Do French people really eat snails? Beeeerrrkkk
French cuisine is quite famous to be refined and all. But sometimes it’s funny to see how people think French people eat.
It’s not always a matter of fine dining experience (although it can be too).
So what do French people really eat beyond the clichés? What are the French eating habits?
Before we dive in, I have to confess something. I did a booboo.
Last Wednesday, I had planned to release one video and one article, as I always do.
BUT, somehow, I got sidetracked, and I scheduled two videos for the same day.
Which is ok you know. Not going to stress over it.
But that meant that I had an empty slot today. And since I got asked by Tasia and Sam (Salut les filles !) about French food… You need to thank them for this article 😉
Do French people really eat the weird stuff?
Miam Miam 😛
Yeah, we’re guilty.
We do eat:
- Snails
- Beef tongue
- Foie gras
- Frog legs
- Steak tartare
- Andouillette
- Tripes
- Rabbit
- …
BUT
It’s not like we eat that stuff for breakfast either.
Those are delicacies, it’s not something we enjoy everyday.
Snails, for example, are a once-a-year kind of food for me. Christmas.
And before you turn your nose up, listen to me.
Snails are prepared with TONS of garlic and butter. So, in fact, it tastes pretty much like garlic bread. Except for the texture, which I’ll admit is a bit chewy.
Also, I’ve never tried frog legs. I’ve dissected some in science class, but I’ve never tasted it.
So, I’m pretty sure you could find many French people who haven’t tried beef tongue or snails or raw beef…
FIY, I’m a bit of a picky eater, and the only thing I don’t like here is beef tongue and rabbit meat.
In reality, we eat a bit of everything
Miam Miam 😛
A typical French person’s diet look something like that:
- Breakfast – A coffee (in a bowl) with bread, butter and jam
- Lunch – (if at a self) A starter of fresh tomato salad – something like ratatouille, chicken, and potatoes for main – optional cheese on the side or yogurt and a fruit as a dessert.
- Snack – A cup of tea or a fruit juice, with a cookie
- Dinner – Could be anything, for example, a soup with a piece of quiche lorraine, or a slice of pizza with salad. Cheese again if wanted and a dessert (a small pudding, a yogurt, fruit again,..)
See, it’s probably very similar (when it comes to the type food) to what you eat.
Of course, everyday varies, and we also eat junk food from time to time.
Although maybe our junk food is a bit different..
French ‘junk’ food
MIAM MIAM 😛
We also have McDonalds, and other Domino’s pizza,…
But there’s also frenchier ‘junk’ food.
I’m putting ‘junk’ into brackets because it’s not THAT bad
Things like:
- Croque-monsieur – the equivalent to a grilled cheese sandwich (just we added ham to the mix). Veeeeery good, and usually eaten with salad.
- Fries – les frites, of course, who can avoid them anyway?
- Nutella – Nutella is huuuuuge in France.
- Raclette & Tartiflette – a wonderful meal where you get to pour cheese all over cold meats and potatoes
Apart from Nutella, which I’m pretty sure a good pourcentage of my generation eat on daily basis, these foods are party/special events kind of foods.
Une raclette, for exemple, is a typical meal you’ll invite people over for.
Cheese is a celebration after all 
Also, it depends on the regions
erm… miam miam? 🐌
France is not a huge country.
But, it’s a country that is embedded between several others.
Think about it, France is sort of germanic in the north, Gaelic in the west and Mediterranean in the south.
That gives us plenty of different identities.
Also, the weather varies a lot between the north and the south of France.
In the north, farms are cultivating barley, wheat, beets, potatoes,… When in the south, it’s more a question of olives, grape, tomatoes, lavender,…
So obviously, because the local ingredients are different, the local food is also different:
- Loads of tomatoes and dry herbs in the south, with wines and lemon flavoured things.
- Potato based cuisine, with lots of earthly vegetables, and plenty of beer in the north.
French cuisine kind of ranges from a British to an Italian palate.
But we’ll NEVER admit it
And I’m not even talking about coast food, with fish, and sea food, as opposed to food in Alsace which is much more continental.
Bref, French food is very varied.
Do you want to travel to France?
To get the most authentic experience, like ordering snails at a Parisian restaurant, you’ll need some French.
Nothing is impossible, and in fact, with my course French for Travelers, IT IS pretty simple.
Ready to take on France with me?
