French people have bought more US-style hamburgers than their own classic jambon-beurre sandwich for the first time in history, a study suggests, reports BBC News.
Some 1.46 billion burgers were sold last year, compared with 1.22 billion baguettes filled with sliced ham, according to Gira Conseil consultants.
The results suggest the nation known for its culinary pride has had a huge shift in its eating habits.
"Jambon-beurre is a French tradition," Gira Conseil director Bernard Boutboul told Reuters news agency.
"But the French are now crazy about burgers. You find them everywhere, from fast food to Michelin-starred restaurants," the Paris-based restaurant consultant said.
At least one burger is on the menu at 85% of French restaurants - most of which are full-table-service establishments. Only 30% of hamburgers sold are from fast food outlets.
The European country's "burger frenzy" has been bubbling over the last few years, with the American sandwich steadily stealing more of the French sandwich's market.
"This year, we don't know how to describe the phenomenon. It's just crazy," Mr Boutboul told AFP.