La Semaine du Goût (Taste Week) takes place in France every year for a week in October. It’s an event centered around taste and gastronomy.

It was created in 1990 by manufacturers in the sugar sector in reaction to the popularity of low-sugar foods. Nowadays, it’s an opportunity for several sectors of the agri-food industry including that of milk and meat, to improve the image of their products. Different food companies help finance the event. There’s also an aspect of eating for health, the Minister of French Agriculture wrote in 2020.

La Semaine du Goût is a big event in schools. The goal, according to the official event site, is “to discover from a young age the riches of our land, the seasonality of products, their varieties and how to eat well by adopting a varied and balanced diet.

Since 1990, more than 5.5 million children have attended Taste Lessons in their kindergarten and elementary classes. This is a key moment in the school life of children, since each year we see that many children don’t know certain fruits or vegetables, the foods they are more familiar with are processed rather than in their natural state.”

Some French people question the merits of the role of the food industry in this event insofar as it has a significant interest in influencing children’s taste preferences.

Across France, there are thousands of events, including workshops and demonstrations by well-known chefs. Some restaurants have special menus for the week.

Switzerland adopted the event in 2001. It’s also celebrated in Belgium, Romania and Japan. Some of these celebrations are organized by local French organizations.

Image: Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Italian Painter (1526 or 1527 – 1593)