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Ardently defended and protected, foie gras didn't originate in the French regions of Alsace, Périgord and Aquitaine where it is widely produced. Livers of birds as a delicacy date back to ancient Egypt which later spread to the Mediterranean. After the fall of the Roman Empire, foie gras disappeared from European cuisine and it is said that Jews reintroduced this culinary knowledge upon their migration to Europe. This gourmet luxury dish is enjoyed entier (whole), cuit (cooked), mi-cuit (semi-cooked), mousse, paté, parfait or frais (fresh). Whatever the choice be sure to grasp the know how of wine pairing. Half-cooked foie gras imposes sweet wines with character (Sauternes, Vouvray, Saussignac); whereas seared foie gras should be enjoyed with a semi-dry, dry champagne or extra dry champagne, or a white Burgundy (Meursault or Pouilly-Fuissé).

Blanquette de Veau

This French veal ragout is a classic of Bourgeois cuisine and firmly holds its place in French historical gastronomy. The en blanquette cooking technique is used where white meat is cooked (without fat and being browned) together with a mirepoix (roughly chopped onions, celery and carrots), stock, yolk, cream, aromatic herbs, mushrooms and thereafter thickened with a roux (mixture of butter and flour). A popular meal during World War II, it is often served with rice and requires time and patience during its preparation. Food critics suggest white wines such as Chardonnay, La Marsanne and Pinot Gris are best, instead of red which are often served.

Choucroute

In any Alsatian kitchen the strong emblematic Germanic influenced dish, sauerkraut can be found. This gastronomic symbol is never as sour as vinegar and it comes with three traditional recipes to choose from: garnie (dressed), royale (royal), or seafood). Ingredients vary from sausages named after its capital Strasbourg, frankfurters, bacon, smoked pork, potatoes and even seafood. A thirst for a taste of France's famous fermented cabbage can be quenched by pairing this delicious delectable dish with a glass of regional wine, Gewurztraminer (' spiced' in German).

Tantalize your cheese taste buds with aligot.This version of fondue consists of mashed potatoes blended with butter, cream, crushed garlic and traditional Tomme d'Auvergne cheese. Paired with a local red wine Saint-Pourçain, with aromas of ripe red and black fruit astoundingly complement this dish, which can be found in nearly every restaurant in this region.

Ratatouille

Traditionally referred to as ratatouille niçoise that originated in Nice on the French Riviera, it's highly popular among the entire Mediterranean coast as an easy summer dish to be enjoyed either hot and cold. Typically a Provencal vegetable stew, each vegetable is sautéed separately in extra-virgin olive oil (try Domaine Stalenq - silver award 2016 at The New York International Olive Oil Competition) before being layered into a baking dish and baked. A glass of red wine (Costière-de-Nîmes), white wine (Clos Sainte Magdeleine - AOC Cassis Blanc 2015), or rosé (Château Peyrassol rosé AOP Côtes de Provence) blend subtly with the sweetness of the key ingredients; zucchini, bell peppers, tomato, eggplant as well as the aromatic intensity of the herbes de provence (aromatic herbs).

Pissaladière

Italy contributed to the development of France's cuisine when Catherine de Medicis (a Florentine princess and wife of King Henry II of France) introduced a variety of dishes to France that have Italian influences. The French version of the classic pizza, pissaladière is thicker and topped with caramelized (almost pureed) onions, olives, garlic and anchovies (either whole or in the form of an anchovy paste). Served as an appetizer, it was traditionally cooked and sold early each morning around Nice on the French Riviera. Bellet wine produced in the limestone and sulphurous terrain around the hillsides of Nice pair well with this dish.

Initially served to celebrate the end of harvest, various legends trace France's signature dish to ancient Gaul (a region of western Europe during the Iron age). Indomitable, this dish shares similar trials and tribulations as the Gaul village that constantly resists Julius Ceasar's Roman occupation in any Asterix and Obelix French comic book. Rooster ( coq in French also an emblem of France) is the main ingredient which is seasoned, sometimes floured, seared in fat and slowly simmered in red Burgundy wine (or braised) until tender with lardons, mushrooms, aromatic herbs ( bouquet garni) and optionally garlic and brandy. Any good French cook knows that this dish should be prepared a day before and should be warmed up very well over low heat for half an hour before being served. Go with these wines when savoring this dish; Gevry-Chambertin (a really good Beaujolais Cru) or Morgon.

