Savoring the classics: a look at traditional French food

French street food you shouldn't miss

While French cuisine is often associated with fine dining and elaborate meals, the streets of France are also home to an array of delicious and satisfying street food offerings.

From savory crêpes to indulgent pastries, this captures the essence of French culinary traditions in a convenient and accessible format. Some popular French street foods you shouldn't miss are:

• Crêpes: thin pancakes made from a simple batter of flour, eggs, milk and butter. They can feature a variety of sweet or savory fillings, such as chocolate sauce and fresh fruit, ham and cheese, caramelized onions or spinach and goat cheese

• Croque monsieur/madame: grilled ham and Gruyère cheese sandwich, typically topped with a creamy béchamel sauce. For an extra indulgent twist, the croque madame adds a fried egg on top, creating a satisfying combination of flavors and textures

• Chouquettes: small, bite-sized pastries made from choux pastry dough and sprinkled with pearl sugar. Light and airy with a crisp exterior, chouquettes are a popular street food snack enjoyed by locals and visitors alike 

• Croissants: these flaky, buttery pastries are perfect for breakfast or a mid-morning snack, offering a delicious combination of softness and richness that is hard to resist

Celebrating French gastronomy: festival and traditions

Since French cooking has such a long history, there are plenty of food-based celebrations throughout France.

These festivals honor culinary heritage, spotlight regional specialties and pay homage to local producers and artisans. Notable events include:

• Fête de la Gastronomie (Gastronomy Festival): this annual nationwide celebration in September showcases French cuisine's cultural and social significance through cooking demonstrations, food tastings and themed dinners

• La Fête du Pain (Bread Festival): held each May at Notre Dame, this festival celebrates bread making and features demonstrations, workshops and a wide variety of bread, pastries and baked goods

• Fête de la Truffe (Truffle Festival): celebrating the winter truffle season, this festival in Montpellier includes truffle markets, cooking contests and gourmet dinners highlighting truffles in various dishes

• La Fête de la Galette des Rois (King's Cake Festival): This beloved January tradition marks the Epiphany with a pastry filled with almond cream or frangipane. Families and friends gather to share the cake, with the lucky recipient of the hidden charm crowned king or queen for the day

• Festival de Cannes (Cannes Film Festival): Beyond film screenings, this prestigious event showcases French cuisine through gala dinners and cocktail parties, featuring renowned chefs and highlighting the finest French cuisine amid the glamor of the French Riviera

French cooking techniques every foodie should know

Whether you're a novice cook or a seasoned food enthusiast, understanding and mastering these fundamental cooking techniques will boost your culinary skills and enable you to create delicious French-inspired dishes at home.

Some essential French cooking techniques every foodie should know for classic recipes are:

• Sautéing: quickly cooking food in a small amount of fat over high heat to brown and caramelize ingredients while preserving their natural flavors and textures

• Braising: slow-cooking method involving searing food in fat, then simmering it in flavorful liquid until tender, ideal for tough cuts of meat and root vegetables

• Deglazing: capturing flavorful browned bits (fond) on the pan bottom by adding liquid (wine, broth or vinegar) and scraping them up to enhance sauces and gravies

• Julienning: knife technique to cut vegetables and fruits into thin, uniform strips for salads and garnishes

• Poaching: gently simmering food in liquid (water, broth or wine) until cooked through, perfect for delicate proteins such as fish or eggs and fruits for desserts

• Roux: mixture of flour and fat used as a thickening agent in sauces, soups and stews, providing the foundation for classic French dishes

• Blanching and shocking: briefly immersing food in boiling water, then transferring it to an ice water bath to preserve color, texture and flavor while making it easier to peel or prepare further

All these essential skills can be learned by attending a culinary school. Whether you want to become a chef or a masterful home cook, learning these skills can help you up your game.

How to learn about French cooking

Mastering the art of French cuisine is a rewarding and enriching endeavor. Fortunately, there are numerous avenues available for aspiring chefs and food enthusiasts to deepen their understanding of French culinary techniques, ingredients and traditions.

If you want to learn more about French cooking, you could consider:

• Culinary schools and institutes: pursuing a culinary degree or diploma is one of the most comprehensive ways to learn about French cooking. Many culinary schools offer specialized programs or courses in French cuisine, taught by experienced chefs and culinary experts. These programs typically cover a wide range of topics, including knife skills, cooking techniques, pastry arts and menu planning, providing students with hands-on experience and theoretical knowledge to excel in the field

• Cooking classes and workshops: many cooking schools, community centers and gourmet shops offer classes specifically dedicated to French cooking, ranging from beginner-level courses to advanced techniques. These hands-on classes provide the opportunity to learn from experienced chefs, practice cooking techniques and gain practical insights into French culinary traditions

• Online resources and tutorials: from instructional videos and cooking blogs to virtual cooking classes and online forums, aspiring chefs can access a vast array of resources to improve their culinary knowledge and skills

• Cookbooks and recipe collections: choose books authored by renowned chefs or culinary experts known for their prowess in French cooking and immerse yourself in the rich culinary heritage and timeless recipes of France

• Culinary tours and travel experiences: these offer the opportunity to explore local markets, visit artisanal producers and learn from expert chefs in their native environment. Whether you're exploring the bustling markets of Paris, sampling wine in the vineyards of Bordeaux or attending a cooking class in Provence, culinary tours provide invaluable insights

• Apprenticeships and internships: many restaurants, hotels and culinary institutions offer apprenticeship programs or internships for aspiring professional chefs, providing hands-on training, mentorship and real-world experience in French cooking techniques and cuisine. You can often find internships as part of a culinary degree

Conclusion

By looking at classic recipes from France, we've uncovered a tapestry of flavors that have become culinary staples.

From the rustic simplicity of coq au vin to the delicate refinement of tarte tatin, traditional French food embodies a rich blend of regional specialties, seasonal ingredients and time-honored techniques.

Whether enjoyed in a bustling bistro in Paris, a cozy countryside auberge in Provence or a lively market in Nice, traditional French food invites us to savor the simple pleasures of good food, warm company and great wine.

If you want to learn how to create these delicious French dishes at home or even become a professional chef, there are several key skills you need to acquire, such as sautéing, sauce making and knifework.

To get started on your path as a chef, consider enrolling on a culinary degree at a renowned school such as Ecole Ducasse.