Cornichons (small pickled gherkins) are particularly good with rillettes. Sometimes called bûcheron, it has a soft white rind, and creamy white interior, and is great for adding into salads, etc. As the saying goes, we eat with our eyes as well as our palate. This classic French yeasted bread has a high butter and egg content, giving it a soft and fluffy texture. Top with the remaining cheese mixture, then spoon the other half of the béchamel over the top. We are a small family-owned art shop based in Paris, France. There are 2 types, Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun, named after 2 towns in the area. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Pain brie refers to a Normandy bread. It’s very common to ask for only half of a baguette: une demi baguette s’il vous plaît. I’d eaten poule au pot (we have something pretty similar back home – I guess all countries do), coq au vin, and of course plenty of croissants and other patisserie. Cramiques are usually enriched with eggs, sugar, and butter giving them a fluffy crumb and a slightly sweet flavor. You can find and buy this kind of bread anywhere you want. Pick 3 cheeses. Typically associated with Provence and often containing local ingredients such as olives or olive oil, sundried tomatoes, anchovies or herbs. Due to its dense nature, this loaf can stay fresh for more extended periods and was once given to sailors and fishermen. What sets it aside from other loaves is its size, measuring around 2 inches in width and up to 1.5 inches high but with an extraordinary length of 25 inches. Another winter favorite is the fondue. This goes a long way in maintaining a healthy weight. It has a very distinct orange color, and tastes a bit like Parmesan. By signing up for our newsletter, you agree to our Privacy Policy. It is often used in salad dressings like blue cheese dressings. Legend has it that a lusty shepherd left his cheese and bread in a cave while pursing a pretty girl. Baking a ficelle can be quite daunting for first-timers, especially if you are considering going the sourdough way. Some form of scoring and shaping experience is required in the preparation of the dough if you want to pull off an aesthetically pleasing ficelle. ), The Spruce Eats uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. It is also from the Savoy region, from the area around the town of Beaufort. Served with a side of French fries and a little pile of salad greens, a Croque-Monsieur is everything that's great about eating in Paris—even their snacks are somehow sublime and otherworldly. Sign up for our Free Monthly Newsletter to keep up with the fun. Roquefort from the region of Occitanie in the South of France, the area around Montpellier and Carcassone. (If you are wondering, the texture of Brie de Melun is a bit firmer, but they do both taste similar.) Simply break a piece of the bread and spread a dollop of butter on it. ), I’m going to focus on the classic French cheeses that are more popular than others, and widely available. Best Served: Some of the best tasting baguette meals include zucchini tomato strata also known as a savory bread pudding, Lao-style chicken baguette sandwiches with watercress, and buttery crab bread pudding. This bread is simply hard to miss, and that’s not all; even though the regulations stipulate that the bread is to be prepared with wheat flour, water, yeast or leaven and cooking salt just like any other bread, it has a distinctive crispy taste. Voila! There are 2 types, Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun, named after 2 towns in the area. Well, that was a lot cheese! A baguette or two. Here are the various names of French breads. Croque-Monsieur: Classic French Grilled Cheese. The taste becomes stronger once the package is opened, so be sure to eat it quickly. Considered a viennoiserie (the name given to items made in the same way as bread but with added ingredients – croissants and pains au chocolat are other examples) and often eaten for tea. Another famous cheese from the Loire valley is the Crottin de Chavignol, from the town of Chavignol (which has a mere 200 residents). And yet they're still delicious. Raclette is a semi-hard cheese from the Savoy region that is usually only eaten in winter (amongst Parisians atleast). It’s not just slang. I’m sure none of us want to read a 20-volume encyclopedia on cheese. The word “crot” is usually used for dung, but don’t be fooled, this cheese tends to be rather expensive per gram, since it is sold in such small quantities. While it can be used in the same manner as ordinary bread slices such as in sandwiches, it is especially useful for dishes involving liquids, such as barbecue sauce, or where extra thickness can improve the product, such as French toast . Pain a l'Ail refers to French garlic flavored bread. It is believed to date back to the 6th century. Faluche cannot be described as either round or flat. Gibassier is often confused with another enriched bread the Pompe à l'huile. Get easy-to-follow, delicious recipes delivered right to your inbox. Top finished sandwich with a fried egg to make a croque madame, possibly named because the egg resembles a ladies' hat. Abondance: A firm, fruity and nutty cheese from the French Alps. Make sure to provide fresh crusty bread, artisan crackers and extras like breadsticks. So go on, make the most of it, and splash out and get a good bottle….or two. Once the butter has melted and begins to bubble (2-3 minutes), add the 2 Tbsp of flour – mix until smooth. Cook for another minute or two, or until the second slice of bread is also golden brown, and the cheese inside the croque-monsieur is fully melted. Gibassier also requires fruited olive oil instead of butter, which is common in other enriched bread. Muenster, Gouda, Fontina, and Comté are good to use instead of or in combination with the Gruyère. Meet the ‘original’ French bread also known as pain boule, is a round loaf prepared using the four original ingredients recipe. