News that the French are seeking culinary and nutritional advice from the Scots has caused much mirth south of the Border.
Will they adopt le Mars bar frite, perhaps, in honour of the Auld Alliance?
But France, cradle of haute cuisine, is worried about its children's waistlines as they succumb to fast food and who are the experts on bad diet? Les Eccossais.
Heading the delegation from the French ministry of education is Nadine Neulat, who is looking forward to sampling haggis, neeps and tatties at Lasswade high school, outside Edinburgh today (Friday). "I don't know Scottish food. It could be interesting," she told the Times.
The newly devolved Scottish executive, faced with the appalling eating habits in many of its schoolchildren - a total absence of veg, addiction to chips and cakes and so on - decided that one of its first goals must be to tackle nutrition in schools. A third of Scottish 12-year olds are overweight and nearly one in five obese.
Since 2002 the executive has promoted a £63m strategy to improve school meals. Fresh fruit has been made obligatory in primary schools and chilled water is made available to pupils and staff. Maximum levels of salt, sugar and fat have been set and the Turkey Twizzler banned. This week a ban on crisps and fizzy drinks in schools was announced.
There has been none of the hoohah surrounding celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's assault on school dinners in England but dietary habits are said to be improving, according to a recent study.
France is not in the Scots league when it comes to unhealty kids - 5% of schoolchildren are obese and 10% overweight. And it doesn't want to be.
The French ministry has decreed healthy menus but Mme Neulat and her colleagues are coming to Scotland to find out how to make children actually eat the right stuff. Bon appetit!
