I’d always heard comments when I was younger on how the French are prided for their food, (rightfully so) but I’d never really known what foods were really “French.” When you think of Italian food, you think of spaghetti, lasagna, and the like and with German food you think of sauerkraut and sausages, but what of French food? It wasn’t until I actually came to France until I really discovered why I couldn’t pinpoint what French food is. That’s because French food is extremely diverse and depends highly on the region of France.

Coastal regions of France will have food that rely heavily on seafood as a main ingredients, whereas inland regions will have more foods made from things that are farmed like cheese and meat from cows and bread from grain. Also, in areas near Germany, you will find a lot of German food and in areas near Italy, it’s not uncommon to find a more Italian diet.

If you are visiting France for a food tour, it’s important to know which regions go with which foods so you know where to visit. In the Mediterranean area you will find dishes with a lot of olive oil, tomatoes, and herbs. In the Northwest of France, you will find a lot of foods made with apples, butter, and crème fraiche. In the Northeast, there is a strong German influence in food for those with a taste for German food.

If you’re going to Paris, remember that it’s a major metropolitan area, so you’ll find any food that you can think of. So if you’re wanting sushi, Paris has got you covered! From my personal experience, French food is amazing and you likely won’t be disappointed.

In France, the majority enjoys their steak cooked rare. However, when ordering steak, like in the US, you will be asked how you would like it to be cooked. With the language barrier (for those who can’t speak French) the task can be a little daunting… it may even scare you out of ordering steak. Don’t let this stop you though, because I wrote a handy guide on ordering steak in France.

If you order your steak to be cooked bleu, you will receive a steak that is warm on the outside with a cool, uncooked center.

Ordering your steak to be cooked saignant, your steak will be warm in the center but with be bloody and rare.

A steak cooked à point will be cooked until it stop bleeding, which is what I prefer. There is a range of some blood in the center to just a warm pink center. If you’d prefer your steak to have the warm pink center, order your steak as plus à point.

If you are like my husband and just don’t trust any form of uncooked beef, then you will want to order it bien cuit which is well cooked with some pink in the center. If you’re like my dad and like your cow killed twice, you’ll want to order your steak bien bien cuit, which has no pink in the center. I would just go to the store and get some beef jerky, though! So… how do you like your steak?

If you’re lucky, you’ll be going out to eat with a “sympathetic-to-your-plight” native speaker of the French language. If you’re pretty much on your own with the French language, then just keep in mind which steak you like… I’ll just keep the words in my head “Melanie likes her steak à point“

France is highly known for it's cheese. In fact, you were probably thinking, "Wow, when is Melbel going to mention cheese!" There are many different types of cheese in France. Each region in France has its own types of cheese. Also, for those who are interested in history may enjoy many of the different stories behind how each type of cheese was developed.

I cannot begin to cover all the cheeses made in France, but I did write another hub about French cheese, so I recommend those interested in learning something interesting about different cheeses to check it out!