Pass the baguette and butter

You know, sometimes it’s difficult to like the French. Beijing is now full of wonderful, new, stylish eateries, from swish bakeries to elegant wine bars, all with a French flair. But is it just me or does anyone else feel inadequate in these places? I was at Café de la Poste the other day, glass of vin rouge in hand, about to tuck into my Atkins-busting starter of fried potatoes in pastry to be followed by steak, salad and yet more potatoes when I looked around and realized I was surrounded by glamorous and thin French women tucking in with glee. I, on the other hand, could feel myself expanding just thinking about the meal. Just how do they do it?

They drink wine. They eat chocolate, cheese and delicious pastries and still manage to stay slim. Only 11 percent of French people are obese compared to a whopping 30 percent of Americans. Yet whenever I eat out at one of the many terrific and inexpensive French bistros that have opened in Beijing of late–La Mansarde, Parfum or Le Bistrot Parisien, for example–I wonder if the French are nutritionally wired differently from the rest of us. I’m not saying I have a weight problem or even that it’s wrong to be a cuddly shape, but I know if I ate that kind of food frequently, I’d be much larger than I am now.

It’s not just me gnashing teeth at this paradox. Mireille Guiliano’s book “French Women Don't Get Fat” came out two years ago and reached the top of best-seller charts in America, Britain and Australia, all countries with more than their fair share of big bums. In the book, Guiliano enumerates the tenets of French eating: three substantial meals a day with smaller portions accompanied by lots of fruits and vegetables, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, drinking plenty of water and not depriving oneself of treats every once in a while. “It makes sense, no?” says Delphine Roussel over a glass of wine at La Baie des Anges, the French wine bar in Houhai. “Other nationalities eat so much junk food and don’t stop until they’re stuffed.”

French bakery Le Comptoirs de France just opened their second branch in Beijing at the East Lake Club. It’s chock-full of tarts, quiches and croissants all saying, “buy me, buy me!” Eating their chocolate tart is as close to a religious experience as this unbeliever is going to get. My friend and I ate ours in complete silence and couldn’t really talk for a good while after either. So, and this is my point, it may be the Year of the Pig, but I don’t want to end up looking like one. What’s the secret to eating these delicious goodies and not packing on the pounds? Philippe Ancelet, Le Comptoir’s master baker, insists the blame for obesity lies elsewhere: “French people are not so fat because food joints like McDonald’s are not so popular with us. In fact, Pizza Hut was a flop in France.” Keeping everything fresh is the answer, he says: “French people think that good, fresh, healthy food, good wine and good love are the best three things in life.”