Raw

When thinking of raw French food, the mythical bistro classic of steak tartare or Breton oysters served with malt bread and salty butter tend to come to mind. However, the increased popularity of sushi and sashimi teamed with the onslaught of molecular cuisine - a trend that looks at cooking in a more scientific way and studies the transformation of ingredients during cooking - has given all sorts of food served raw a whole new lease of life.

The French are very good at adopting a classic dish or technique and applying it to whatever takes their fancy. For raw dishes, this means that there are now carpaccios, ceviches and tartares of just about everything, sweet and savoury, from beetroot to swordfish to strawberries. Taking one ingredient and doing fifty things to it, the molecular gastronomy way, combined with greater awareness of health issues mean that vegetables are having much more attention paid to them. The result is a purer, cleaner and more subtle taste all round.