French Food Dictionary: An A to Z Guide to Culinary Terms

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

We have drawn up this handy list of French food names, featuring many ingredients you are likely to see on menus while vacationing in France or even on menus closer to home. It includes the essential French food words, helping you make the most of your French food and dining experiences. Please let us know if we should add any foods to the list. Bon appétit!

FRENCH FOOD NAMES

A

• Abats – Offal/organ meats
• Abricot – Apricot
• Acajou – Cashew
• Agneau – Lamb
• Agneau de lait – Baby milk-fed lamb
• Agrume – citrus
• Algue – seaweed
• Aligot – potatoes mashed with fresh mountain cheese
• Aiglefin – Haddock
• Aiguillat – Dogfish
• Aiguillette – breast meat
• Ail – Garlic
• Aïoli – Garlic mayonnaise/garlic emulsion
• Algue – Seaweed (often edible)
• Amande – Almond
• Amuse-bouche – Appetizer
• Ananas – Pineapple
• Anchois – Anchovies
• Andouillette – Strongly flavored sausage, usually made with pork intestine
• Aneth – Dill
• Anis – Anise
• Anguille – Eel (anguille de mer is a conger eel), a common dish in Bordeaux
• Apéritif – Pre-dinner drink
• Arachide – Peanut
• Araignée de mer – Spider crab
• Artichaut – Artichoke
• Asperge – Asparagus
• Aubergine – Aubergine, eggplant
• Autruche – Ostrich
• Avocat – Avocado
• Avoine – oat

B

• Baguette – The culinary symbol of France, a long bread loaf
• Baba au rhum – Sponge cake (often soaked in rum)
• Babeurre – Buttermilk
• Badiane – Star anise
• Banane – Banana
• Bar – Sea bass
• Barbue – Brill
• Basilic – Basil
• Baudroie – Monkfish
• Bavette – Flank steak
• Beaufort – Cow cheese from the French Alps
• Beignet – Donut
• Betterave – Beetroot
• Beurre – Butter
• Bien cuit – Well done.
• Bière – Beer
• Bigorneau – Periwinkle
• Blanc-manger – Almond milk-based pudding
• Blanquette – Creamy veal stew
• Blé – Wheat
• Bœuf – Beef
• Bœuf bourguignon – Beef stewed in red wine
• Bolet – Boletus mushrooms
• Bonbon – Candy
• Bouchon – Cork
• Boudin antillais – Spicy blood sausage
• Boudin blanc – White blood sausage
• Boudin noir – Blood pudding
• Bouillabaisse – Fish and seafood soup
• Brandade de morue – Salted cod mashed with olive oil and milk
• Bresaola – Air-dried Italian beef
• Brick – Wheat dough used in North African cuisine
• Brioche – Sweet pastry
• Brochet – Pike
• Brousse – Cheese from Provence
• Brugnon – Nectarine

C

• Caille – Quail
• Cabillaud – Cod
• Cacahouète – Peanut
• Café – Coffee
• Café crème – Coffee with milk
• Calamar – Squid
• Canard – Duck
• Canard sauvage – Wild duck
• Canelé – Small rum-and-vanilla pastry from Bordeaux.
• Cannelle – Cinnamon
• Câpre – Caper
• Caquelon – Fondue pot
• Carambole – Tarfruit
• Caramel au beurre salé – Salted butter caramel
• Carbonade flamande – Beef Stew
• Cari – Créole curry
• Cassis – Blackcurrants
• Cassoulet – Stew from the South-West of France
• Céleri-rave – Celery root
• Cerf – Venison
• Cerise – Cherry
• Champignon – Mushroom
• Chapelure – Dried breadcrumbs
• Charcuterie – Cured and prepared meats; also a shop selling them
• Châtaigne – Chestnut
• Chatini – Spicy chutney
• Chichi – Donut-type sweet
• Chèvre – Goat’s cheese (and goat)
• Chevrette – Baby goat (female); prawns
• Chipiron – Small squid
• Chocolat – Chocolate
• Choux– Cabbage
• Choucroute – Sauerkraut, a traditional dish in Alsace
• Chou-fleur – Cauliflower
• Ciboule – Spring onion; Welsh onion
• Ciboulette – Chive
• Citron – Lemon
• Citron vert – Lime
• Citronnade – Lemonade
• Citronelle – Lemon grass
• Citrouille – Pumpkin
• Cochon – Pig
• Cochon de lait – Sucking pig
• Coing – Quince
• Cointreau – Orange-flavored liqueur
• Compote – a dessert made of fruits
• Comté – semi-firm cow cheese
• Concombre – Cucumber
• Confiture – Jam
• Coquillage – Shellfish
• Coquille St Jacques – Scallop
• Coriandre – Coriander, cilantro
• Cornichon – Gherkin
• Côte – Rib
• Courge – Squash
• Courgette – Zucchini
• Couronne – Ring-shaped loaf of bread
• Crème anglaise – Vanilla custard
• Crème brûlée – Custard-like dessert
• Crème de cassis – Blackcurrant liqueur
• Crème de marron – Chestnut purée
• Crème fleurette – Whipping cream
• Crème fraîche – Cultured cream, richer and less sour than sour cream
• Crêpe – pancake
• Crêperie – Crêpe Restaurant
• Cresson – Watercress
• Crevette – Shrimp
• Croque Monsieur – Hot ham-and-cheese sandwich, often with béchamel.
• Cuisse de grenouille – Frog’s legs