L'omelette de la mère Poulard

Another regional jewel in Normandy besides Mount-Saint-Michel, Camembert cheese, Calvados (apple brandy) and cider (the regional drink), is the most obvious rustic and simple L'omelette de la mère Poulard. Traditional savoir-faire perpetuates the tradition of preparing fluffy omelettes and the know-how of the regions ancestors. It is said that the each omelette has its signature style and that the recipe is kept secret being revealed only to the next descendants. Don't miss a beat in bourgeois cuisine; match this culinary delight with Muscadet's minerality (French white wine from the Loire region) or Champagne's fizz known as le vin du diable (the devils wine in 1844).

Nothing pourri (rotten) about this pot (dish) despite being referenced in 1829 in the Etymologic dictionary of the French language as pot pourri and of which Goethe wrote about in his mémoires in 1792. Dubbed a peasants' food as they rarely ate meat (it was illegal to hunt on their Lord's land), they resorted to an easier method of buying inexpensive pieces of meat, which needed slow cooking. In 1600, King Henry IV of France declared that he didn't want to have a peasant in his kingdom so poor that they could not afford poule au pot (chicken in the pot) on Sundays. This is another traditional recipe that resembles pot au feu. Root vegetables, a bouquet garni (aromatic herbs), inexpensive meat cuts and seasoning like salt, black pepper and cloves define this broth which can be enjoyed with red wines like Brouilly and Beaujolais.

Iparralde in Basque refers to the Pays Basque region whose capital was Pamplona (now a Spanish city) and whose cuisine has been strongly influenced by neighboring Spain. Home to one of France's national sports, rugby, to casinos, to Empress Eugénie's (wife of Napolean III) 1855 summer villa and coastal board-sports, this region also surfs on piperade. The colors of this dish; sautéed onion, green peppers and tomatoes spiced with garlic and red Espelette pepper coincidentally reflect the colors of the Basque flag (red, green and white) and can be enjoyed with a glass of Côtes-du-Marmandais. Served as a main course or a side dish, piperade's typical additions include egg or ham.

Lapin à la moutarde

Once the main power source meat, the importance of rabbit in diet has fallen sharply today, except in France. Just like all the other white meat (chicken, turkey, veal), rabbit has the advantage of being low in fat, cholesterol and low, rich in protein, omega-365 and minerals. In France, it's known for being an effective food against cardiovascular disease by promoting cell renewal, making it a healthy and ideal meat for the food balance of the whole family. Dijon mustard is the key ingredient of this dish, the rabbit is rubbed and covered with mustard few hours before cooking and is served with rice or pasta. Wines like Chardonnay, Pernand-Vergelesses or Chassagne-Montrachet pair well with this energetic dish.

Bouillabaisse

Legend has it that bouillabaisse originated in ancient Greece and is now an authentic French provincial fish stew made famous by French screenwriter and playwright Marcel Pagnol's films. Bony local rock fish that fisherman in Marseille were unable to sell (sometimes even shellfish and sea urchins) are combined with provincial herbs and spices, crushed garlic, fennel, leek, onion, tomato, celery, potato, salt and pepper then simmered to make up this broth. Rouille, a traditional Provencal mayonnaise (made from olive oil, breadcrumbs, garlic, saffron and cayenne pepper), fish and grilled slices of bread are served on the side. A full-bodied Chardonnay or a pale rosé will go well with this Mediterranean maritime meal.

Mentioned in Medieval texts from Swiss-German convents dating as far back as 1291, this nutritious meal was consumed by peasants in mountainous region of Savoy (a historical territory shared between France, Italy and Switzerland). The modern way of serving raclette involves an electric table-top grill with small pans, known as coupelles, in which to melt slices of raclette cheese. This is accompanied by platters of boiled potatoes, other vegetables and charcuterie. Raclette is relaxing and sociable meal, best paired with wines like Brouilly, Beaujolais or Côtes du Jura - Chardonnay.

