Ok, so I've done some research and having some difficulty finding out what food we'd be incredibly stupid not to eat before leaving France. I'm not looking for specific restaurants, more like crepes, escargot, creme brûlée, pate, etc.
Would you please help us save face and not return to the states wishing we had tried something we did not?
P.S. - drinks are welcome too (both alcoholic and not)
Thank you!!
my favorites are:
duck confit, creme brulee, protiferoles, and all kinds of bread and pastries.
If you go to Brittany/Mont St Michel, I highly recommend stopping in Cancale for oysters (check to confirm if they have a season). You can buy them from stalls along the beach and they are amazing. The town is very picturesque. Also, that region is known for salted caramels made from the cream of happy French cows and local sea salt. Calvados the local apple brandy is also quite good. For a simpler option, I became a big fan of the buckwheat savory galettes with ham and fried egg (like a crepe but can be a full meal). Although you can't go wrong eating a Nutella crepe for an afternoon energy boost. Don't be intimidated by the cheese shops, I found most people very friendly and supportive that a tourist wants to learn about their products. My favorite mild cheese is Sancerre made from goat milk. Bon appetit!
thank you all for your tips...just don't want to miss out on something that would seem pretty obvious to eat or drink....or miss the opportunity for something wonderful.
Be sure to eat a tart a day. Chocolate ones, ones with little raspberries on top, and more. My favorite are the lemon (citron) tarts.
Bread is almost always great in France, but hard to miss that..... especially with cheese and wine. For me the "best" thing I had in France were the ciders..... spent time on my last trip in Brittany and Normandy and enjoyed the heck out of the various cider offerings.
The only things that leap to mind have been mentioned already. I loved the duck confit; I thought it would be good, but it was wonderful. Bread, cheese, and wine, of course. The butter is wonderful as well; different from ours. Fresher, and more complex flavor. Skip the andouillette, unless you want to either impress or gross out your friends back home. I must say, when I tried andouillette I could barely gag it down, but it came with the most amazing mustard sauce I have ever had. Thank goodness for that sauce!
Anne has listed already pretty much everything I'd recommend as well.
If you travel through Alsace/Lorraine I'd also add Tarte Flambée and Quiche Lorraine to the list of must-eats. Quiche is easy to find outside these areas, tart flambée might be a bit more difficult. In our house we call it French pizza ;-)
You could also read Julia Child's "My Life in France". This is not a cookbook but more of a memoir which includes her discoveries of French dishes that opened a new world for her, starting with Sole Meunière ...
Wherever you are, ask for a local cheese. Also try galettes - the savory version of crepes. More interesting than the sweet ones.
I'd be less concerned about what odd things you "should eat" as paying attention to what is fresh (in season) and what region you're visiting. Avoid the tourist trap restaurants where you can always get crepes and go local. Then order what looks good to you. It is much more face-saving to be able to boast about the best [whatever] you've ever tasted than boasting about eating snails in France. Conversely, make a game at trying the same thing at different places on your trip. One tour I went on, a man made a serious game out of eating apple strudel at each stop- he was on a quest to find the best strudel on the planet.
In other words, when in Vienna, eat schnitzel. And don't worry about what others think you should and shouldn't eat.
Some very good advice here, although a lot depends on what regions you'll be in. I used to always be on the lookout for duck confit and duck breast, but now that I can get the ingredients here and make them, it's less of a thrill. But confit is still something I'd recommend. Although nowadays it's likely to come from a jar, it can still be very good. And every region has its cheeses, so look for those. I'd also second the idea of avoiding andouillettes, although I guess some people must like it or it wouldn't be sold. As to drinks, we always drink wines from whatever region we're in, so again it depends on where you're going.
Every region has it's specialities. Be sure to ask about them! Don't forget to ask about local wine!
Don't miss the markets! I still dream about the strawberries we ate in Provence.
If you like cheese, buy it in a cheese shop and ask for cheese from the region. Don't buy cheese in a supermarket. It won't be nearly as good.
Visit a boulangerie every day to buy your bread like the French do. This is a great start to a picnic!
Cheese! The cheese shops in France are heavenly and each carry various local varieties - I always make it a point to do this when in France.
