Here is everything we ate in Paris:
1. Duck Confit
Slow-cooked duck, cooked in its own fat. The skin is crisped up just before serving, and is typically eaten with a salad, or potatoes also cooked in duck fat. It’s a heavy dish for sure but might be one of the best things I ate in Paris.
2. Escargot
Land snails basted in garlic and parsley butter.
3. French Onion Soup
Or in France, it’s just onion soup. Onions are gently fried and then simmered in a beef or chicken stock, then served with pieces of bread inside and topped with cheese
4. Pâté
Seasoned ground meat, usually liver, that is cooked down to a spreadable texture and typically served with bread. Pâté translates to, “paste.”
5. Pâté en Croûte
Pâté encased in a pastry crust.
6. Terrine
Similar to pâté but its appearance and texture is chunkier since it contains chunks of meat, as opposed to being a paste. It’s usually served with salad and pickles.
7. Foie Gras
Duck liver that is defined by French law as the fattening of duck or goose liver by gavage, or force-feeding it. Because of this technique, the texture becomes rich and buttery.
8. Eggs en Cocotte with Foie Gras
Baked eggs with foie gras. It’s very rich between the egg yolk and the foie gras, so it is definitely a dish meant to be shared.
9. Steak and Frites
Steak and French fries. Both France and Belgium claim to have created this dish.
10. Ratatouille
No, it’s not just a Disney movie about a rat who can cook. It’s also a stewed vegetable dish, typically made of zucchini, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. It can really be served with anything, like bread, meats, and pasta. You’ll see a side of ratatouille in the photo above.
11. Beef Tartare
Raw ground beef, usually with an egg yolk on top, and typically served with bread.
12. Cheese
There are so many different types of French cheeses. You’ll find them as an appetizer on menus, and sometimes even in the dessert section.
13. Aligot
Cheesy mashed potatoes, typically served with sausage.
14. Quiche Lorraine
Tart filled with cream, eggs, and bacon or ham. It gets its name because it originates from the French region of Lorraine.
15. Croque Madame
Ham and gruyere sandwich topped with béchamel and a fried or poached egg. It got its name because it is said that the egg resembles a woman’s wide-brimmed hat. The difference between a croque madame and a croquet monsieur is that a monsieur does not have an egg on top – but the bread is dipped in beaten egg before cooking.
16. Crêpes
Thin pancakes that can be sweet or savory. Common fillings for sweet crêpes are fruits, and spreads like nutella or chocolate. Common fillings for savory crêpes include meats and cheeses.
17. Escargot (Pastry)
A completely different food from snails. These are pastries that have a swirly shape and are named as such because of its resemblance to escargot.
18. Croissants
The croissant actually originated in Austria, based on the kipferl, a crescent-shaped bread that was first introduced in the 13th century. It was later introduced to France in 1839 by August Zang, an Austrian artillery officer when he opened a Viennese bakery in Paris.
19. Baguette
There are different stories on where the baguette came from but some credit August Zang and his Viennese bakery. In 1993, a law was passed in France that said baguettes must be made on the premises they are sold, and should contain only four ingredients – flour, water, yeast, and salt. According to the Observatoire du Pain, 320 baguettes are consumed per second in France.
20. Baguette Sandwiches
These are popular for a quick snack/lunch and you’ll find it at most bakeries. The most popular combo is jambon beurre, or ham and butter
21. Pain Au Chocolat
Chocolate croissant.
22. Palmier
Puff pastry coated in sugar, then rolled together to resemble a palm leaf shape.
23. Madeleines
A small sponge cake shaped like a shell. Even the pre-packaged grocery store ones are good!
24. Eclair
Oblong shaped pastry filled with cream and topped with a layer of (usually chocolate) icing.
25. Meringue
Dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar.
26. Macarons
Meringue-based sandwich cookie filled with ganache, jam, or buttercream
27. Crème brûlée
Custard topped with caramelized sugar. One of my favorite desserts.
28. Mont Blanc
Sweetened chestnut puree, topped with whipped cream
29. Vietnamese Food
France ruled over Vietnam for almost 70 years, from 1887 to 1954. You’ll find a lot of French influences over Vietnamese cuisine, so it’s no wonder that the French would have brought some of the dishes back home.
30. Moroccan Food
France colonized Morocco in 1912, so this is another popular cuisine you’ll find in France. Tajine was influenced by the French cassoulet, which is a meaty stew.
31. Middle Eastern Food
A wave of immigration from the Middle East in the 1970s is the reason Middle Eastern food is now so popular in France. There’s also a large Lebanese influence, given France occupied Lebanon during WWI.
32. Lebanese Ice Cream
Bachir Glaces is known for their achta, an ice cream made with pistachio beans, milk flower and orange blossom and rolled in crushed pistachio. This might be the best ice cream I’ve ever eaten. Ben and I shared one but regretted not getting our own after we tried it.
33. Wine
French wines are usually made to accompany food. It’s common for people to have a glass of wine with their lunch.
34. McDonald’s
I only tried the breakfast because nothing seemed too different from the lunch menu. The breakfast menu was pretty similar to the U.S. but for the breakfast sandwiches, instead of a sausage patty, they use a regular burger patty.
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