French food relies on simple combinations of rich, natural flavours that come together to create unforgettable, world-renowned dishes.
For many people, their introduction to French food comes in the shape of wine and cheese. From brie and burgundy to Camembert and chardonnay, there are plenty of delicious pairings to choose from.
But there is a whole world of French cuisine beyond the cheeseboard.
With the 2024 Paris Olympics in full force, let us help you bring the wonder of French cuisine into your kitchen.
Here are some of the top French dishes that you can savour while watching the games.
Escargot
Escargot is a delicacy of French cuisine. Although the snails eaten as escargots are terrestrial, they are technically molluscs and therefore classified as seafood.
Escargot is usually served as an appetiser. In France, they are typically removed from shells and then prepared before returning them to the shells for presentation purposes.
They are usually cooked with garlic butter and wine. Other ingredients such as parsley and thyme may be added. Snails are very high in protein and low in fat, (when they are cooked without butter, of course).
French onion soup
Is there anything more comforting on a chilly day than a hot bowl of French onion soup? Especially with a thick slice of toasted bread loaded with melty gruyere cheese and lots of caramelised onion.
French onion soup, often a staple in restaurants, actually originated as a humble peasant soup made with just onions, stale bread, and water. Today’s versions might be a bit fancier, but this soup is still wonderfully simple to make at home.
The key is patience. The onions need to be cooked low and slow so that they sweeten and turn a rich brown caramel colour without burning.
Tarte tatin
Tarte tatin is a tart made with apples caramelised with sugar and butter. The pastry is placed on top of the filling before baking. It is then turned onto a plate and served warm.
This famous apple tart was created by accident in the 1880s by the elderly sisters Stéphanie and Caroline Tatin, who ran the Hotel Tatin in Lamotte-Beuvron south of Paris.
The most popular version of the story is that one day an overworked Stéphanie “Fanny” Tatin left the apples for her apple pie to caramelise in butter and sugar a little too long.
In an attempt to rescue the situation and still have a dessert for her hotel guests that night, she quickly slapped some pastry on top to hide the mess, baked it, and hoped for the best. It was a roaring success and became the signature dish of the hotel.
Crêpes
Crêpes are ultra-thin pancakes common in France that can be made sweet or savoury, typically rolled or folded with a variety of fillings from jam or Nutella to ham and cheese to seafood.
Crepes originated in the 13th century in Brittany. According to the Institute of Culinary Education, one theory in crepe mythology is that a woman in Brittany accidentally dribbled thin buckwheat porridge onto a hot, flat cooktop, and ate the resulting cake, inadvertently inventing crêpes.