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Taste and Texture: On the salty end with a soft but dense texture. Plan for about 2-3 ounces of meat per person. From the region of Auvergne in the center of France around Lyon, comes the bleu d’Auvergne. Finally, you are not supposed to finish up the sauce with your bread, although… I do it all the time!! The French word for bread is "pain," and boulangeries usually sell several types of pain, including rye bread, also known as pain de seigle, and sourdough bread, or pain du levain. It also can be sold at various points in the maturing process, and the taste gets sharper as it ages. Aside from that, the bread will generally be perfect for breakfast alongside a cup of coffee, of course. In case of any leftovers, you can pair up the faluche with brown sugar and butter or with brie cheese for that quick afternoon snack. There are two officially recognized cheeses sold under the Mont d’Or (or Vacherin Mond d’Or) AOC label. It is named after the mountain Midi d’Ossau and surrounding Forêt d’Iraty, where the sheep graze. And that you would be able to buy not just normal button mushrooms but ceps and chanterelles too. Start with a soft ripened cheese such as … Now this one is a bit of a tricky one because if you are looking for good emmental, because this is the basic “cheddar” of French cheese. Fougasse is in fact regarded to be an ancient form of the modern pizza, without the tomatoes that is. The older or more mature the cantal is, the stronger the taste. I love platters and make them quite often! If possible, look for cheeses that have the following letters on their packaging: These are designations given by the French government to milk and cheese producers from the originating area, who are following established standards of quality and production. Also, don’t limit yourself to just one bread variety; essentially, most bread recipes can become garlic bread by just adding garlic in the preparation process. While most recipes rely on baker’s yeast, natural leavening can also be used. This gives it a very recognizable and smooth taste. Some fig jam, relish, chutney or sweet pickles always goes well. The extra bran and germ give it a high fiber content, which is highly recommended for your digestive system and prevention of heart-related diseases. The French way of course, “Vive La France” and other French Presidential Vocabulary, French Winter dishes: 8 Recipes to warm you up, French Business Etiquette: 12 Pitfalls to avoid, French Work Culture: 17 Differences that will astonish, 30 Funny French Phrases: Idioms about Life, Animals and more, 128 Romantic French Phrases: Say I Love you in French, Pièce Montée: The French Wedding Cake that is not a Cake. Taste and Texture: Salty and herby flavor with a supple texture. From the Jura Mountain in France, Mont d’Or literally means “Mountain of Gold”. Taste and Texture: Spongy interior with a slight saltiness. The bread also goes down well with egg and spinach dishes. The croque-monsieur is a classic French grilled cheese sandwich that's a mainstay of Parisian cafes, bars, and bistros, not to mention innumerable take-out counters. Never place the bread face down on the table an old superstition, symbol of death, the baker kept the one loaf of bread for the village executioner in that position. I would like to try something like this. I suggest a hard cheese, a soft cheese (hello Brie) and then a strong blue cheese. The idea is to have a little bit of everything to suit all your guests’ palates. Here is a short and fun video of Oliver Gee from the Earful Tower with me at a boulangerie drive in Paimpol. Read more, Post may contain affiliate links. A French charcuterie board is a stunning appetizer that is perfect for all sorts of occasions. In Checklist format, so that you can carry it with you as you travel. 2 types of saucisson sec. Tear your bread into a small bite-size piece before eating it. There are many more… un palmier, un beignet, un sacristain… and many local specialities as well! Sauce on bread is so good, why should it be impolite? Your email address will not be published. Bread is the correct accompaniment to cheese in France. And of course, wine . To neutralize any strong flavors and balance the richness of the meats and cheese, be sure to include some pickled vegetables. Exported around the world, you should easily be able to find these at finer grocery stores in your neighborhood for a cheese tasting. So based on my experience, I am happy to show you……. After all, what good is this list if you can’t taste for yourself! Trust me, I have done so on more than one occasion. Pain Boulot – Another name for pain boule. I now invite you to read Emilie’s short French story about baking bread in France. A type of packaged bread (not sold toasted as the name implies) which is sold sliced at double the typical thickness of most sliced breads. The classic long, thin loaf, whose dough is actually defined by French law.