Top French foods you have to try

Soupe à l’oignon

This is a traditional French soup made of onions and beef stock, usually served with croutons and melted cheese on top. The remarkable taste in French onion soup is from the caramelization of the onions, to which sometimes

brandy or sherry is added at the end of the slow-cooking process.

Coq au vin

This quintessential French food was popularized by Julia Child through her television show and book and seen as one of her signature dishes. It is a dish of chicken braised with wine, mushrooms, salty pork or bacon

(lardons), mushrooms, onions, often garlic and sometimes with a drop of brandy

Cassoulet

Cassoulet is a comfort dish of white beans stewed slowly with meat, typically pork or duck but also sausages, goose, mutton or whatever else the chef has around. The name of the dish comes from the pot (casserole) it’s

traditionally baked in, which is typically shaped like an inverted cone to give a crust shape.

Beef bourguignon

Boeuf bourguignon is a traditional French meal that has become internationally well-known. Coming from the same region as coq au vin –beef bourguignon has several similarities. The dish is a stew made of beef braised in

red wine, beef broth and seasoned with garlic, pearl onions, fresh herbs and mushrooms.

Chocolate soufflé

The word soufflé derives from the French verb to ‘blow out’ and is an airy, egg-baked dish with origins dating back to early 18th-century France. Soufflé is eaten savoury or sweet in France, and you’ve likely found

chocolate soufflé on dessert menus worldwide. The crispy chocolate crust with an oozing, creamy chocolate center gives this dessert a sweet surprise.

Flamiche

Flamiche means ‘cake’ in Flemish and this dish originates from northern France, near the border with Belgium. It has a puff-pastry crust filled with cheese and vegetables and resembles a quiche. The traditional French filling

is with leeks and cream.

Confit de canard

Confit de canard is a tasty French dish of duck – although goose and pork can also be used – and is considered one of the finest French dishes.

Nicoise salad

Salade niçoise is a typical French salad from the Provence region, which can be served as a side dish or a light meal on its own. It’s typically a combination of lettuce, fresh tomatoes, boiled eggs, (canned or fresh) tuna,

green beans, Nicoise Cailletier olives and anchovies, although many variations exist.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille is another internationally recognized French dish, hailing from the southeastern French region of Provence. It is a stewed vegetable recipe that can be served as a side dish, meal or stuffing for other dishes, such as crepes and omelettes. The vegetables are generally first cooked in a shallow pan on a high heat with a small

amount of fat, and then oven-baked in a dish. The ingredients consist of tomatoes, garlic, onions, zucchini, eggplant, carrots, bell peppers, basil, marjoram, thyme and other green herbs.

Tarte tatin

They say this French apple tarte was made by mistake in 1898 by Stephanie Tartin when trying to make a traditional apple pie. When she accidentally left the apples in sugar and butter too for long in the pan, in a hurry

to rescue the dessert she put the pastry base on top of the burning fruit and placed the pan in the oven. She supposedly served the upside-down tart to her guests at Hôtel Tatin and the result turned into the hotel’s

signature dish. Although the tarte’s origin is disputed, the delicious result is not.

Herb Buttered Snails (Escargots au Beurre Persillé)

Snails (Escargots)

Travel to Burgundy to discover another typical French recipe, cooked snails with herb butter, commonly called “escargots à la bourguignonne”. Cooked, as the name suggests, with a butter parsley sauce, they are presented

in their shells and you can eat them with a little skewer.

Breton Buckwheat Pancakes (Galettes Bretonnes)* This dish can be vegetarian or even vegan

Breton Buckwheat Pancakes (Galettes Bretonnes)

Because of a gourmet enthusiasm, Breton creperies are almost everywhere in France. But what is a galette? It is a savory crepe made with buckwheat flour that gives it its greyish color. The traditional fillings are ham, cheese, and eggs or andouille and onions; however, the varieties have grown over time and have become more creative.

Flemish Carbonnade (Carbonnade Flamande)

Flemish Carbonnade

This is a beef dish, slowly cooked in light ale and aromatics. When it’s almost done cooking, a traditional gingerbread spread with mustard is added to give even more flavour to this sweet and savoury dish.

Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine

The quiche Lorraine is a tart topped with a mixture of cream, milk, eggs, nutmeg, and grilled ham. These ingredients give a slight smoky flavor which is much appreciated in all regions of France. Today, quiche

Lorraine has become so popular that you can find it in any bakery or restaurant or, in a more modern form, with mushrooms, leeks and chicken.

Raclette

* This dish is vegetarian if eaten without cold meats.

