The gastronomic meal of the French is a customary social practice for celebrating the most important moments in the lives of individuals and groups, such as births , weddings, anniversaries , achievements and reunions . It is a festive meal bringing people together for the occasion , the art of "eating well" and "well drink" . The gastronomic meal emphasizes being well together, the pleasure of taste , harmony between human beings and the products of nature. Important elements include the careful selection of dishes from a corpus of recipes keeps growing , and the purchase of good , preferably local , whose flavors go well together, the pairing of food and wine , decorating the table , and specific actions during the tasting ( smell and taste what is served at the table ) . The gastronomic meal should respect a fixed structure, it starts with an aperitif and ending with liqueurs , containing in between at least four successive courses, namely a starter , fish and / or meat with vegetables , cheese and a dessert. Individuals called gastronomes who possess deep knowledge of the tradition and preserve its memory watch over the living practice of the rites, thus contributing to their oral transmission and / or written to the younger generation in particular. The gastronomic meal draws the circle of family and friends and , more generally, strengthens social ties .