At Gide's table, the meal followed the order of good Protestant bourgeoisie: a soup or an egg to start, a piece of meat or fish with its seasonal garnish, a cheese, then a sweet dessert. At Cuverville they ate Norman and frugal; but his travel notebooks report the irruption of the flavors of Algiers and the Congo, which upset this orderly routine. Here we distinguish the 'family dish' (everyday, Norman), the 'reception piece' (festive, NRF), the 'travel food' (journey, North Africa) and the 'thirst-quenching drink'.

All of Gide's cuisine lies in this tension: the milky sweetness of Cuverville, inherited from his Norman family, and the fragrant dryness of the kitchens of Algiers and Biskra that he discovered while traveling. Fine butter is his table signature, coriander and cumin his traveler's signature.