The French concept of terroir — literally "earth" or "soil," meaning the specific character of a place expressed in its agricultural products — is the most important concept in French food culture. Originally a wine term, terroir was extended by food writers and chefs (particularly Curnonsky and the generation of writers who documented French regional cooking in the mid-20th century) to encompass the specific character of place in every agricultural product. The Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system — which protects geographical designations for specific foods — is the legal codification of terroir.
The terroir principle applied to French regional ingredients.
FRENCH REGIONAL DEEP EXTRACTION