Top 6 Gourmet Foods You Shouldn’t Conclude Your French Trip Without Trying

Don’t know which country to visit next as a diehard tourist? I suggest you go to France this time around, assuming that you’ve never been there before. With so many beautiful cities characterised by spectacular attractions including gourmet food (the food of the highest quality as well as flavour, prepared with precision and presented attractively), and fine wines, this is a must-visit-once-in-a-lifetime destination. For your information, France is the number one most visited country in the world, thanks to the attractions. In this post, I’m going to be talking about the top 5 French gourmet foods you shouldn’t conclude your French trip without trying. Without wasting time, let’s get started with the foods:

1. Boeuf Bourguignon

Boeuf bourguignon is a classic French gourmet characterized by beef stew prepared with basic and readily available ingredients. This is pleasantly delectable and comforting, to say the least. Plus, it’s full of health-promoting benefits. You can be sure that once you try this delicacy in France, it will become a part of your regular menu when you return home. You’ll find yourself Googling the recipe in order to learn how to make it. 

Lucky enough, boeuf bourguignon has a very simple recipe for it. As long as you have braised beef, mushrooms, pearl onions, and red wine, plus the right recipe, you should be able to make your dish without trouble. The recipes are all over the internet and all you have to do is to look for one in the right place. 

As for the ingredients, you can source those from where you normally do. Matter of fact, I do get mine from either Home Chef or Hello Fresh, as I have active subscriptions with the two entities. Matter of fact, these meal kit delivery services are doing so well in popularity that a professional had to write a comparison post about them. You can read the post here for a quick overview of the two entities and the crucial similarities alongside differences between various aspects of them. Of course, that information can help you make the right choice as long as choosing a meal kit delivery service goes. 

Notably, Sunbasket is a rival of the two brands, that works just like each brand. This too is worth checking out just as the above two meal kit delivery services are, as you never know what deals you might just get from them at any one time. 

2. Cherry Clafoutis

This mouthwatering French dessert is characterised by a unique meaty, tangy, cheesy taste with a creamy texture. The dessert is made with fresh cherries baked in a custard-like pastry base seasoned and garnished with slivered almonds alongside vanilla extract. Additionally, the light, French, delicacy is lightly dusted with powdered sugar to give it more flavour and appearance.

Matter of fact, cherry clafoutis is very popular in France, with many hotels serving it as a quick after lunch or dinner dessert. It goes well with a glass of red wine. 

3.  Potatoes Dauphinoise

Many hotels in south-eastern France have potatoes dauphinoise in their menus. This delicious dish is made of sliced potatoes baked in milk, using the gratin culinary technique, where an ingredient is topped with a browned crust normally made with breadcrumbs or grated cheese. Invented in the Dauphiné region in south-eastern France, potatoes dauphinoise are a favorite delicacy for many French people who relish the cheesy taste and heavy creamy texture. 

4. Concombre à la Menthe Salad

A diehard fan of haute cuisine and French food, in general, would agree that a few things in life are more incredibly delicious than concombre a la menthe. For those who are clueless, this is a minimalist yet very refreshing mixture of sliced cucumbers and mint. The not-so-pleasant taste and flavor of fresh cucumber are transformed into something yummy with a yogurt dressing. What’s more, this crunchy and juicy salad has no calories hence it’s a perfect food to nibble on without worrying about weight gain. 

5. Chicken Basquaise

Frankly speaking, there are like 1001 ways to cook chicken. In my opinion, however, none of them beats how the French people make chicken into something called “chicken basquaise.” This is a flavorful and lightly spicy dish with a flaky texture you won’t be able to get enough of. I ate three servings of it without regrets. It also looks enticing and irresistible with a colorful and spicy appearance that screams absolute deliciousness. 

6. Religieuse au chocolat

Religieuse au Chocolat is a French phrase that translates to “Chocolate nun” in English. Now, this has nothing to do with a nun or so. It’s just a  French-inspired pastry delicacy that was perhaps accidentally named that way or so. This consists of two choux pastry cases(one larger than the other), filled with crème pâtissière, and chocolate. It’s a very ideal offering for breakfast that is loaded with absolute yumminess. That’s not to mention that it goes very well with coffee, tea, and milk. You can also take it with a smoothie or fruit juice if you desire that. 

Final Thoughts

One thing that makes France stand out as a top tourist destination is its great food. Notably, French cuisine is simple, minimalist yet very delectable, comforting,  and versatile. Some of the melt-in-your-mouth dishes that are the result of it include; boeuf bourguignon, cherry clafoutis, potatoes dauphinoise, and concombre à la menthe salad. That is not to mention chicken basquaise and religieuse au chocolat (chocolate nun). If you visit France, don’t forget to try these classic French foods. Be warned that if you don’t learn to control your appetite, you might not be able to get enough of each food. By the way, you can even make these foods when you return home from the trip so that your family also gets to try them. After all, French recipes are amazingly simple and minimalist. Not to mention that they are designed to utilise fewer ingredients than other Western recipes are.