Pastis is a summer drink that everyone sits and sips at cafes especially in summer...there is a bit of a methodology involved so google it before you leave home so you know what to do when it's served to you.
Patisseries and boulangeries, of course, are not to be missed.
Wherever I go I always try to notice what things are generally on menus so that I recognize things that are different in the various regions...everywhere has their specialty. The waitstaff will often be able to make recommendations for the local dishes that aren't found elsewhere.
I have the benefit of living in a large city and also traveling to other large U.S. cities where I know I can often get some of the items you describe that are made right here but taste just as good as what I would get in France (e.g., creme brûlée is everywhere and not that hard to do right - same with escargot).
I focus more on things that do tend to be done better in France, or that you simply don't often see done at many places in the U.S. - foie gras (particularly pan-seared), roasted bone marrow, offal (i.e., sautéed kidneys, sweetbreads, etc.), blood sausage (boudin noir). While I can get some very decent sweet crepes in the U.S. (lemon, sugar, Nutella, etc.), it's very rare to find a place that is turning out great savory crepes - so that's something I will focus on seeking out. I also like to try out lots of different cheeses and do like visiting the local bread and pastry shops to see what batches are just coming out of the ovens.
I don't particularly care about what my friends think I should (or should not) eat. If I have to pay for it, I want something that appeals to me. I'm not against trying a taste of something new if it is offered, and it helps me learn to like new things (or in some instances it also reaffirms why I may have steered clear of it to begin with). To this day, I am still not a big fan of eating frog's legs (tastes like fishy flavored chicken to me) and I flat out refuse to eat steak tartare which some people adore. The important thing is, if it sounds good to you, order it.
I'm hungry already just reading all this! All good suggestions above. I love duck, both "confit de canard" (leg) and "magret de canard" (breast). Local cheeses with baguettes of fresh bread -- I especially like goat cheese (chevre). You can get a salad with little goat-cheese-filled toast bits (forget what they're called). Croissants of course, great with a little jam at breakfast. And my wife loves "pain au chocolat," basically a chocolate-filled croissant. A tarte tatin is a delicious fruit-pastry dessert, with pears (poivres) or apples (pommes). Boeuf Bourguignon is a delicious beef stew with wine, not limited to Burgundy.
Good wine needn't cost much -- the local "vin de pays" is usually just fine. Try a kir -- white wine with a little blackberry liqueur (cassis) in the afternoon or before dinner. I have these at home sometimes. Ciders are usually "hard," i.e. fermented, so not to be drunk before driving.
Gotta stop now and head for the kitchen! ;-)
poire is pears.. poirves is peppers.. lol
I agree with most who say go for regional and seasonal specialities.. but my go to must haves are always the cheeses, deli meats ( rabbit rillets are a favorite) and bread!
Local cheese. I'm not sure where you are going but do a bit of research on what are the local cheeses and eat some every day. This is the one thing that due to import laws you (mostly) will not find at home and they will knock your socks off.
Le Pigeon. The lowly by U.S. standards pigeon is a popular item in France, and I highly recommend it. Excellent flavor, richer than you might imagine. Fois gras, of course, and as Ceidleh suggests, seared is terrific. I had an excellent beef kidney with mustard sauce, and if steak tartare is of any interest, this is the place. We found a truffle cheese that was out of this world-Brillat Savarin aux Truffe. We enjoyed a fruit tarte every morning in Paris, the fig being my favorite, depending on what's in season when you are there. If you are unsure about a particular food, ask your waitperson about it, you'll often get some history or other good reason as to why it's on the menu. If you want to nail down a special meal or two, think about reserving before you leave, especially for the more popular restaurants.
Enjoy! Go for it, don't be shy! Try some real hot chocolate in Paris, like that served at Jacques Genin; their own bar chocolate melted to order.
At a local market in Provence, I bought some nougat which the guy cut off the huge block he had. He had many flavors and I could taste them. I have a sweet tooth, and absolutely loved the nougat. The flavor of honey was very prominent but not too strong. I say try some nougat!
If you like seafood, the moules et frites (mussels and chips) are like no mussels you get in the States. The best were in Brittany, though I've had really good ones in Nimes, also.