Boeuf Bourginon

Burgundy, the home of Gustave Eiffel (engineer and architect behind the Eiffel Tower), is also the birthplace of Dijon mustard and the Burgundian snails that the French have been enjoying for millennia (the French consume around 20,000 tons of snails per year). If snails don't whet anyone's appetite then boeuf bourguignon will, which is beef mildly braised in a bouquet of aromatic herbs and red wine. This peasant dish found its way into haute cuisine and is now a standard of French cuisine. Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or any other French red wine than has sufficient tannins can be enjoyed with this rich and tender beef stew.

Flammekueche

A 'pie baked in flames' as its Alsatian name translates was originally a homemade dish and became a big cheese with its urban debut at the peak of the pizza craze' of the 1960s. Contrary to its other translation tarte flambée, it's not flambéed but cooked in a wood-fire oven for three minutes. Covered in fromage frais or crème fraîche, finely sliced lardons and onions it is one of the most traditional go to meals in Alsace accompanied by a glass of Riesling d'Alsace with its citrus and peach notes. Try it gratinée with gruyère cheese, forestière with mushrooms, with Munster cheese or as a dessert topped with apples, cinnamon and flambéed in Calvados.

Hachis Parmentier

Potatoes were known to the French as hog feed and believed to be the main cause behind leprosy (among other diseases) until 18 th century. French pharmacist, nutritionist and inventor, Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, promoted the virtues of potatoes as a vital food source for civilization in France and throughout Europe. Originating in Paris and similar to the English cottage or shepherd's pie, it was named after Parmentier. This dish is ubiquitous in French cantines and just about in any bistro in France. Mashed potatoes, diced meat topped with sauce lynonnaise, made from white wine, vinegar and onions, make hachis (chopped or minced in French) a popular French comfort food that can be enjoyed with French wines such as Côtes du Rhône Villages, Côtes du Roussillon or Costières de Nîmes.

Southern France's Périgord region, a renowned foie gras gastronomic hub, is often confronted with what do with left over duck once foie gras has been produced. The rustic Cassoulet stew serves its purpose in this region. Iconic even though named after the traditional cooking vessel, casserole (an earthenware pot). In order to obtain the French haute cuisine version of its peasant origins; pre-cooked roasted meats (pork sausages, goose, duck, duck confit and sometimes mutton) are simmered in aromatic vegetables then cooked in goose fat with a mixture of white beans and pork skin. The Toulousain version includes pork and cold roast shoulder mutton whereas the the Carcassonne version doubles the mutton portion and replaces duck with partridge. A well aged Châteauneuf-du-Pape with its full bodied flavors will complement this rich dish.

Buckwheat Crêpes

First introduced to replace bread as basic food, crêpe sarassin or crêpe salée is a savory pancake made from buckwheat flour which is gluten-free, making it a prized alternative meal for the gluten intolerant. A galette complète (fully garnished pancake) offers a variety of garnishes such as egg, meat, fish, cheese, vegetables, grated cheese, ham etc. If you fancy a hot dog in Rennes, then ditch the traditional bun for a crêpe and have the galette wrapped in a hot sausage instead. Pair any great galette with a bolée de cidre - the traditional beverage; a hard apple cider served in a small ceramic bowl.

Oysters are the meat and potatoes of the Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes region and have been enjoyed in France since the Roman occupation. Napoleon III introduced the first oyster farm near Arcachon Bay. Rich in minerals and vitamins the delicacy's popularity peaks particularly at New Year's Eve all over France and is enjoyed with wines like Chablis and Pouilly-fuissé and also Champagne. Eaten raw, plain or with a squeeze of lemon, buttered rye bread and a glass of crisp white wine (choose between Entre-deux-mers or Grave de Vayres), it is also traditional to serve oysters accompanied by crépinettes; small, flat sausages made from either minced pork, turkey, veal, lamb, chicken, and even from truffles.

Gratin Dauphinois

C'est le gratin des plats à base de pommes de terre, the elitist of all potatoes dishes in France (unlike tartiflette), some say that the gratin Dauphinois existed before Parmentier introduced the potato in France and comes from the Dauphiné province of the old regime, which is now the Isere, in the Rhône region close to the Italian Alps. The art in making this delectable dish lies in how the well chosen potatoes (Monalisa, Charlotte or Amandine) are sliced: wafer thin which is impossible with a knife so a mandoline should be deployed with care. Potatoes should be cooked in crème fraîche and butter then slow cooked in a buttered dish rubbed with garlic for more than hour. This succulent, soft, melting, slightly crunchy on the surface dish can be savored with wines like Saint-Pourçain and Côtes-d'Auvergne.

