This Thursday, June 6, 2024 marks the 80th anniversary of the Landing. On this occasion, the audio series Let’s cook the story looks back at the food and drinks brought back by the GIs and which quickly found their place on French tables.
On June 6, 1944, thousands of American soldiers landed at daybreak on our Normandy beaches, to put an end to the German Occupation. And along the way share a little about their “American” way of life. The GIs will in fact introduce the French to completely new products. We talk about it in the last episode of Let’s cook history :
The sociologist of food Eric Birlouez returns in particular to the history of chewing gum, “unknown in France at the time. 150 billion tablets will be provided to allied American troops and the GI’s do not hesitate to share them with the liberated local populations. Chewing gum is then associated with the image of a relaxed, but efficient, American soldier..
Read also: What happened to the Landing sites? Here are 17 photos from 1944 based on current views
Once tasted, the chewing paste was immediately adopted by the French. “And it is ultimately the Hollywood brand, launched in France in 1952 by a GI who participated in the Landings, which will establish itself in France,” explains the expert. Our country is today the second largest consumer of chewing gum in the world, behind the United States.
Listen to other episodes of the series Let’s cook history :
Good listening.
