What are the most popular traditional French dishes?

French cuisine is one of the best in the world and has even been listed as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

We offer you an overview 10 French dishes the most popular.

This is an opportunity to reconnect with our culinary traditions and to inspire you for your next feasts with your loved ones.

We even slip you some wine ideas to accompany these typical French dishes.

1. Parsley snails:

It is a truly unique dish that can be found in most French bistros. Snails are usually baked with butter, parsley, garlic and shallot.

Lovers of parsley snails love this combination of textures between the fat of the butter and the vivacity of the parsley.

They are always served in their shells. Originally from Burgundy, this French specialty has traveled through time since the 19th century and is reinterpreted by almost all French chefs !

• Wine Pairing: a glass of Bourgogne Aligoté (dry white wine)

2. Bouillabaisse:

Bouillabaisse is a southern French specialty. It is found in particular on many tables in Marseille.

Originally, bouillabaisse was a fisherman's dish: when they returned from fishing, unsold fish were cooked in seawater.

Then the broth was poured over bread rubbed with garlic and the fish eaten on the side with rouille (garlic mayonnaise seasoned with saffron!).

Today the traditional bouillabaisse is prepared with fish cooked in water or white wine with garlic, olive oil and saffron.

• Wine Pairing: a glass of Côtes de Provence (dry rosé wine)

3. Raclette:

Sales of raclette grills are on the rise, an unmistakable indicator! The French rank raclette in the top 3 of the most popular traditional French dishes.

The original recipe includes cheese of course from Switzerland or Savoy. There are also smoked versions while others enjoy other varieties such as Morbier where the Maroilles.

For potatoes choose a variety with firm flesh like the Roseval la Charlotte or the excellent little Rattes.

Add a few condiments: gherkins, shallots, finely cut, caper onions… of course we don’t forget the charcuterie: cooked raw ham rosette Grison meat coppa bacon…

• Wine Pairing: A Beaujolais wine or a typical Burgundy Pouilly-Fuisse.

4. Quiche Lorraine:

Quiche is – along with bergamot, madeleines and mirabelle plum – one of the most delicious culinary specialties of Lorraine.

Originally the Lorraine quiche is a rural dish made with fresh farm produce (eggs, cream, smoked bacon and cheese) on a shortcrust pastry base.

It is usually eaten with a large green salad or endives.

• Wine pairing: a glass of Pinot Gris from Alsace (dry and lively white wine)

5. Breton pancakes:

Another French specialty very easy to make at home !

Traditional Breton pancakes are made from only three ingredients: buckwheat flour (buckwheat), water and salt.

But you have to arm yourself with a little patience since it is recommended to let the dough rest in the fridge for at least 24 hours before cooking the galettes.

Then garnish them according to your tastes. The soil of Brittany is particularly suited to the cultivation of buckwheat, hence the origin of these pancakes.

• Wine pairing: a glass of cider

6. Sauerkraut:

At dinner time, a portion of sauerkraut is a must, especially if you are staying in Alsace.

For the record the cabbage is fermented with spices supposed to reduce its sour taste such as cumin seeds or juniper berries.

Similarly, you have to wait at least a month for fermentation and several hours of cooking to obtain the typically Alsatian garnished sauerkraut.

• Wine pairing: a typical Beaujolais Morgon Or Julianas.

7. Aligot:

It is in Aubrac that aligot was born and where you can taste the best recipes of this French specialty.

The Aubrac plateaux straddle three departments: Lozère, Cantal and Aveyron.

Originally, aligot was the survival dish for pilgrims passing through Aubrac on their way to Santiago de Compostela.

It must be said that it is a very comforting dish: we prepare a base of mashed potatoes (potatoes, milk and Aubrac fresh cream) to which we add fresh Aubrac tome.

It's warming up !

• Wine pairing: a glass of Jura coasts.

8. The veal blanquette:

Everyone knows this traditional French dish it is so easy to make that it would be a shame to deprive yourself of it. You just have to be patient because the preparation is long.

The base is veal meat cooked in a carrot, onion, leek and aromatic herb broth then bound with butter and cream.

Button mushrooms are also added and served with rice, pasta or potatoes.

A traditional dish that is at the top of French gastronomy !

• Wine pairing: Better to prefer a Chardonnay type white wine Chablis.

9. Potato gratin:

The gratin dauphinois is the French mountain specialty par excellence. Economical and easy to prepare, it can be found in all the inns in the Alps and the Vercors.

To prepare this specialty from Dauphiné (Isère, Drôme, Hautes-Alpes and part of the Rhône) you will only need milk potatoes and fresh cream and possibly a little fresh chives.

All you have to do is put your feet under the table !

• Wine Pairing: a dry white wine

10. Beef bourguignon:

As its name suggests, beef bourguignon is reminiscent of the region and its wine, which is also one of the key ingredients of the dish.

Tradition dictates that it is eaten as a family not only because this stew is rich but also because it takes time to cook.

For the record, beef bourguignon was one of the peasants' favorite dishes on holidays.

Today it is one of the most famous traditional French dishes.

• Wine pairing: a red Burgundy wine such as Nuits-Saint-Georges or Gevrey Chambertin. In Bordeaux a Haut Medoc or one Saint Emilion will also do the trick.