France is very famous for the Eiffel Tower, Louvre museum, its luxury brands, and much more. But don't forget that the best part of going to France is to eat the local FOOD. With many cultures and lots of history, French food varies by region and there are many of them you can try in Paris. Here we chose the 10 best of French food from many different regions you must try in France. On the list right next to the titles, you can also see where the food originates from.
Duck confit is a culinary specialty from south west of France. It is prepared with duck fat, and fattened by gavage, the same from which the duck breast and foie gras are produced.
The meat is cooked for at least 2 hours in hot fat, between 70 and 85 ° C, then put in jars and covered with fat, so that the air can not come in contact with the meat and deteriorate it. In the olden days, this was one of the only methods that kept meat edible for a period of a few months to a year.
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Did you know that the galette dish has a longer history than crepes? It originates from Bretagne where it's too harsh to grow any other type of wheat than buckwheat. Only in Paris did it become tradition to add sugar and flour into the batter, resulting in sweet crepes.
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Choucroute is a traditional food of Alsatian cuisine and French cuisine, obtained by natural fermentation of selected cabbage.
It can be accompanied by meat or fish, beer or white wine from the Alsace. It is called "Choucroute garnie" when it is served with meat, charcuterie and potatoes, or "choucroute garnie de la mer", when it is accompanied by Alsatian fish or seafood.
Foie gras is a popular holiday dish and well known in French cuisine. It is consumed raw, half cooked or cooked, and can be offered as a fresh or canned product, consumed alone or as an accompaniment to other dishes such as meat.
"Foie gras is part of the cultural and gastronomic heritage protected in France"
Burgundy snails are a traditional dish of Burgundy and French gastronomy. The snails are typically purged, removed from their shells, and cooked (usually with garlic butter, chicken stock or wine), and then placed back into the shells with the butter and sauce for serving. Additional ingredients may be added, such as garlic, thyme, parsley and pine nuts. Special tongs for holding the shell and forks for extracting the meat are also normally provided, and they are served on indented metal trays with places for six or twelve snails. They are mostly served during family festivities, and the Christmas Eve dinner.
French onion soup has been popular since the Roman times. Back then, it was seen as food for poor people, as onions were plentiful and easy to grow. It's served gratinéed with croutons and cheese on top or a large piece of bread.
This is a speciality food in France and Swizerland. The name "raclette" refers to a meal and to a type of cheese with the same name. The traditional dish can be described as melted cheese eaten with boiled potatoes with small gherkins and pickled onions.
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This is a typical dish frequently served in Burgandy. It is a beef stew braised in red wine and beef broth, generally flavoured with carrots, onions, garlic, and a bouquet garni, and garnished with pearl onions, mushrooms, and bacon. Boeuf Bourguignon only began to be conisdered as a Burgandy speciality in the twentieth century and you can find it in many restaurants in France.
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Duck breast is very popular in France. Duck breast usullly comes from the ducks raised for Fois Gras and are very rich in taste. It is best paired with a red wine from Bordeaux. Duck breast grilled over vine pruning’s, which you can see on the picture, and the chefs add a special flavored barbecue sauce on the duck breasts.
Traditional fish stew originating from Marseille. It started from the stew made by Marseille fihsermen using the bony rockfish which is unavailable for restaurants or markets. In Marseille, the broth is served first in a soup plate with bread and rouille, then the fish is served separately on a large platter.
Words by Leona Fujii, Phan Thanh Thủy