Quiche Lorraine

Custards in pastry were known in English cuisine at least as early as the 14 th century however quiche is considered a French dish with quiche Lorraine (named for the Lorraine region of France) being the popular variant of an open pie with a filling of custard with lardons. This simple recipe made with a creamy, cheesy, savory center and baked on a flaky, warm butter crust is better than just filling up on another baked pie. Quiche Lorraine can be paired with Chablis, Alsace Riesling or a Bourgogne Pinot Noir.

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Regional French Foods To Try Before You Die

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Ardently defended and protected, foie gras didn't originate in the French regions of Alsace, Périgord and Aquitaine where it is widely produced. Livers of birds as a delicacy date back to ancient Egypt which later spread to the Mediterranean.

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France has so many types of cheese, wine, and specialties from all over the French regions that it's hard to keep up!

Let's kick off the list with dishes from the North of France.

The North of France: Specialties from the Hauts de France region

Nord Pas-de-Calais and Picardie is the region that goes up to Belgium, Holland and Germany. The United Kingdom is not very far away, so their cuisine is heavily influenced by this melting pot of flavors. So it's both sugary and savory here... and everything is cooked in a big pot like in Germany!

Northern cuisine is like its inhabitants: generous and heart-warming. Their specialties are:

beers (of course)

the Andouille de Cambrai (it's a sausage made of chitterlings)

Herring and Potatoes

Watercress Soup

Smoked Garlic from Arleux

and the Maroilles cheese (warning: not for the faint of heart!)

This dish is all about freshly picked mussels cooked with white wine, herbs and parsley. The recipe seems to come from Belgium, but the Breton argue they were the first to cook them! The key to this recipe is to take really really fresh mussels, almost straight from the sea, and there are endless variations of this recipe if you're fond of mussels.

The Great East: Specialties from Alsace, Champagne-Ardennes and Lorraine

The Great East Region covers the Hauts de France and goes all the way to Germany on the East. Therefore the gastronomy is influenced by the rich German cuisine and really keeps you up through the day in the colder continental climate.

Their specialties are

The Quiche Lorraine is a pie made with fresh cream, milk, eggs, nutmeg and grilled bacon. These last ingredients give it a smoky taste. It is so much appreciated everywhere in France that you can find it pretty much everywhere in the country-whether in its traditional versions or in a more modern version with mushrooms, leeks, and chicken.

If you are in a Lorraine restaurant, you can also taste Choucroute, a dish made of fermented cabbage and regional charcuterie but if you make it yourself, you'll have to open the windows after!

Specialties from Bourgogne - Franche-Comté

Burgundy-Franche-Comté is located between the cities of Dijon (famous for its spicy mustard) and Lyon, south of Paris. Between the Christmas tree forests and the mountain villages from Franc-Comté and the world-famous wines from Bourgogne (Burgundy), Burgundy is where the author of the first cooking books in History was born (La Varenne with Le cuisinier Français - The French Cook).

Burgundy people like their food spicy, with spicy mustard and smoked lard. The sauces are usually added with onions and are added to stews or ragoûts in French. Vegetables are usually cooked with cream, and where would be Burgundy gastronomy without wine (like Armand Rousseau, Dugat-Py or Romanée-Conti from that region)?

Their specialties are:

Boeuf bourguignon v ia Wikimedia Commons

Snail is one of the few dishes French people get odd looks about. The unique snail recipe with parsley butter is commonly called "escargots à la bourguignonne". They are presented in their shells and eaten with a small "snail fork" or a toothpick.

There is actually a nursery rhyme that every kid in France knows. It goes "Burgundy snail, show me your horns, tell me if tomorrow is going to be sunny!"

The Boeuf bourguignon takes its name from its two main ingredients, both from Burgundy: beef meat from Charolais and côte de Nuits or côte de Beaune wine. Before being a Sunday dish everywhere in France, beef bourguignon was a favorite of peasants during special holidays. Its slow cooking is done in a stew pan and is accompanied by onions, garlic, bacon and a bouquet garni.

