Eva Longoria thought she knew France well.
The actress and producer has been traveling to the country regularly for more than two decades. She speaks French. She was married to French-American basketball star Tony Parker for three years. “I’m definitely a fan of Francophonie,” she says. “In my past life, I was definitely French, because the moment I visited for the first time, 25 years ago, I said: Oh my God, I want to speak French and I want to be here.”
So it’s not entirely surprising that Longoria chose France as the newest destination for the third season of her CNN travel series.
in Eva Longoria: Searching for Francewhich premieres April 12, Longoria explores the country’s vaunted culinary heritage and its current dining scene across eight episodes and multiple regions, including Provence, Brittany, Alsace, Bordeaux, and Burgundy. There’s also an entire episode dedicated to the delicious pastries and breads of Paris, where you’ll test the creations of star talent like Nina Métaïr, Cédric Grolet and Mikael Rédelette of La Parisienne. “This is my dream job: traveling the world and eating food. To be able to do this in one of my favorite countries – how could life get better?” Longoria says.
Longoria – who has previously explored the cuisines of Spain and Mexico on her CNN show – Hollywood Reporter About what I learned, ate, and enjoyed most while preparing the final season.
What are some of the areas of France you explored while making the show that surprised you the most?
I’ve been everywhere in France except Alsace. Alsace is on the German side, which was pretty cool. It’s not French, it’s not German, it’s Alsatian. And Brittany – the Bretons are a unique people too. They’re not very French and not much English. They are Breton. These regional identities are very strong, and it was nice to really discover and experience them.
What are some of the distinctive foods from these two regions that stand out?
Winstubs are old hidden restaurants from World War II, when Germany was occupying France and had to work secretly to preserve French culture, French food and French wine. And the menus are amazing – usually very similar to each other and have different types of sausages, which you would think were German, but they weren’t. It’s hard to explain.
And then in Brittany, we were able to try unique seafood [area]. Blue lobsters – we went diving for them, and they were beautiful. There are only a select few people allowed to hunt them because they really want to protect the population.
She took a MasterClass during the pandemic to learn how to make croissants. What was it like meeting some of the best bakers and pastry makers in France?
The French take croissant making and baguette making very seriously. And look, I have better croissant making skills than them. I was asking: “Does this really matter?” They’ll say, “Sure, water temperature matters, and where the flour comes from matters.” Each component is highly regulated in the sense that it is sacred.
I had a lot of fun making French bread [in France] Because croissant makers are a little too serious for me. You really don’t touch that recipe.
On your podcast Hungry for history With Maite Gomez-Rejôn, I recently explored the profound influence of chef and restaurateur Auguste Escoffier not only on French cuisine but on all types of food. Can you talk a little about how France has shaped how a lot of people eat?
We owe a lot of good food to the French. Meal arrangement, forks, knives, cutlery, café, bar, soufflé, bartender, all of it. Then there is Escoffier [creating] The bible of mother sauces [such as] Bechamel and Dutch. writing[[Le cooking guide]It’s still present in every kitchen I’ve visited, from Michelin-starred restaurants to feisty chefs in Marseille. Even rule breakers will say: “You have to know the rules before you break them.”
The brigade system, how the kitchen is organized, from the sous chef to the meat station to the fish station, also came from Escoffier. He was in the Army and brought this back to the kitchen. And it wasn’t just in the kitchen, he blogged [front of house] Structure: Waiter, Hostess, Head Waiter, Sommelier.
Were there any other areas of France that really stood out to you?
The most surprising thing was Provence. I don’t want to use the word negative because it’s a positive thing, but they have a chip on their shoulder as far as the rest of the country is concerned. Paris and Lyon get all the limelight, but Provence really opens its arms to the rest of the world, so their food has very different influences that don’t follow the rules of traditional French cooking. I remember saying, “Let me guess, are you going to use butter?” The chef said: “No, only the North uses butter. In the South we use olive oil.” And then you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Then discover the Greek influences and how they settled in Provence historically, hence the Niçoise salad and olive oil. They are so angry because everyone is breaking [niçoise salad] rules. There is no lettuce in the Niçoise salad. Please stop putting lettuce in the niçoise.
Are there chefs immigrating to France who are redefining what it means to be French?
All of them. But Mori Saku [of MoSuke] It is worth noting. He’s from West Africa, is only 33 years old, and is already a Michelin-starred chef – currently the most famous celebrity chef in France. He grew up in Paris in an Asian neighbourhood, fell in love with Japanese cooking, and opened a restaurant serving a fusion of French, West African and Japanese cuisine. It’s beautiful and really defines what it means to be influenced by many cultures, not just your own.
Do you have a meal or two that still stands out from the show?
In Paris, Le Cheval d’Or, or the Golden Horse, is a French-Asian restaurant located in the historic Chinese district and run by an Australian-Filipino chef named Hanz Gueco. The menu is never the same and he had the shrimp toast croque madame which was crazy. That’s what I love about this series: it shows you the rules and then shows you who’s breaking them.
What is the philosophy you rely on when choosing projects through your production company, Hyphenate Media Group?
I like to produce with purpose – what am I trying to say, what do I want to evoke emotionally? the Search for The series began in Mexico because relations between the United States and Mexico were very tense, and food was a great cultural connector. If people ate Taco Tuesday and margaritas, maybe they would have more affection for the culture that spawned it.
Do you cook anything now that you’ve learned to make it in France?
I now make my own baguettes at home, and it’s easier than you think. And my butter. Pour the heavy cream into a jar, shake it for 15 minutes, then And here he isDo you have butter? Honey butter, garlic butter, salted butter. It’s not quite the same as butter from Brittany and Normandy, where you can taste the grass and spring rain, but the process is identical.
What meal remains special while filming?
In Bordeaux, Vivian Durand in Le Prince Noir is a creative, innovative figure who breaks the rules in a big way. He made this beef tenderloin by playing on the Bordelaise sauce. And Chef Philip Achebest [of Le Quatrième Mur] You made the best duck you’ve ever had.
This story appears in Hollywood Reporter 2026 travel issue. Click here to read more.
