Hello everyone, and welcome back to my blog!
I feel like a little re-introduction might be good, so here goes. My name is Shannon and I am a 25 year old American currently living in France. I live in Dijon, a town in the Côte d’or region of Bourgogne (Burgundy). It’s a region known for its beautiful architecture (the Bourguignonne dukes were once richer than the king of France and that shows in some of the old architecture), its wonderful wine (pinot noir is from this region), its delicious cheese, and of course, mustard!
I’ve been here studying during 2020, but as my time draws to a close, I thought it imperative to write about one of the most delicious aspects of life in France: the FOOD.
So here it is, a list of my favorite French food and why I love it so much. (Note: there are a few dishes on here that I have not personally tried since I am a vegetarian/occasional pescatarian, but I have included them because they come highly recommended).
Fromages
Epoisses
This cheese is made in a small town about an hour from Dijon. It has a really strong smell, but the taste is exquisite.
Comté
Comté comes from the mountainous region neighboring Bourgogne and it is delicious. Definitely my favorite type of French cheese.
Camembert
A soft cheese that is very well-known, camembert is a delicious must-have.
Mimolette
An orange cheese (a bit startlingly orange to be honest), but wonderful nonetheless. I prefer it with toast.
Raclette
Raclette cheese is melted and poured over potatoes, eaten with onions, pickles and meat. It’s absolutely perfect after a day in the mountains skiing or hiking.
Brie
Another delicious soft cheese that everyone knows, brie tastes so much better in France, trust me.
Plats principales
Boeuf Bourguignon
This dish is from the region where I have been living in France, Bourgogne. It consists of beef and vegetables
Moules frites
My favorite dish, fresh mussels cooked in different kinds of sauces (white wine, red sauce, cream sauce) served with potatoes or fries.
Cassoulet
A delicious stew from the Languedoc region of France, cassoulet is made with white beans and meat.
Quiche Lorraine
Quiche is made with pastry crusts, eggs, cheese, meat, seafood or vegetables. Quich lorraine has lardons, or bits of bacon, mixed in with thé eggs and cheese.
Ratatouille
A classic French dish, ratatouille is one of my favorite dishes to make (seriously I make this at least once a week). Courgette, aubergine, tomato, onions, garlic, peppers all mixed together in a beautiful tasty dish.
Comfort Food
Croque Monsieur
Like a grilled cheese, except French. Bread, cheese, ham, grilled together. You’ve probably learned about this in a French class before and let me tell you, it’s truly as good as the hype.
Coquillette
A type of pasta, like tiny macaroni noodles. Coquillettes are essentially the equivalent of macaroni and cheese comfort food.
Gratin dauphinois
Potatoes and cheese. Do I need to say more? By default this is delicious.
Crepes
Crepes can be eaten either sweet or savory. Sweet crepes are filled with caramel or chocolate or cream and jam; savory crepes are filled with cheese, vegetables, meat or eggs.
Desserts/Pâtisseries
Macaron
Hands down my favorite French dessert, they come in many different flavors and are like an improvement on a basic cookie. Instead of one cookie, a macaron is like 2 small cookies with cream in the middle.
Crême brulée
My second favorite French dessert, you just have to taste it to understand how delicious it is.
Croissant
Everyone knows what a croissant is, so this one is pretty self explanatory. Let me just say though, there is nothing as delicious as a croissant from and patisserie in France melting in your mouth. No one, nowhere else, makes a croissant as delicious as one you can buy in France.
Éclair chocolat
I was told to include this pastry by a French friend as it’s one of her favorites. Plus, it’s chocolatey. What could be better?
Meringue
Meringues are often used as decoration, but they can be delicious to eat as a complete dessert as well. But there’s a trick to it, you need to eat the meringues with cream. I’m cheating a little bit here, because the best place to try meringues and cream is in the Swiss Alps with Swiss meringues (slightly different from French ones) and fresh cream from the fromagerie. It’s a delicious dessert and definitely worth the extra hassle to get the fresh cream.
Alright, that is just a small sample of the many types of delicious food in France, but I hope this list gives you some inspiration for new recipes you might want to try. Many of these dishes are easy to make yourself, so if you feel hungry after reading this, I challenge you to find a recipe, or use this one for Gratin Daupinois, and make yourself some delicious French food! Or find a French-style bakery or restaurant nearby, whatever you prefer.
Until next time!
Shannon