Regional Specialties

The diversity of French cuisine only becomes apparent when one understands the regional traditions. Each region has its own classics, shaped by local ingredients, climate, and history.

Northern France & Paris

• Croque Monsieur/Madame — baked ham and cheese sandwich (Madame: with a fried egg on top)
• Moules-Frites — mussels with fries, a northern French classic
• Flammkuchen (Tarte flambée) — thin dough with crème fraîche, bacon, and onions, from Alsace
• Choucroute garnie — sauerkraut with sausages and pork, Alsatian

Brittany & Normandy

• Crêpes & Galettes — sweet crêpes made from wheat flour, savory galettes made from buckwheat flour. Accompanied by cider from the Bolée (earthenware bowl)
• Moules marinières — mussels in white wine, shallots, parsley
• Camembert — best "au lait cru" (from raw milk), warm and flowing
• Calvados — apple brandy from Normandy, the "Trou normand" (a glass between courses) is said to open the stomach for the next course

Southwest (Aquitaine, Occitanie)

• Cassoulet — hearty bean stew with sausage and duck meat. Toulouse, Carcassonne, and Castelnaudary argue over the "real" recipe
• Foie Gras — fattened goose liver, a controversial luxury product with tradition in Périgord and Gascony
• Confit de Canard — duck meat confited in its own fat, keeps for months
• Truffles — black Périgord truffles (Tuber melanosporum), the "black diamond" of the kitchen

Southeast (Provence, Côte d'Azur)

• Ratatouille — stewed vegetables (eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, tomato) with herbs from Provence
• Bouillabaisse — Marseille fish soup, a must-have dish on the Côte. Only "real" with certain types of fish
• Salade Niçoise — tuna, olives, eggs, beans, anchovies. In Nice, a religion, not a side dish
• Pissaladière — onion tart with anchovies and olives, a specialty from Nice

Burgundy & Lyon

• Bœuf Bourguignon — braised beef in red wine, the classic of French cuisine
• Escargots de Bourgogne — Burgundy snails in garlic-parsley butter
• Quenelles de brochet — pike dumplings in Nantua sauce, a Lyon specialty
• Andouillette — tripe sausage, not for everyone, but a cult dish

Lyon is considered the gastronomic capital of France. The Bouchons Lyonnais — simple, traditional restaurants — serve hearty offal dishes, salads with warm Lyon sausage, and praline tarts. The title "Bouchon" is protected; only certified establishments may call themselves that.