Food in France

…and more!
In France, many foods and dishes are associated
with and common in a particular region.

France is divided into 27

administrative regions, 22
of which are in
Metropolitan France, and
five of which are overseas.
 Region: Lorraine
• Traditional ingredients potatoes, bacon, plums
• Dish: Quiche Lorraine—pastry crust filled with eggs,
cheese, milk, and sometimes meat
 Region: Alsace
• Alsatian cuisine, strongly based on Germanic culinary traditions, is marked by
the use of pork in various forms.
• the dishes are substantial and served in generous portions
• Dish: Choucroute garnie is a famous Alsacian recipe for preparing sauerkraut
 with sausages and other salted meats and charcuterie, and oftenpotatoes.
Although sauerkraut (finely cutcabbage that has been fermented) is a
traditionally German and Eastern European dish, the French annexation of 
Alsace and Lorraine following the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 brought this
dish to the attention of French chefs and it has since been widely adopted
in France.
 Region: Alsace
• Dish: Baeckeoffe is a typical dish from the French region of Alsace, situated on the border with Germany.
• In the Alsatian dialect, Baeckeoffe means "baker's oven." It is a mix of sliced potatoes, sliced onions, cubed
mutton, beef and pork which have been marinated overnight in Alsatian white wine and juniper berries
and slow cooked in a sealed ceramic casserole dish. Leeks, thyme, parsley, garlic, carrots and marjoram are
other commonly added ingredients for flavor and color.

• Origins?
• Traditionally, the women would prepare this dish on Saturday evening and leave it with the baker to cook
in his gradually cooling oven on Sunday while they attended the lengthy Lutheran church services once
typical to the culture. The baker would take a "rope" of dough and line the rim of a large, heavy ceramic 
casserole, then place the lid upon it for an extremely tight seal. This kept the moisture in the container. On
the way back from church, the women would pick up their casserole and a loaf of bread. This provided a
meal to the Alsatians that respected the strict Lutheran rules of theSabbath.
• Another version of the story of the origin of this dish is that women in France would do laundry on
Mondays and thus not have time to cook. They would drop the pots off at the baker on Monday morning
and do the laundry. When the children returned home from school they would then pick up the pot at the
baker and carry it home with them. This version of the story may be closer to reality as bakers were often
closed on Sundays.
 Region: le nord
• Dish: Andouillette is a coarse-grained sausage
 made with pork intestines pepper, wine, 
onions, and seasonings.
 Region: Normandy
• Dish: Tripe-- is a type of edible mean from the 
stomachs of various farm animals.
 Region: Brittany
• Dish: Crepes/Galettes
 Region: Burgundy
• Dish: Bœuf bourguignon (beef stewed in red wine)
• Escargots de Bourgogne (snails baked in their
shells with parsley butter)
 Region: Rhone-Alps

Dishes
• Raclette (the cheese is melted and served
with potatoes, ham and often dried beef)
• Fondue
 Region: Southwest
• Dish: Cassoulet
rich, slow-cooked casserole containing meat (typically pork sausages, goose, duck and
sometimes mutton), pork skin and white haricot beans.
And although it is essentially a humble stew of beans and meat, cassoulet is the cause of
much drama and debate. Andre Daguin, a famous chef of Gascony says, “Cassoulet is
not really a recipe, it’s a way to argue among neighboring villages of Gascony.” Much
like chili cook-offs in Texas, cassoulet cooking competitions are held in France.
Legend has it that cassoulet was first created during the Hundred Years War. The story
goes that as the British laid siege to Castelnaudary, its people gathered up what
ingredients they had left for a large stew to nourish and bolster their defenders. The
meal was so hearty and fortifying that the soldiers handily dispelled the invaders, saving
the city from occupation.
 Region: Languedoc
• Dishes
• Bouillabaisse (a stew of mixed Mediterranean fish, tomatoes,
and herbs)
• Ratatouille (a vegetable stew with olive oil, aubergine,
courgette, bell pepper, tomato, onion and garlic)
Other foods are simply common in France,
no matter the region.
 Dishes
• Truffles (rare, wild mushrooms. Expensive)
• Foie gras (a pate made from goose liver)
• Steak frites (steak and fries)
• Coq au vin (rooster in red wine)
• Pot au feu (beef stew with mixed vegetables)
 Dessert!
• Cream puffs
• Eclairs
• Crème Brulee (rich custard
 base topped with a contrasting layer of hard 
caramel)

• Mousse au chocolat
• Tartes aux fruits
• Macaroons
Bonus section….Food in Cameroon!
• Dishes
• Rice and fish
• Plantains
• Cassava
• Chicken

• Other things…
• Spaghetti omelettes
• Sugar cane
• Mangoes (and other fruit, including green ‘oranges’)
• Baguettes (and other French influence)