 Formal four course meals consist of a starter course ("entrée"), a salad, a main course ("plat principal"), and finally a cheese or dessert course.While French cuisine is often associated with rich desserts, in most homes dessert consists of only fruit or yogurt.Food shopping in France was formerly done almost daily in small local shops and markets, but the arrival of the supermarket and the even larger ""hypermarchés"" (large-surface distributors) in France have disrupted this tradition.