People Say These "Essential" French Foods Are A Must-Eat For Anyone Visting Paris — So I Tried And Ranked Them All
Hey, I'm Liz! I'm an American who recently went on her first-ever trip to Europe, and if you're like me when it comes to travel, you can't wait to explore a different culture and try new foods. So, when I landed in Paris, I was incredibly excited to sample some authentic French cuisine.
Now, I only had about three days in the City of Light, so I didn't have enough time to try everything I wanted (I'll admit this now; I didn't even try a croissant 😭), but I did eat a variety quintessential French foods and desserts, some of which I had for the very first time. And, look, I'm just a tourist, not a food expert, but I have some thoughts. 👀
So, if you've tried these foods before and want to entertain yourself with a first-timer's perspective — or you're just curious about what they're like — here are my first impressions of these delicious dishes, ranked from "good" to "WOW":
7.Frog legs — Slightly underwhelming, but absolutely worth trying. Believe it or not, I was thrilled to try frog legs. (When I think of France, I think of frog legs, and I needed to know: What on earth do they taste like?!) To put it simply, it reminded me of chicken. My dish, in particular, was a bit mild in flavor, but they were very delicate and tender texture-wise. Would I order it again? Not sure, but if someone offered it, I would eat it again. I liked it, but it wasn't as memorable as other dishes.
6.Duck confit — VERY satisfying. According to Food & Wine, classic duck confit involves slowly cooking duck legs for hours in their fat, resulting in tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat. After trying it myself, I can confirm that this duck confit was hearty and tender; while I didn't get as much flavor from the herbs as I would have liked, I truly enjoyed the dish, and the side salad and roasted potatoes complemented the duck SO well. Oh, and you won't be hungry after this meal; I was full very quickly. As I'm typing this, I could use some duck confit right now.
5.French brioche bread — Light and sweet. I had a small taste of French brioche bread with this dessert sampler, which also included a chocolate cake and crème brûlée (more on that later 👀). The bread was topped with a caramel sauce and dusted with sugar, and wow! It was creamy, light, and sweet — but not too sweet. It reminded me of a custard but in bread form. So good!
4.Crème brûlée — Obviously delicious. I had had crème brûlée before in the US a very long time ago, but of course, I've never had ~real~ French crème brûlée. I had it twice at two different restaurants while abroad! The caramelized sugar crust was crisp, and the custard underneath was creamy and had a fantastic, subtle vanilla flavor. You can't go wrong with this one.
3.Foie gras — So packed with flavor, it left me speechless. Oh, where do I begin? Never in my life have I tried foie gras (duck or goose liver), and I had no idea what to expect. It looks "plain," but it's surprisingly so, so rich. Honestly, it's hard for me to describe the flavor (if you've had it before, please help me out in the comments, TBH!). This foie gras was smooth, buttery, a little salty. Very tender. I also enjoyed the bread and jam on the side. I literally could have eaten this at every meal.
2.Crêpe — It's like a warm hug. There's no surprise here. If you're in Paris, you have to try a crêpe or two. I've had my fair share of sweet and savory homemade and restaurant crêpes in the US, but there is a clear difference after trying the real thing. If you haven't had a crêpe before, it's pretty much like a thin pancake. I noticed that in Paris, they were much thinner than the ones I'd had in the past. This one was served warm, topped with sugar, and served with chocolate sauce on the side. And wow. It was soft, buttery, and sweet — the perfect way to end a meal. While I didn't get to try many pastries abroad, I was MORE than happy with this.
And finally...
1.Escargot — No joke, I could eat this every day and never get tired of it. Ah, yes. Snails. So, I've eaten escargot once before on an American cruise line, and I was a fan. But it had been a few years since then, and I had forgotten the flavor, so I was excited to try this delicacy in Paris — and it didn't disappoint. Texture-wise, it's slightly chewy and reminds me of a mushroom or a seafood, like shrimp. And when it came to flavor, it shined; you could truly taste the butter and herbs it was cooked in. I'll say it plainly: I LOVE escargot.
Well, there we have it — a small snippet into just a few of the classic dishes I tried in Paris. All in all, France, I love your food, and I can't wait to try more.
Which French foods have you tried? Or, what was the most memorable dish you've ever had while visiting a different country? Let me know in the comments below!