Next to the Channel: Specialties from Normandy Region

Normandy is North of Brittany, and is the region of milk and apples. It's one of the regions that can provide specialties from appetizers to dessert, without forgetting the cider!

The specialties will make your head spin:

The classic Pot-au-Feu, and of course...

Other specialties include cider vinegar, seafood (mussels, oysters and the Seine bay scallops), mushrooms, apples, butter and crème fraiche. And if you can't remember all of them, the pop band Stone and Charden even made a song about it!

Specialty recipe: The Pot-au-Feu , also called the Normandy Potée

An excellent family meal for long winter nights, the Pot-au-Feu is, like the name suggest, a very slowly cooked meat dish (you've got to let it simmer for 4 hours and a half!) cooked in a pot.

This has to be the French dish that led to the biggest number of variations, having been featured in many different regions. It's usually composed of a piece of meat cooked slowly, bone marrow, beef tail, and various vegetables and spices. The very important part is to add a bouquet garni to the mix, made with parsley, thyme, bay leaf, garlic and black pepper grains.

Between land and sea: specialties from Brittany

You can visit Brittany from harbor to harbor and from island to island along the salty coasts. It's famous today for its standing stones, the menhirs and dolmens in Carnac, the Brocéliande forest where the mythical Arthur King used to roam. The cuisine is also all about cooking with fresh produce and bounties from the sea.

Their specialties are:

My family has a very old family recipe for crepes that dates back centuries. The secret for delicious sugary crepes is to pick out great ingredients. To avoid lumps, add the milk very slowly and mix energetically-you'll know that the dough has the right consistency when it coats your finger just right. My grandma's secret is to add some alcohol, like rum, cognac, Grand Marnier or Calvados: it evaporates on the pan and gives the crepes an amazing flavor.

Pays de la Loire: France's garden

Gastronomy in Pays-de-Loire reflects its geography, between the ancient marine harbors and the heart of the regions. It has Guérance and its "white gold", the Lu Petit Beurre from Nantes, Sarthe and its rillettes and poultry from Loué.

It's such a classic but dramatic dish to make and you can't really make it at home (since you crush the duck's carcass into a press) but it's an experience you have to try at least once in your life. The Pressed Duck recipe is actually a specialty of the oldest restaurant in France, the Tour d'Argent:

Specialties from the Capital: Recipes from Ile-De-France

The Parisian region is not only about Paris, there is also the Versailles castle, the Marne banks and their guinguettes, the races in Chantilly, Provins and its medieval city.

Gastronomy-wise a lot of the most famous chefs all gather round in the Paris region, and the cuisine is influenced by all those French people coming to the big city. Their specialties are:

It's the King of hot sandwiches! As delicious as it is easy to make, the Croque-Monsieur, allegedly appeared for the first time in a Parisian bistro on boulevard des Capucines. It's that simple, almost trivial composition of jam, Emmental cheese and sandwich bread that made that express snack at a cheap price such a hit. For the gourmets, you also have the version with a sunny side up egg on top called the Croque-Madame!

The Hachis Parmentier was named in honour or Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, who popularized the pomme de terre and helped France get rid of famine. This dish first appeared in the bistros of the capital. It is composed of two layers: the first is minced meat to which the chef adds aromatics, the second layer is a homemade puree, with grated cheese on top.

South West, Specialties from New Aquitaine - Recipes from Aquitaine Poitou-Charentes and Limousin

The New Aquitaine Region forms a huge territory from La Rochelle all the way to Spain! Apart from its world reputation for the Bordeaux wine, this region is also famous for its foie gras, meat from Limousin, milk as well as seafood products.

Their specialities are the

Aquitaine is where King Henry the IV th was from: he's the one who famously introduced the Poule au pot recipe to the French people. He was very keen on taking care of his subjects, and famously said he wanted "each of the inhabitants of his kingdom to be able to cook a Poule au Pot every Sunday".

Half French, Half Spanish: Recipes from the Basque Country

The Basque Country is technically not a French region but its Northern part is still part of Aquitaine. It's famously known for its cuisine, thanks to its quality and refinement.
This region has one of the richest French territory in terms of gastronomy, with influences from both the Béarn and Gascon country on the northern side and Spanish influences (like the use of olive oil) on the southern side.

