Reading the menu in a French restaurant can be a little tricky, and not just due to language difficulties. There may be important differences between restaurants in France and in your own country, including what food is offered and how it is prepared. Here are some food terms to help you find your way around a French menu.
Typical French and regional dishes
- le boeuf bourguignon - beef stew (Burgundy)
- la bouillabaisse - fish stew (Provence)
- le cassoulet - meat and bean casserole (Languedoc)
- le coq au vin - chicken in red wine sauce
- une crêpe - very thin pancake
- un croque-monsieur - ham and cheese sandwich
- un croque-madame - ham and cheese sandwich topped with fried egg
- le foie gras - goose liver
- la piperade - tomato and bell pepper omelette (Basque)
- la pissaladière - onion and anchovy pizza (Provence)
- la salade (de) chèvre - green salad with goat cheese on toast
- la salade niçoise - mixed salad with anchovies, tuna, and hard-boiled eggs
- la soupe à l'oignon - French onion soup
- la tarte tatin - upside-down apple pie
Unusual food
There are many French foods that might not be to everyone's taste, so if you're picky, you might want to watch out for these. On the other hand, if you're an adventurous eater, here are some things you might like to try:
- des abats - giblets, offal
- des algues - seaweed
- une andouillette - chitterling sausage
- des béatilles - assorted organ meats
- le boudin - blood sausage/pudding
- la cagouille - snail
- la cervelle - brains
- des civelles - spaghetti-like baby eels
- le civet - game stew thickened with blood
- la crête de coq - rooster's comb
- des cuisses de grenouille - frogs' leg
- un escargot - snail
- le foie - liver
- le gésier - gizzard
- la langue - tongue
- le rognon - kidney
- le sang - blood
- le steak tartare - made with raw, mashed beef
- la tête - head
- des tripes - tripe (stomach lining)
- le veau - veal
- la viande de cheval - horsemeat
Page 1: Menus, courses, special terms
Page 2: Food preparation, tastes, portions, ingredients, appearance
Page 3: Typical French and regional dishes, unusual foods
