France Food Guide

Cassoulet

A hearty slow-cooked casserole from southern France containing meat (typically pork sausages, goose, or duck) and white beans, with a distinctive crusty top formed during the long cooking process.

Tarte Flambée

An Alsatian specialty similar to thin pizza, featuring bread dough rolled out very thinly and topped with crème fraîche, thinly sliced onions, and lardons before quick baking in a hot oven.

Quiche Lorraine

A savory open pie from the Lorraine region featuring a pastry crust filled with a rich custard of eggs, cream, and lardons, sometimes including cheese, with endless regional variations.

Pot-au-Feu

A traditional French beef stew where inexpensive cuts of beef are slow-cooked with root vegetables and aromatic herbs to create a rich, flavorful broth and tender meat - considered the quintessential French family dish.

Tarte Tatin

A caramelized upside-down apple tart created accidentally by the Tatin sisters, featuring apples cooked in caramel then baked under pastry and flipped to serve, showing the beautifully caramelized fruit.

Moules Marinières

Classic French mussels steamed in white wine with shallots, parsley, and butter. A coastal bistro staple served with crispy frites for dipping in the aromatic broth. Simple preparation highlighting the sweetness of fresh Atlantic mussels.

Croque Monsieur

The ultimate French grilled ham and cheese sandwich made with Gruyère or Emmental, quality ham, béchamel sauce, and butter-toasted bread. Croque Madame adds a fried egg on top. Parisian café classic since 1910.

Salade Niçoise

Provençal composed salad from Nice featuring tuna, hard-boiled eggs, Niçoise olives, anchovies, tomatoes, and green beans on lettuce. Authentically made without cooked vegetables. A summer staple on the French Riviera.

Soupe à l'Oignon

French onion soup with caramelized onions in rich beef broth, topped with toasted baguette and melted Gruyère cheese. A Parisian bistro tradition dating back to the 18th century. Perfect comfort food on cold evenings.

Kouign-Amann

Brittany's butter cake masterpiece—layers of laminated dough with butter and sugar, baked until caramelized outside and tender inside. The name means 'butter cake' in Breton. A decadent pastry rivaling croissants in complexity and flavor.

A rich custard base topped with a brittle layer of caramelized sugar. It's a classic French dessert, known for its creamy texture and contrasting textures.

Delicate meringue-based cookies filled with buttercream, ganache, or jam. They are known for their vibrant colors and delicate flavors, often enjoyed as a special treat.

An upside-down apple tart, caramelized in butter and sugar before being baked. It's a classic French dessert, often served with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.

Also known as Napoleon, this classic French pastry features three layers of delicate puff pastry alternating with two layers of pastry cream (crème pâtissière), topped with icing or fondant. The name translates to "thousand sheets," referring to the hundreds of paper-thin layers created by laminating butter into dough. A masterpiece of French pâtisserie technique requiring precision and patience.

Elongated choux pastry filled with flavored pastry cream (traditionally chocolate, coffee, or vanilla) and topped with glossy icing in matching flavors. The name means "lightning," either because it's eaten quickly or because the icing glistens like lightning. A staple of French pâtisseries since the 19th century, showcasing France's mastery of choux pastry.

Small choux pastry balls filled with vanilla ice cream or pastry cream, stacked in a pyramid and drizzled with warm chocolate sauce. Invented in 16th-century France, profiteroles represent the playful side of French pâtisserie. Often served at celebrations and special occasions, combining crispy pastry, cold cream, and hot chocolate in delightful contrast.

A rustic French dessert from the Limousin region, traditionally made with unpitted black cherries suspended in thick, flan-like batter and baked until golden. The pits add subtle almond flavor during baking. When made with fruits other than cherries, it's technically called a "flaugnarde." Served warm, dusted with powdered sugar—the ultimate summer dessert celebrating seasonal fruit.

A small French pastry from Bordeaux with a caramelized, crunchy exterior and soft, custard-like center. Flavored with rum and vanilla, baked in distinctive fluted copper molds. The recipe dates back to 18th-century Bordeaux convents. In 2025, canelés have become trendy globally, but Bordeaux's traditional boulangeries still produce the most authentic versions with perfect contrast between crispy shell and creamy interior.