Their specialties are
Via apostcardfromfrance
If you had to choose only one from this region, it would have to be the Poulet Basquaise. The poultry is raised locally and these are specially rare breeds of chicken and duck in the Basque country. The Poulet Basquaise is a complete dish where the meat is tenderized and softened with a piperade, a sauce composed of Bayonne ham, peppers, tomatoes and Espelette pepper.

In the Center of France - Specialties from Centre-Val de Loire

The Center of France is all about pleasures for the eyes and also for the palate. It's nicknamed "the country with the thousand ponds" and has also cereal plains, forests, lands to have cattle and the Loire banks where many fish swim.

The Orléans people are well known for having a strong appetite: they're well known for liking both appetizers and desserts, and are made famous for their pies or patés en croûte.They also have something for the sweet tooth, not limited to the Tarte Tatin, like the forestines from Bourges, praslines from Montargis.

Their specialties are
Via http://www.monpetitfour.com/
The name comes from the Tatin Sisters (Stéphanie and Caroline) who had an Hôtel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron (still open today!): it's a perfect example of serendipity. The sisters had lots of hunters as clients, and one day on opening season, Stéphanie was overworked and put apples in the oven directly, forgetting the dough. Later, realizing her mistake, she added the dough on top of the preparation and served the upside-down pastry as such. It was very much appreciated by the hunters and that's how we've got this caramelized delicious treat today!

A taste of the South: Specialties from Occitanie - Midi-Pyrenees and Languedoc Roussillon

The Occitanie region opens both to the Pyrénées and to the Mediterranean sea, and is known for their inhabitants liking good foods. It has so many legendary recipes and specialties, between the (ham and vegetable stew), the Bayonne ham, the salmis de palombe, numerous goat and cow cheeses, the Irouléguy and Madiran wines, the pommes soufflées (fried puffed potatoes), and the worldly famous sauce au beurre blanc , and Béarnaise sauce .

With the ferias traditions and the Camargue country and its beautiful bulls, the Occitanie people surely know how to party!

Other specialties are:
Gratin Dauphinois via Wikimedia
Cassoulet is not the lightest dish you'll eat in France! Originally from Languedoc-Roussillon, the legend places the origins of the cassoulet in the city of Castelnaudary which was besieged by the English during the Hundred Years' War.

According to the story, the hungry castle dwellers had gathered all the available food (white beans and different meats) to make a huge ragout or estofat, to reinvigorate the soldiers. They were able to beat the English and free the city. That legend comforted the nationalist sentiment and makes cassoulet a beacon of French values of courage and tenacity!

In the Grenoble region, another winter dish has become a mainstay: Gratin dauphinois. On July 1788, the municipal officers of the Gap city tasted a dish unknown until then. It was gifted by the general lieutenant of Dauphiné and was called potatoes à la dauphinoise. The sliced potatoes are cooked in the oven with garlic, crème fraîche or milk and nutmeg. No cheese is added in the original recipe but it is so delicious that everyone likes to cook it in his own way.

Specialties from the Alps mountains: recipes from Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes region:

Auvergne is France's "Green Lung" and has a typical rich and copious cuisine, despite its reputation. Auvergne people will serve you their Petit salé aux lentilles (that my grandma used to make even if I wasn't a fan of lentils growing up) stuffed cabbage.

In the mountain region of the Alps, they stock up on cheese. Inspired by their Swiss neighbors, they have loads of cheese specialties.
But it's also the Lyon region, one of the huge gastronomic cities in France with its traditional charcuteries, and its Beaujolais Nouveau wine you can appreciate with local specialties in the many bouchons lyonnais. There is even a party every year, everywhere in France, to celebrate the New Beaujeaulais coming out!

Their specialties are:

The Savoyards regularly consume raclettes and fondues. For the raclette, the guests have small bowls that each one fills as he wishes with raclette cheese (from co-operatives farms, if you are in the mountains) and quail eggs that you scrape with a wood raclette (hence the name). Delicatessen and boiled potatoes are available next to the melted golden cheese.

