just because of your mother?”
“No. I suppose they are too crunchy if you don’t peel them, too.”
“Too crunchy?”
“Yes.”
“In America, one of an apple’s merits is its level of crunchiness.”

3 comments:

LAUREN PALMOR said...

actually, my father and i peel our apples. so do some ladies when making pie.

padraic timothy sullivan said...

i conceded the pie making fact.

but your father isn't american.

and you lack classifiability.

Jonathan G said...

Timothy Sullivan,
Very astute observation about the apple peeling. I never would have even considered it had it not been for your informative journalism.
Me, I'm in Chicago, keeping the Cision company up and running. I have my new cubicle and just recently found out I passed the bar exam.
Hope my ex-Paris is treating you bien. I've been struggling speaking to the Quebequois, but I just pass those on to Kristin E.
Word is bond.
-Jonathan

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