Raclette

Raclette has been imported to Savoy from Switzerland. It is a dish made of cheese (raclette cheese) that is melted (traditionally with wood fire, but increasingly often with small electric pans nowadays) and which is

eaten with potatoes, cold meat, onions and pickles.

Cheese Fondue (Fondue Savoyarde)

* This dish is vegetarian if eaten without cold meats.

Cheese Fondue

Cheese fondue is also a perfect winter-friendly cheese meal. Three different kinds of cheeses are melted together in a pot (beaufort, comté, and emmental), and white wine is added. With a specific skewer, each guest

dips a bit of bread. According to the tradition, if someone drops their bread into the pot, a forfeit is given to them. Stay focused!

Beef Fondue (Fondue Bourguignonne)

Beef Fondue

This here is another type of fondue. This time you don’t dip bread in cheese, but pieces of raw meat (generally beef) in boiling oil, which cooks the meat.

Gratin Dauphinois

* This side-dish is vegetarian

Gratin Dauphinois

Traditionally, it is made of sliced potatoes cooked with cream, milk and nutmeg. No cheese is added in the original recipe but there might be some in it when ordered.

Tartiflette

Tartiflette

Tartiflette also comes from the Savoy region; it is made from potatoes, bacon, onions and reblochon, a Savoyard cheese.

Bouillabaisse

Bouillabaisse

Bouillabaisse is a well-seasoned soup typical of Marseille. Since there are so many fishers in the area, the dish is logically made of various fish and shellfish to which you will add tomatoes, aromatics from the South of

France, mustard, and egg yolks. You eat it with bread and potatoes.

Veal Blanquette (Blanquette de Veau)

Veal Blanquette (Blanquette de Veau)

Veal Blanquette is also a traditional slow-cooked meal.It is cooked with a veal shoulder or chest, cream, and a carrot and onion broth. It is often accompanied with mushrooms, but this is not compulsory.

Pot-au-feu

Pot-au-feu

Pot-au-feu is the ultimate traditional family meal. Beef meat is made tender by being slowly cooked in a carrot, turnip and leek broth.

Cottage Pie (Hachis Parmentier)

Cottage Pie

Hachis Parmentier is a two-layer dish: minced meat with aromatics for the bottom layer, and a homemade potato mash (often au gratin) for the upper layer. Usually, you will eat hachis Parmentier with a green salad.

Steak Tartare

Steak Tartare

Steak tartare is a typical pub dish in France. It is a preparation made of thickly minced raw beef or horse meat to which spices are added and with an egg on top. It is generally served with French fries.

Cheese Soufflé (Soufflé au Fromage)

* This dish is vegetarian

Cheese Soufflé

Cheese soufflé is a classic, but is very complicated to make in regards to technique. The success depends especially on the cooking time and oven temperature. A few degrees more and the results could lead to a

catastrophe. So this one is best left to professionals! There are also varieties of delicious sweet versions, with lemon or chocolate.

Frogs’ Legs (Cuisses de Grenouilles)

Frogs’ Legs

We could not avoid mentioning another dish that worries tourists: the famous frogs’ legs. They are generally breaded or fried with a bit of onion. The meat is delicate and soft, and tastes a bit like poultry.

Onion Soup (Soupe à l’Oignon)

Onion Soup

Onion soup has been a typical French dish for a long time but it began to become popular in the 18th century.

Baguette (French bread)

Baguette

Known worldwide, the baguette is a French symbol.

Croissant

Croissants

Chocolate cake (fondant au chocolat)

Chocolate cake

The chocolate cake is said to have been invented during the 18th century after many years during which chocolate was only used in drinks. This type of cake has many variants such as the chocolate lava cake (fondant

au chocolat) which is known for being very sweet and a very good dessert.

Macarons

Macarons

Macarons are small almond cakes that have appeared during medieval times and have been imported from Italy to France during the 16th century by Catherine de Médicis.

Crème brûlée

Crème brûlée

Crème brûlée is a vanilla dessert with caramelized sugar on the top. We don’t exactly know the origins of this dessert, but it might come from the Catalan cream which was prepared for « las fellas » (Saint Joseph feast)

since the 17th century, though it seems to have existed ever since the 14th century.

Floating Island (Île flottante)

Floating Island (Île flottante)

The main ingredients of the floating island are whipped egg whites and English cream (crème anglaise). This mix which is what gives us the feeling of a floating island. This dessert is served cold.

Profiteroles

Profiteroles

Profiteroles are pastries made of pastry balls filled with custard or cream. You can eat them with ice cream, whipped cream and/or chocolate.