The Fondue Savoyarde, is a large container filled with a mixture of 3 cheeses and white wine. The guests then plunge small bits of bread impaled on sticks. Tradition has it that the one who makes his piece of bread fall has to pay a forfeit, so keep your eyes on the prize!

Specialties from the Land of Cicadas: Recipes from Provence-Alpes Côte D'Azur

The gourmet "PACA" will delight you with savors to enjoy in the olive trees shade, away from the Mistral and Tramontane winds.

Over there, everything smells good: the génépi, from which you make an excellent liqueur, the fruits and vegetables from the open air markets, or the aromatic herbs like thyme, rosemary and completing dishes made with Camargue bull or Mérinos sheep.
Ratatouille via Wikimedia
We're in the country of Escoffier, "King of cooks and Cook for kings" who invented the Pêche melba dessert (a personal favorite and so easy to make!). You can start with an , carry on with a baked pasta gratin with spinach or a Niçoise salad if it's too hot.

Their specialties are basil, garlic, olive and olive oil, aromatic plants, anchovies, capers, tomato, fruit, and Provence wines.

In Provence, it's a granny's dish par excellence, and indeed my Nice grandmother makes the best ratatouille. It is so delicious that today most restaurants offer it as an accompaniment to fish or meat... And it's of course worldly known for its Pixar fame!

When you think about the fully-bodied Bouillabaisse soup, you immediately think about the South of France, beautiful weather and eating by the sea, and more precisely to Marseille where it's a specialty. From the 7th century, when the city was founded, the name of this dish means in Provence occitan "To reduce the boil".
Since there are so many fishermen in that zone, this dish is therefore made up of varied fish, shellfish, tomatoes, spices from the South, mustard and egg yolks. It is eaten with bread or potatoes. You serve it in two times, first the soup, then the fish. This sea dish is enjoyed best with a rosé wine from Provence, of course.

Corsica Specialties: Recipes from the Island of Beauty

Of course, you go to Corsica because of the superb beaches, the cute villages and the mountains...and of course, the gastronomy.

Their specialties are:

Corsica also grows wonderful fruits all year round: citrus in Winter, orchard fruit in Summer (peaches, apricots, plums), figs in Fall. This results to great jams that they make each and every month.

Corsica has loads of fish dishes but also mountain ones. This veal dish uses the Corsican olives that are so typical of this sunny country. There is also the winter Figatellu lentils dish that's perfect after a hike in the mountain to reinvigorate you !

Antilles specialties : recipes from France away from France

Talking about islands, France also has territories and departments called the DOM-TOM - Territoires d'Outre-Mer. Between Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, French Guyana and French Polynesia, there are so many occasions to taste some exotic dished as well !

The Antilles and Outre-Mer islands are all quite different and only have in common the tropical climate. Go and check their gastronomy for yourselves, these islands have so much influence from other surrounding countries that their dishes are very cosmopolitan... But a constant in all of them seems to be spice and hot pepper !

The true Tartar steak is cut with a knife, then spices and an egg are added. Served with chips, this is a good alternative to traditional steak-frites.

Other French Specialties

So we've been exploring some dishes that are typical of each and everyone of the French Regions. But some of the well-loved dishes plates that are served every day in French restaurants don't really belong to any region in particular since they've become so incredibly popular.
So here are some honorable mentions that are standouts in French cuisine:

Blanquette de Veau is a veal dish simmered with cream, carrots and broth. It's called like this because of the whitish color of the sauce and is made famous internationally thanks to Jean Dujardin's line in the OSS 117 movie: "Comment est votre blanquette?". He explains the dish in case you forget:

Usually fried with a little onion and garlic butter, à la provençale or fricasséed, they are the French elite's meals served to guests since the XVIth century. We're still the biggest eaters with 400 tons imported each year. Don't worry, the taste is delicate and tastes like poultry while still remaining soft.

So...when it comes to beauty of the landscapes and the amazing gastronomy, which French region is your favorite? Let me know in the comments! 🙂

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Must-try French Specialties from Every Region of France

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France has so many types of cheese, wine, and specialties from all over the French regions that it's hard to keep up! Let's kick off the list with dishes from the North of France. Nord Pas-de-Calais and Picardie is the region that goes up to Belgium, Holland and Germany.