Also, anything duck, cherry tomatoes (and most other local produce) that is just so fresh, because it didn't get picked and transported forever, and if you visit a grocery, unbelievably good organic yogurts -- especially the ones that come in the little glass or clay crocks.
I'm also on board with a tart a day!
I agree with so many of the suggestions above, but I have to add Bordier butter - Le Buerre Bordier Demi-Sel. Combined with a fresh-out-of-the-oven Eric Kayser baguette, you have perfection as far as I'm concerned.
http://joinusinfrance.com/episode-17-french-food/
This podcast is fun to hear if you are interested in France food. They also have one about cheese.
It's been mentioned above, but please note that "local" should be the focus of your eating and drinking in France. It's a big country with several geographical and climatological regions, and each has famous products that are considered best when consumed in that region. A restaurant owner in Lyon this July proudly stressed that nothing on his menu came from more than 100 kilometres (62 miles) away This ensured freshness and permitted him to stay in touch with his suppliers. Where will you be visiting in France? If you have an opportunity to go to a farmer's market (many villages, even "out in the country," have at least one a week), or an indoor market like Les Halles in Avignon, you'll have lots of local specialties to sample and/or buy. Just as many products may only be found in their local area, many products are only available "in season." While there are huge supermarkets in big French cities, where you can, more and more, find American-style packaged and processed food (which many French won't touch), for the most part, you won't find strawberries in the fall or winter -- they're just not in season, and they don't get shipped from thousands of miles away. Ask where things have come from -- French folks will appreciate your interest in finding locally-sourced, seasonal food. Knowing what part(s) of France you'll be visiting, and when, would help with making recommendations. Having said that, in the south, don't miss macaron cookies, or picholine olives. Muscat Beaumes de-Venise is a great aperitif, and drink local rosé wine in the summer. Lamb, when you find it, will be superb. Many cheeses won't (or can't) be shipped to the U.S. (if that's where you're based), so France would be your big chance to try them. You may have known, or found out from your research, but "Entree" in France is a starter course, not the main course. Bon appétit!
To expand on the cheese theme, certainly when in smaller towns, focus on regional cheeses, but in Paris, you can expand to whatever the cheese guy says is good.
In fact, if you really want an experience, and the cheese guy has a small vocabulary of English, ask him to make you up a small tour of cheese types and regions. Do not shy from the stinky and runny varieties and be prepared to spend what you would for a meal for two, but that, a loaf of bread, maybe some fruit, and a bottle of wine is a great meal.
Check out a local grocery store for exotic French cuisine. We were at the local Monoprix yesterday and my 7 year old asked me to buy winkles (small, black-shelled monopods from the ocean) so she could try them. We were not cooking dinner last night so I didn't but I will sometime this trip. They also had large, cooked sea snails. I thought about steaming in wine and saving the shells for a souvenir.
We had cockles and whelks on the beach in Brighton a couple of weeks ago and were told that winkles were too much trouble for vendors.
The butcher counter had skinned rabbits with their eyeballs and the cooked food counter had rabbit stew. If you eat meat, it would be a très French thing to try. I like the heat and eat dishes. There is a Joël Robuchon scallops and leeks in a white white sauce which is delicious. The cheap version is €3.60. When in Paris . . .
If you are staying a while, do not miss the Normandy butter with the sea salt crystals. I bought a 250 g package and it makes even the lowliest bread delicious. I have been known to freeze it and sneak it home.
Can't imagine why no one has mentioned cassoulet, a quintessential French dish. One of the very best meals I had while visiting the Dordogne region was a cassoulet in Sarlat.
Any part of duck with a cherry sauce.
One very unique thing, and a disappearing tradition, are the 'Routiers': fixed-price, fixed-menu lunch roadside family-run restaurants/bars. Great value!! They typically include an appetizer (soup or salad), bread, a main course, dessert, cheese, coffee and wine.
There are no menu choices whatsoever... a lunch "surprise" par excellence!! For one memorable meal, we had a lump of the most dog-food looking, yet the most delicious, homemade pâté de foie served on a plate to share between the 4 of us, as an appetizer. The main was a 'rosbif' (beef roast, not a Brit), with potatoes. We shared a big carafe of a not-bad-at-all red wine. The meal ended with 3 different local cheeses on the massive cheese board, a piece of homemade cherry pie, and a coffee. We barely rolled ourselves back to the car that time. We've had as good, and not quite-as-generous other times. But each 'Routiers' we tried was its own foodie adventure!
