France, renowned for its rich culinary heritage, offers a diverse palette of flavors that vary from region to region.
When traveling in a region of France, if you don’t know which dish to choose at the restaurant, here is an overview of the specialties of each French region to help you make your choice.
Embark on a delightful journey through the heart of French gastronomy, as we unveil the iconic dishes that have shaped the nation’s culinary reputation. From the savory crepes of Brittany to the aromatic bouillabaisse of Provence, discover the regional delicacies that make France a paradise for food enthusiasts
What are the regional specialties of France? We offer you a gastronomic tour of France!
Northern Delights & Capital Cuisine
In Nord Pas-de-Calais, the Flemish Carbonnade is the recipe for all good taverns and many tables during Sunday family meals. In Picardy, the Maroilles cheese, widely tasted, is softened when cooked to make the Maroilles pie.
Next, in Paris, well, it becomes more difficult to determine a typically Parisian dish: the croque-monsieur?
>> For a deeper dive into the world of French cuisine, don’t miss our article on ‘8 gastronomic experiences to appreciate French culinary art‘.
Western Wonders
Brittany is nationally known for its delicious Crèpes Bretonnes (pancakes ), made with milk or beer, and they are often accompanied by a specialty from a neighboring region, milk jam from Upper Normandy! In Lower Normandy, dishes based on Andouille or black and white pudding are preferred.
In the Pays de la Loire, river meats and fish are honored, such as pike and pikeperch, or rillettes, which are a staple of the region.
Let’s head west now, to Poitou-Charentes, whose chabichou is the flagship food and the basis of many specialties. This cheese is eaten plain, in pie, in salad, etc…
Eastern Eats
There are dishes that leave no doubt about their origin, and this is the case with beef bourguignon, which is undoubtedly a staple of Burgundy tables! Accompanied by their excellent wines, of course. As for Champagne-Ardenne, it is the gingerbread from Reims that stands out as a local specialty!
Let’s head east now, to Alsace, where several specialties can be claimed as the flagship recipe of the country: today, we choose choucroute (sauerkraut), this dish based on cabbage extremely representative of the East of France, but the flammekueche is not left out. The quiche lorraine is a typical recipe from Lorraine, of course.
Central Culinary Classics
Special mention for Franche-Comté, which we will honor today for its varieties of cheeses such as comté, morbier, cancoillotte, and many others. But it is also the region of sausage, especially the Montbéliard sausage.
Auvergne is also not left out when it comes to cheese, and aligot, a typical dish of the region, is mainly cooked with potatoes and fresh tome. In Limousin, we also talk about potato-based dishes like potato pie or tourtière, in which meat is added. The Centre region, for its part, gave us its delicious Tarte Tatin.
In Rhône-Alpes, many dishes can share the gold medal, but note that the Savoie department delights many skiers (or not) every year with its delicious Savoyard fondue, simply prepared with various melted cheeses and bread to dip in this mixture. A perfect winter dish!
Southern Specialties & Island Indulgences
Then head south to France, with cassoulet, the flagship recipe of Toulouse and the Midi-Pyrénées region in general. In Aquitaine, many preparations are among the best specialties, but the inhabitants of this region often delight in the delicious oysters found in the Arcachon basin.
In Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur, bouillabaisse is the main dish on many tables. Among their neighbors, in Languedoc Roussillon, many specialties are honored, but wild boar stew is an original and very traditional dish.
At last, we’ve come to the end of our French culinary journey in Corsica. We will not necessarily talk about a traditional dish but rather their delicious charcuterie, to be tasted naturally: coppa, figatellu, ham, etc…, are among the specialties of this sunny island.
