How many times have I heard people say that they loved France but all they had were pastries, bread, and wine?? Guys, France is known for its food! Not eating French meals is like going to Paris and not taking a picture of the Eiffel Tower. You would be missing out on something that French people are proud of: their food. So, this is a list of some of the meals that I grew up eating at my house. Some are very homey while some can be found at restaurants. You have to try them next time you go to France! Ketchup, pasta, and cheese I know what you’re thinking. It probably sounds disgusting. But guess what? Putting ketchup on eggs sounds disgusting to French people too. Plus, ketchup is pretty much like tomato sauce right? I’m not sure why, but ketchup actually tastes more tomatoey and has less vinegar. This dish is the French mac and cheese. When we don’t know what to make for dinner, we cook some pasta, put some ketchup on it and then some shredded cheese, usually gruyere. My kids actually love that meal! Give it a try, you might be surprised! Crepes Did you know that crepes are most of the time not considered a dessert or breakfast in France? It is actually a full meal. At my house, we didn’t even have savory crepes. It was the meal that we had almost every Sunday evening. We like eating crepes with Nutella or other chocolate spread, white sugar, or even jam. Depending on the city and the time of the year, you can also find some stands outside selling some crepes. Raclette This dish is actually from Switzerland but it is a very famous one in winter in France. You will need a raclette maker for that one. You will then put some raclette cheese on the little individual tray and put it in the maker so it melts. In the meantime, you get your plate ready with potatoes, ham, dry ham, prosciutto, dry sausages, cornichons (small pickles), and anything else you like to eat it with. This is my all time favorite meal and it announces winter like pumpkin spice announces winter in the US. You can find it at some restaurants, especially those in the Alps by a ski station. Tartiflette Another cheese meal is the tartiflette. It is one of those meals that I can’t have in the US since the FDA doesn’t allow unpasteurized cheese, and the main cheese for this meal is called “reblochon”, an unpasteurized cheese. In a large dish, you put some cooked potatoes, cooked lardons (small cubes of bacon), cooked onions, and spread the cheese on top. It is then put in the oven until the cheese is melted. It’s so so good! It is also one meal you can find at a restaurant. Quiche I love to make this one at home. It’s so easy and so good! There are also so many different ways to make it too. One that I like is with goat cheese, smoked salmon, and spinach. In France you will usually eat it with a green salad. Quiches can be found anywhere from the grocery store, the bakery, or the restaurant. Next time you go to France, I challenge you to try a quiche that you have never had before, like one with tuna or leek. Pistou soup This meal is originally from Provence, where I'm from. It's a soup with beans, small pasta, veggies, broth, and of course some pistou (pesto). It's so satisfying to me to eat some in winter. It's rich in flavors from the south of France. I like to eat it with some crusty bread, like a baguette, and I also add some cheese on top of it. If you are in the south of France in winter, this is another meal you have to try. It can be found in some restaurants. Cabbage soup (soupe au choux) When I was a little girl, my mom showed us a very old movie called "La soupe au choux" (the cabbage soup) with a famous French actor Louis de Funès. In that movie, a man shares a cabbage soup with an alien from another planet. The alien loves it so much that he makes funny sounds when he eats it, and he also comes back to have some more. When the movie was over my mom told us that it was what we were eating for dinner. My siblings and I were so excited to eat it, we didn't even care if it had cabbage in it. It's actually a really good soup with (obviously) cabbage, veggies, potatoes, and a large piece of smoked pork belly. I would recommend trying to watch the movie first and then eat it, just because it makes it more fun. Bouillabaisse If you like seafood, you will absolutely love that dish. It is from Marseille. It's basically a fish soup filled with seafood and different types of fish. We eat it with some rouille spread on bread. If you ever go to Marseille, it's their specialty there and you have to try it! I recommend the restaurant "Chez fonfon". Not only is the food exceptionally good, but the place is beautiful too. Ratatouille
This is probably THE one meal my mom makes the most. It is such an easy meal to make, and so cheap too. It has lots of vegetables like eggplants, zucchinis, bell peppers, onions, garlic… cooked all together with some tomatoes, thyme, and coriander. I like to have it with some couscous, or just by itself. My kids love that one too. If you have seen the Disney movie Ratatouille you might get an idea of what it looks like, though my mom's probably tastes better. Daube provençale This one might be my favorite meal right after the raclette. My grandma used to make it all the time, and I still don't know how she made the meat so so tender. I guess it's a family secret! This is what I know though: it has some delicious tender beef stew cooked in wine and spices (bouquet garni) for hours, sometimes overnight. You then eat it with potatoes or pasta, depending on the family. Mine did both, but I think I always preffered with potatoes. It's also really good at some restaurants in France. You have to try that one too next time you go to Provence! This is such a small list of the things you have to try next time you go to France, but as you probably know, France is known for good food, so the list would never end. I am a big foodie, so everytime I travel somewhere I like to try the local food and dishes. So if you're like me, try one of those ones next time you go and let me know what you think!
3 Comments
Patti Sanchez
10/11/2022 10:28:23 am
Please include a few recipes, thanks!
Reply
Patti Sanchez
10/11/2022 11:37:33 am
Thank you! Leave a Reply. |
AuthorMy name is Melanie Ashby. I am from France and I currently live in the US. Here are some tips about traveling to France from a French and an American perspective! Archives
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