French cuisine became popular at high end restaurants because it was codified, so culinary schools could master it, could teach it to their students, and so it spread. Many if not most trained chefs working today will have gone through a training based largely on those century old French techniques.

On a larger scale, food is an important part of culture. Traditional cuisine is passed down from one generation to the next. Immigrants bring the food of their countries with them wherever they go and cooking traditional food is a way of preserving their culture when they move to new places.

French fusion flavours. The expansion of the French empire across the globe, right into the 20th century, influenced cuisines in colonised countries in Asia, Oceania, Africa, North America and Europe. For example, French bread-making techniques migrated to Vietnam in the 1800s and were used to make banh mi.

The 10 Most Affordable Places To Live In Maine

• Caribou.
• Presque Isle.
• Gardiner.
• Calais.
• Belfast.
• Lewiston.
• Eastport.
• Brewer.

Temperatures. Winters are generally cold, but very prolonged cold spells are rare. Average annual snowfall in Maine is 50 to 70 inches along the coast and 60-110 inches inland.

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Cost of Living in Portland

According to GoBankingRates.com, in an article titled “The Salary You Need to Afford Rent in Every State,” a resident of Maine would need to make approximately $58,640 per year in order to afford a single-family residence without having your monthly rent consume more than 30 percent of total income.

Portland cost of living is 108.2

Food prices

Mainers spend the third highest amount on food and beverages in the nation — $3,736 — per capita annually, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis. Only two other rural states spend more: Vermont at $4,104 and Alaska at $3,924.

Maine’s high grocery bill Federal data show that Mainers spend significantly more on groceries than the rest of the nation. The typical Mainer spends $3,736 every year on groceries and beverages – far more than the national average of $2,780.

GasBuddy prices reports show average gas prices in Maine are nearly $3 per gallon.

A AAA spokesperson says the higher gas prices leading up to Memorial Day are primarily due to the increase in travel demand and a shortage of fuel truck drivers to make deliveries to meet growing demand.