What did people eat in the French countryside in the 1930s?

In the countryside during the 1930s, life was neither a spectacle of living museums nor a whirlwind of urban modernity. It was a simple world, sometimes harsh, but rich in knowledge and traditions. On farms, in hamlets, and in mountain pastures, people ate what they produced, what they raised, what they processed. It was a cuisine of the seasons, of necessity, of common sense, and the cauldron, still present, continued to play its part.

Local cuisine

The vast majority of food comes from the farm itself or from local exchanges. Little is bought. Much is processed. The pantry is a mix of fresh, dried, smoked, salted, preserved, or fermented ingredients.

The vegetable garden, the epicenter of a revolution

While French cuisine has evolved over millennia, the biggest upheaval is undoubtedly linked to the introduction of vegetables from the New World.

In rural France in the 1930s, many vegetables now considered "traditional" actually had exotic origins. Introduced gradually since the Age of Discovery, vegetables from the New World – particularly from Central and South America – found their place in French vegetable gardens through a slow acclimatization process, facilitated or hindered by regional climatic conditions.

Among the most emblematic is the tomato, long viewed with suspicion and initially cultivated as an ornamental plant. It was only at the end of the 19th century that it became fully edible in the eyes of the general public. By the 1930s, it was well established in the countryside of the South, where its cultivation was productive. In contrast, in more northerly regions, its presence remained less prominent.

Peppers and eggplants, also originating from the Americas, are likewise primarily confined to warm climates. Their cultivation remains marginal in the countryside north of the Loire. In contrast, they are frequently found in southern vegetable gardens, particularly in areas near the Mediterranean, where they are easily incorporated into Provençal and Niçoise cuisine.

Squash and related varieties, such as zucchini, are more tolerant of temperate climates. They are therefore cultivated in most rural areas, particularly for soups and stews, which are nourishing and inexpensive dishes. Although their American origins are often forgotten, these vegetables play a fundamental role in the daily diet of rural populations.

The potato, for its part, is undoubtedly the most successful example of the integration of a New World vegetable into the French agricultural landscape. Since Parmentier, its cultivation has become widespread throughout the country. By 1930, it was no longer seen as a curiosity, but as a cornerstone of rural subsistence.

Finally, less common vegetables like beans (in their green, red, or white forms) and corn find their place depending on the soil and local practices. Beans are widely grown in vegetable gardens, eaten fresh or dried, while corn is often reserved for animal feed.

Thus, in 1930, the presence of New World vegetables in the French countryside was neither uniform nor systematic. It was the result of a slow process of botanical, but also cultural, adaptation, shaped by local conditions: climate, agricultural practices, culinary traditions and popular perception.

These vegetables now form an essential part of the French food repertoire and are redefining new regional culinary characteristics...

Soups, stews, casseroles: the cuisine of the cauldron

While the grain-based diet of the Gauls has disappeared from our plates, and barley and spelt have given way to potatoes and beans, the cauldron is still widely used. It stays hot all day. Water, vegetables, and bacon are added, and stale bread is dipped in it. It's traditional, family cooking.

The cauldron remains the heart of the home...the symbol of the hearth...