The more traditional 'Routiers' experience has the soup placed in a tureen for the table, platters for the main course, and a cheese board that moves from table to table. Condiments, like pickles, are also passed from table to table. Wine and water carafes are simply placed for the table to share. You get up to fetch if you're missing something. Lunch is served at a very specific time and when the seats are all filled and the food gone, that's it. The 'cuisine traditionelle' meals usually cost 12-15 euros per person.
You do have to wander off the beaten path a bit, to stumble onto a genuine 'Resto Routiers'. They exist for truck drivers ["routiers"] and other workers who are on the road. Not all 'Routiers' restaurants are created equal, they do vary a bit we've found, with a few having little character.
These restaurants are identified by the "Les Routiers" symbol:
http://www.relais-routiers.com
During a five-week road trip, it became a badge of honour for us to find these 'Restos Routiers'. If you're doing any driving, try to find one.
Here's a small piece of advice, regarding restaurant orders in France:
Do not question the ingredients in a dish simply in order to get it modified... "hold the cream" or "cream on the side" is just not done.
If you have dietary restrictions or allergies, DO ask about the ingredients. However, don't expect to have a dish modified. Do discuss your way into finding a dish on the menu that fits your restrictions. If a chicken dish is prepared with "crème" (cream) and you are lactose intolerant, find something else entirely. You would be surprised at how much awareness there now exists about lactose intolerance, for example, so they will be able to guide your choice.
As an aperitif, try Pastis, often ordered by the brand Ricard (ree-kahr'). It is a bit like Sambuca but better! It comes with a small carafe of water, try it first staight, then add a bit of water until you find your liking. Often it is the cheapest drink on the menu!
In France, I usually drink the house rose wine, which is wonderful, nothing like North American rose. Delicious.
Going to an open air food market is one of my favorite things. Buy some local cheeses, eat cheese everywhere, order the assiette fromage (cheese plate) instead of dessert. Try all kinds of cheese! Fresh figs are my favorite fruit in the fall.
Enjoy!
In all my years in France, I am grateful I have never seen pigeon on a menu...
Warm, fresh baked pain au chocolat, chocolate éclairs, flan, and chocolate macarrons (not pronounced macaroons).
Boeuf Bourgignon, Coq au Vin, and any soup.. French soup is amazing.. especially their cream soups (vegetable or potato leek are my favorites). French salads with mustard vinaigrette always tastes better there than here to me.
French hot chocolate is wonderful (at a nice cafe). A non-alcoholic drink I love at a cafe: I order "Citron Pressé" (it's just pure lemon juice which they bring in a glass along with a bowl of sugar and a caraffe of tap water) and a Perrier.. instead of the caraffe water, I put some sugar and Perrier in the glass of lemon juice with ice (which I ask for) and mix it all up.. it's refreshing and delicious.
Enjoy! You're gonna have fun eating your way through France.. : )
I've seen pigeon (no not those city scavengers, but ones raised to be eaten) in butcher/poultry shops, but not on a menu. I have seen quail (caille) and guinea hen (pintade) on a lot, two birds we hardly find here anymore. It's always a treat to order them. Once we had a rough, tough old rooster at a Routier, the real recipe for a coq au vin. Believe me, that you don't want the real deal in this case. Little chickens are easier to eat.
Here's Pigeon with mashed potatoes at Les Cocottes. I also had it at Le Pantruche, both yummy.
Where in France are you going? As others have written, the "can't misses" are regional. In Brittany, you should have oysters, apples, gallettes, crepes, and calvados. In Alsace Lorraine, you should try the tarte flambee, the beer, and choucroute garnie. In the Dordogne, cassoulet is a must. In Provence, you'll want to try daube and bouillabaisse. By no means do I intend for this to be an exhaustive list: there are many regions, each with their own specialties.
Cheese and wine, of course, are everywhere and wonderful, but do your best to find out what cheeses and wines that particular region (or even town) is most known for.
My mouth is watering...
