He revolutionized French cuisine and became a legend. As famed chef Paul Bocuse turns 90, 'nouvelle cuisine' still offers a fresh perspective on food. Here's a look back at his approach - and more recent food trends.
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Irresistible food trends
Cabbage, cronut and brinner all meet in this picture gallery exploring some of the most popular culinary trends.
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Food with a good conscience
The "Food Report 2016" compiled by nutritionist and trend researcher Hanni Rützler pinpoints three developing trends. She calls the first one "spiritual food." Whether vegetarian, vegan, halal or kosher, consumers are increasingly reflecting on the ethics of food.
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Instant quality
"Fast good" is a label that borrows on "fast food," yet in this case, people want their quickly prepared meals to nevertheless be nutritious. Fresh and regional ingredients make up such dishes. Hispanic, Asian and Arabic influences provide creative inspiration.
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Lunch on wheels
Grabbing a quick bite on the go didn't start with the invention of food trucks. Yet some of them specialize in preparing "infinite food," as another new trend is called. For example, the Swagman truck (pictured) offers in the Bayreuth region of Germany slow-roasted meat and homemade mashed potatoes instead of hamburgers and fries.
Image: swagman
Sharing inspirations
Whether in Cologne, Paris or New York, inside or outside, street food festivals offer a taste of the latest culinary trends. Every week in Berlin's Markthalle Neun (pictured), the event "Street food Thursday" showcases how traditional food, from Mexican tacos to West African fufu, can be turned into creative bites.
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Time for something new
So-called hybrid foods have been popping up for a while already. This picture shows a "cronut," which was a trend in New York in 2013. More examples of hybrids: Ramen noodles replace the bread - or the patty - in "ramen burgers," and a "bruffin" is brioche-like muffin.
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Order and cook
Instead of heading out to the supermarket and sweating in a queue, you can now simply order "cooking boxes" online. Simple recipes come with all the ingredients you need to make them.
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The magical powers of antioxidants
Though there is no official definition of "superfoods," they are known to be packed with nutrients. Because of its antioxidant qualities, the acai berry is one of them. Some claim it has anti-ageing properties and can protect against diseases. This South American berry has a particular taste - earthy and nutty.
Image: DW/H. Fuchs
Versatile cabbage
Some regional products are also considered superfoods, such as cabbage, which is packed with vitamin C. Though it is traditionally served with minced meat and potatoes, some people like to experiment with it, using cabbage for example to replace the dough in pizza or quiche, or to prepare smoothies.
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Breakfast into the night
Forget brunch, organize a "brinner" instead: It's breakfast and dinner all-in-one, as you get to eat your breakfast favorites - with a twist - in an evening meal. Some suggestions for the menu: Tortillas with scrambled eggs or a hash browns, bacon and sausage casserole.
Image: cc-by-Arnold Gatilao-2.0.
And it pops
If ever you need a snack after that huge meal, popcorn is the way to go. Without butter, it is surprisingly low-cal. Some are now replacing croutons in salads with popcorn and even using it to make ice cream.
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Cooking for the web
Whoever still needs inspiration to cook can spend hours watching food videos online - it's a booming trend. This picture shows whisky mince pies: muffins filled with mincemeat that has been spiked with whisky.
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France is renowned for its innovative fashion and food culture. While it's no longer a new trend, so-called "nouvelle cuisine" - new cuisine - is still considered modern. This approach focused on fresh ingredients, reduced cooking times to preserve minerals and vitamins, and put emphasis on delivering a high-quality final product. In the 1970s, this style established itself as a standard in French gastronomy. The most prominent representative of nouvelle cuisine was Paul Bocuse.
Paul Bocuse's innovative approach
Born on February 11, 1926, Paul Bocuse's ancestors have been in the culinary business since the 18th century. He was already involved in his family's restaurant by the age of nine. At the beginning of the 1940s, he left school and began training to become a professional chef in Lyon. After World War II, he went on to learn in different restaurants in Paris and Lyon. In 1956, Bocuse finally returned to his home town, Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, near Lyon, to pursue the family business.
Legendary Paul Bocuse
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After his father's death in 1959, Bocuse restructured the family's traditional restaurant and called it L'Auberge Paul Bocuse. Within a year, he earned his first Michelin star, with the second one awarded in 1962 and a third one coming in 1965. His restaurant, since renamed L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges, has obtained three stars every year ever since - a record.
'A large restaurant is like theater'
In the 70s, the French chef further developed his nouvelle cuisine. He would always use fresh products, based on seasonal availability and regional traditions. He broke with old cooking principles and began exchanging recipes with colleagues in Lyon. This resulted in a group of 22 chefs known as "La bande à Bocuse." An international cooking competition called the "Bocuse d'Or" was created in 1987 and takes place every two years. It's the equivalent of the Olympics for star chefs worldwide.
"A large restaurant is like theater," Bocuse famously once said. After cooking, he would leave the kitchen to celebrate with his guests in his restaurant.
The legendary chef has built over the decades a gastronomical empire which includes Bocuse-named restaurants, bakeries and boutiques in Europe, the US, Japan and Australia. From cookbooks to mugs, along with bottles of champagne, fans can find all kind of products bearing his famous name.
Happy 90th birthday, Paul Bocuse!Image: Paul Bocuse
The chef of the century no longer cooks
Paul Bocuse described his approach as "la cuisine du marché," market cuisine. This art form has been reaching its limits: Plates are increasingly turned into elaborately decorated "paintings," with small portions and little sauce. This is not necessarily what Bocuse had in mind. According to his principles, dishes should taste like the ingredients they are made of. That's why he used to insist on going to the market himself, to make sure his products were fresh.
Suffering from Parkinson's disease, the great chef has now left the kitchen. Yet Paul Bocuse's revolutionary concepts have made him a legend - and he remains one of the most important French chefs of the 20th century.
