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There is nothing scarier than looking at a French recipe book where you don’t understand anything. Or worse, walking into a French restaurant and looking at the menu in bafflement. French cuisine may be much-vaunted but are you accidentally going to be ordering frog legs or pig guts?
Not that there is anything wrong with those who wish to order a yummy plate of escargot, but I presume that everyone prefers to know what they are ordering before they order it.
We will look at the top French food words, terms, and phrases to make it all clear, along with example recipes so that you can follow it in action. So here goes, the ABC of French food. Allons-y!
a savory cake, usually filled with bacon and olives. (A normal english cake is called a gâteau in French.)
Calisson
a traditional French candy from Aix-en-Provence. Made out of fruit topped off with a thin layer of marzipan.
Canard
duck (eg. “confit de canard“, a dish you will regularly see on Parisian brasserie menus.)
Carte
the menu. (Carte de vin is the wine menu.)
Cassoulet
a traditional dish from Southern France consisting of white beans, sausages, and meats. (See cassoulet recipe here.)
Cèpe
porcini mushroom
Champignon
mushroom
Charcuterie
a variety of dried sausage, ham and meat products served at an apéro get-together. (Get the Guide to composing a charcuterie board here.)
Charlotte
a type of dessert where the tin mold is lined with ladyfinger biscuits and filled with layers of custard and fruit.
Chèvre
goat. (“fromage de chèvre” is goat cheese.)
Chou
cabbage
Chou à la crème
a small pastry ball filled with cream or custard
Choucroute
sauerkraut
Cochon
pig
Compote
a pureed fruit that is usually served to children as an after-school snack or dessert
Comptoir
the counter at a bar or restaurant. (In France, unless you are at a fancy restaurant, it is acceptable to go up to the counter to pay. Sometimes, it is even expected.)
Confiture
jam
Coq au vin
a traditional stew with chicken cooked in wine. (See coq au vin recipe here.)
a meringue-like cookie with cream in between 2 layers. Comes in a variety of flavors and colors.
Maison
Home (eg: “fait maison” meaning home-made. This is an official govt. distinction that restaurants in France are allowed to note on their menus if they meet certain requirements.)
Moules
mussels
Mousse
food that has been pureed and incorporated with small air bubbles to give it a light and airy texture. (See Strawberry mousse recipe.)
a vegetable stew made with zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes. (See ratatouille recipe here.)
Rillettes
meat which has been seasoned then slow-cooked and submerged in fat for several hours. The rillettes are spread on bread and eaten (usually as part of a charcuterie platter.)
a member of the restaurant wait-staff who picks the wine and advises clients.
Sous vide
a French cooking technique in which food is placed in a plastic pouch (or glass jar) and cooked in a water bath for a long time.
Surgelé
frozen
T
Tartare
raw meat or fish that has been chopped or shredded into small pieces. (See Salmon tartare recipe here.)
Tarte flambée
A thin pizza that is a specialty in Alsace along the French-German border. Usually made from fromage blanc or crème fraîche, thin-sliced onions and lardons. Also sometimes called Flammkuchen or Flammekueche.
Tartiflette
a traditional scallop potatoes dish from Savoy, France, made with reblochon cheese, lardons and onions. (See tartiflette recipe here.)
