The following highlights some of the popular Traditional French Foods. If you manage to be in an French restaurant or you are visiting France, I recommend the following:
1. Gratin Dauphinois
Le gratin dauphinois is an indestructible classic and a typical French dish. Although it is a side dish, it has always been the star of the show. Le gratin dauphinois, as its name suggests, originates from the province of Dauphiné. Gratin dauphinois is probably one of the best ways to eat potatoes au gratin in the world.
2. Oysters
Oysters are the second most common product at Christmas and New Year celebrations in France. This shellfish can be eaten hot, but true oyster lovers prefer to eat it raw and still alive. Oysters can be eaten on their own, with a splash of lemon juice, vinegar or with shallot sauce.
3. Quiche Lorraine
Quiche Lorraine is considered a star dish for any celebration, it is very easy to prepare and is delicious both hot and cold. This savoury tart is named after the French region where it was born. It can be made with many ingredients, although the classic version has smoked bacon and Gruyère cheese. The word first appeared in Nancy, the capital of Lorraine, in 1605. Originally, the filling consisted only of eggs and crème fraîche or fresh cream.
4. Herb Buttered Snails
Commonly called “escargots à la bourguignonne”, these are snails, cooked, as the name suggests, in a parsley butter cream, presented in their shells and eaten with a skewer. Snails à la Bourguignonne are a special dish: not everyone may be willing to try them, but snail lovers will love them!
5. Foie Gras
It is a food product that comes from a delicate process with the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially overfed. Migratory waterfowl are used to produce foie gras, as they have a natural ability to accumulate fat in their livers without getting sick, which they then use for their long migrations. The result is a tasty pâté that is delicious spread on bread.
6. Flemish Carbonnade
This is a beef dish, slowly cooked in light beer and aromatics. When the cooking is almost finished, the traditional gingerbread spread with mustard is added to give even more flavour to this sweet and savoury dish. A wide selection of beers can be found in northern France. In fact, the proximity to Belgium has inspired generation after generation of housewives to cook flamande carbonnade.
7. Basque-Style Chicken
The Basque Country is one of France’s richest regions in terms of cuisine. They raise poultry, specifically some rare breeds of chickens and ducks. Poulet basquaise is a complete dish in which the meat is tenderised with “piperade”, a sauce composed of Bayonne ham, peppers, tomatoes and Espelette peppers.
8. Cassoulet
Is a savoury white bean stew with various animal cuts and the French have as many recipes as the Mexicans when they prepare beans enhanced with some added fat and protein. The animal parts most frequently used in cassoulet are pork ribs, bacon, pork skin, Toulouse sausages, goose, lamb and pieces of duck confit. It is prepared in an earthenware casserole, hence the name of the recipe.
9. Breton Buckwheat Pancakes
It is a savoury crepe made with buckwheat flour which gives it its greyish colour. The traditional fillings are ham, cheese and eggs or andouille and onion; however, the varieties have grown over time and have become more creative. If you are in Paris, the best creperies in the capital are in the Tour Montparnasse district.
10. Charente Mouclade
Mussels are one of the traditional foods you probably most associate with France. However, this dish originated in Belgium. The French popularised it and added some spicy twists to the original recipes. There are many ways to cook and serve mussels. One of the best ways is to marinate them in white wine broth with parsley and shallots. It tastes great with a glass of chilled white wine in a café terrace in Montmartre.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional European Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.