What to eat when in France – 17 Must Eats
The Sweet
1. Chocolatine or Pain au chocolat
It’s a regional debate, whether it’s pain au chocolat or chocolatine. They call it chocolatine in the south-west of France and basically pain au chocolat in the rest.
But don’t you ever dare to call it chocolate croissant! Because croissant comes from crescent and the pain au chocolat is not in the shape of a half-moon. Calling the pain au chocolat, chocolate croissant grinds the gears of most french people. Except for those living in the part that is close to Germany. And since I’m German I allow myself to add the recommendation to try ‘regular’ croissant as well while you’re at it.
2. Madeleines
Fancy almond sponge cakes in shell form. I think that’s all I want to say about it.
“Tarte Tatin – Les Boucheries Parisiennes” by avlxyz is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
3. Tarte Tatin
Tarte Tatin is a fruit pastry in which the fruit is caramelized before its baked. They are usually made with apples.
“Creme Brulee – Satsuki AUD6” by avlxyz is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
4. Crème brûlée
Crème brûlée is a rich custard dessert with a caramelized layer on top.
Has anyone of you seen Emily in Paris? I just can’t see Crème brûlée anymore without thinking about the scene with the sad man crushing the caramelized layer for a little bit of happiness.
5. Mille-feuille
The mille-feuille (‘thousand sheets’) is traditionally made up of three layers of puff pastry alternating with two layers of either chocolate or vanilla cream. Delicious treat but difficult to eat!
6. Eclairs
Made with choux dough Similar to cream puffs but filled with cream instead of whipped cream and usually (chocolate) glazed. Reminds me of profiteroles. Which are filled with whipped cream on the other hand but also a french specialty. Btw Wikipedia says that profiteroles are just another name for cream puffs, but I only know them with a chocolate ganache. Mysterious
7. Macarons
Macarons are two layers of meringue usually filled with ganache, buttercream, or jam.
Fun fact in Germany we call meringue ‘Baiser’ which can mean something completely different in French…
A little Tip: they sell it in supermarkets such as Carrefour, cheaper than specialty stores and still very good. Also, a very nice gift to bring from your trip especially if the person you want to bring a gift to does not drink wine.
The Classics
“Beef Bourguignon” by punctuated is licensed under CC BY 2.0
8. Bœuf bourguignon
Beef stew braised in red wine. Usually red Burgundy hence the name. Also originated from the Burgundy region of France. Also called beef Burgundy.
“Coq au Vin” by Will Clayton is licensed under CC BY 2.0
9. Coq au Vin
Another winey specialty is the Coq au vin. The name tells it all it’s chicken braised with wine. There are different variations from different regions based on the used wine. For example the vin jaune (Jura) and the coq au Riesling (Alsace).
“Ratatouille” by avlxyz is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
10. Ratatouille
Yes, that’s also the name of the Pixar movie and yes I always have to think about the rat when I think of Ratatouille. But in general, it’s a vegetable stew which originated in Nice.
11. Soupe à l'oignon
French onion soup. It seems that it is or at least was also pretty popular in the US.
Thinking of delicious onion dishes, try also the Tarte flambee / Flammkuchen if you get the chance. I won’t go into the discussion whether it’s a french or german dish. But it’s really good.
12. Quiches
It’s basically a savory French tart with various fillings. The most famous one is probably the Quiche Lorraine. Or should I say the modern version of it with mature cheese and bacon. Other popular variations are Quiches filled with cheese, mushrooms, spinach, or tomatoes.
“File:Galette complète in Annecy, France – 20130714.jpg” by Jacklee. is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
13. Galettes bretonnes
The main difference between Galettes and Crêpes is that Galettes are usually made with buckwheat and Crêapes with wheat. Galettes are a regional dish from the Brittany region of France but became popular all over France.
Especially for the versions typically filled with ham, cheese, and eggs.
I also recommend trying Crêpes in all variations (sweet, savory) and other regional dishes if you get the chance. Such as raclette and cheese fondue (Savoie), Bouillabaisse(Provence) Salade niçoise (Nice).
14. French Cheese
Have a relaxing picnic with french cheese, baguette, and some vine.
The Unusual
Some unusual dishes you might have never heard of but want to try.
“Frogs Legs” by NwongPR is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
15. Cuisses de grenouille
The first time I heard that the French eat frogs and snails, I thought they were joking. But I actually tried the frog legs a few years back, tastes like chicken to me.
“File:Andouillette grilleé 2.jpg” by Muesse is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
16. Andouillette
A coarse-grained sausage made with pork intestines (chitterlings).
“File:Escargot – French Delicacy in Belgium.jpg” by Dileep Kaluaratchie is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
17. Escargots à la Bourguignonne
Snails served in garlic butter. I’ve never tried it and honestly probably never will. Consistencies in food play a big role for me.
I heard someone refer to it as mouth-feel. And I can very much relate to that.
But I also heard that garlic snails are very delicious, let me know if you tried them and if you liked them.
What are your favorite French dishes, snacks? Let me know in the comments below!
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