French cuisine consists of cooking traditions and practices from France. At one time French cuisine was heavily influenced by Italian cuisine.  It was in the 17th century that some chefs led a movement that developed France’s own indigenous style by shifting it away from its foreign influences. Cheese and wine are a major part of the cuisine, playing different roles regionally and nationally, with many variations.
French cuisine was codified in the 20th century as the modern haute cuisine. Knowledge of French cooking has contributed significantly to Western cuisines and its criteria are used widely in Western cookery school boards and culinary education. 
French regional cuisine is characterized by its extreme diversity and style. Traditionally, each region of France has its own distinctive cuisine.