The overwhelming influence of American food trends in Paris has reached a fever pitch in recent years, marked by an obsession with tacos and cupcakes and other United States favorites. Maybe the most surprising American import was the arrival of the food truck trend. In the blink of an eye, food trucks had taken over the city and were finding a way to fit into a culture that adores its sit-down lunches and one-hour midday breaks.
California native Kristin Frederick is credited with spearheading the food truck movement in Paris when she got behind the wheel of Le Camion Qui Fume in 2012. Her burger truck embraced quality ingredients and some of the best frîtes in the city, making it a hit with Parisians and inspiring a fleet of food trucks to follow. Some variations on the mobile food concept have missed the mark (a ten-euro grilled cheese sandwich is a tough sell in any city) but many food trucks have adapted the idea to reflect local specialties. The Bugelski deli food truck has taken up the challenge of locally sourcing its ingredients, featuring le vrai Jambon de Paris and many vegetables that are grown in the region. Increasingly more engaged in the manger local movement, the Île-de-France even has its own food truck, which proudly sports the innovative “Des produits d’ici, cuisinés ici” label. The concept of standing in line and finding a nearby spot to stop and eat (especially in a city whose parks usually keep their grassy areas off-limits for picnics) makes the food truck trend a bit perplexing to the French, but demonstrating that you can prepare locally sourced ingredients to make simple, good food in a small space is proving to Parisians that even the most modest spaces can be used to produce quality cuisine.