D

• Dacquoise – A dessert made with layers of nut meringue and whipped cream or buttercream
• Dampfnudel – Soft and fluffy steamed or boiled dumplings
• Dariole – A small, cylindrical mold used for baking
• Datte – Date
• Daube – A traditional beef stew
• Dauphine – A dish made with potatoes and choux pastry, often served as a side dish
• Daurade – Seabream
• Déjeuner – Lunch
• Dégustation – Tasting
• Délice – Delight, often used to describe desserts
• Demi-glace – A rich brown sauce made from stock and reduced to half its original volume
• Désossé – Boneless
• Digestif – After-dinner drink
• Dinde – Turkey
• Dinde aux marrons – Turkey with chestnuts
• Diots – Savoyard sausages
• Dolma – Stuffed vegetable dish, typically with grape leaves
• Doré au Four – Baked or roasted (usually refers to fish)
• Douillon – A baked or poached fruit dessert, often with pastry
• Dragée – A type of candy-coated almond or chocolate
• Droit de bouchon – Corkage fee
• Durian – Durian (a tropical fruit with a strong smell and unique flavor)
• Duxelles – Finely chopped mushrooms cooked with shallots

E

• Eau – Water
• Eau de vie – brandy or schnapps
• Eau du robinet – Tap water
• Éclair – Éclair (a pastry filled with cream and topped with icing)
• Écrevisse – Crayfish
• Échalote – Shallot
• Émincé – Thinly sliced or minced
• Émulsion – Emulsion (a mixture of two liquids that don’t usually mix, like oil and vinegar)
• Endive au jambon – Endive with ham (a classic French dish)
• Entrecôte – Rib steak
• Entrée – First course
• Épaule d’agneau – Shoulder of lamb
• Épeautre – Spelt
• Épice – Spice
• Épinard – Spinach
• Érable – Maple
• Escalope – Escalope (thin slice of meat, usually breaded and sautéed)
• Escalope de veau – Veal escalope
• Escargots – Snails (edible)
• Espadon – Swordfish
• Estragon – Tarragon
• Étouffée – A Cajun stew typically made with shellfish

F

• Faisan – Pheasant
• Farine – Flour
• Farci -Stuffed
• Favouille – Crab
• Fenouil – Fennel
• Fève – Broad bean
• Fécule de maïs – Corn starch
• Fécule de pomme de terre – Potato starch
• Féra – A type of freshwater fish, similar to trout
• Feuilleté – Puff pastry
• Filet de boeuf – Beef tenderloin
• Filet mignon – Tenderloin (usually refers to pork or beef)
• Filet de poulet – Chicken breast
• Flamiche – A type of quiche from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region
• Fleur de sel – Sea salt
• Flétan – Halibut
• Financier – Almond cake
• Flan – Flan (a type of custard dessert)
• Foie – Liver
• Foie gras – Goose liver
• Foie de canard – Duck foie gras
• Fougasse – Provençal flatbread, often flavored with olives, herbs, anchovies, or cheese
• Four – Oven
• Four à bois – Woodfire oven
• Fourme d’Ambert – Macaron Blue cheese from Auvergne
• Fraises – Strawberries
• Framboise – Raspberry
• Fricandeau – Veal cutlet, often braised or roasted
• Fricassée – A dish of meat, usually chicken, sautéed and stewed in a sauce
• Frit – Fried
• Frites – French fries
• Frisée – Curly lettuce or endives (chicory)
• Fromage – Cheese
• Fromage blanc – Fresh white cheese
• Fromage frais – Fresh cheese
• Fruits de mer – Shellfish
• Fruits secs – Dried fruits
• Fumé – Smoked

G

• Galette – A flat circular savory or sweet pie, which is usually stuffed
• Galette des rois – Puff pastry pie
• Gambas – Jumbo shrimp
• Gateau – Cake
• Gaufres – Waffles
• Gelée</strong – Jelly
• Genévrier – Juniper
• Gésier – Gizzard
• Gigot d’agneau – Leg of lamb
• Gingembre – Ginger
• Giraumon – Pumpkin
• Girolle – Chanterelle mushroom
• Glace – Ice cream
• Gousse d’ail – Garlic clove
• Graine – Seed
• Gratin – Casserole
• Grenade – Pomegranate
• Grillé – Grilled
• Groseille – Gooseberry
• Gruyère – Cow cheese

H

• Hareng – Herring
• Haricot blanc – White bean
• Haricot rouge – Kidney bean
• Haricot vert – French green bean
• Harissa – Red chili garlic paste / North Africa
• Hénon – Cockle
• Homard – Lobster
• Homard épineux – Crayfish
• Huile d’ olive – Olive oil
• Huître – Oyster

J

• Jambon – Ham
• Jambon à l’os – Ham on the bone
• Jambon cru – Cured ham
• Jambon cuit – Cooked ham
• Jambon de Bayonne – Cured ham from the Basque town of Bayonne, similar to prosciutto
• Jarret de veau– Veal Shank
• Jaune d’ oeuf – Egg yolk
• Jean-Doré – John Dory
• Joue – Cheek
• Jus – Juice

K

• Kaki – Persimmon

L

• Lait – Milk
• Lait de coco – Coconut milk
• Lait ribot – Fermented milk from Brittany
• Laitue – Lettuce
• Lamproie – Lamprey
• Langouste – Spiny lobster
• Langoustine – Scampi
• Lapin – Rabbit
• Lardon – Small strip of bacon
• Laurier – Laurel, bay leaves
• Légumes – Vegetables
• Lentilles – Lentils
• Lentilles de Puy – Famous green lentils from Puy
• Levain – Starter
• Levure chimique – Baking powder
• Levure de boulanger – Yeast
• Lieu – Place (fish)
• Lisette– Mackerel
• Lièvre – Hare
• Litchi – Lychee
• Lotte – Monkfish
• Loubine – Sea Bass

M

• Macaron – French almond-meringue confection, often filled with ganache, buttercream, or jam
• Mâche – Lamb’s Lettuce
• Magret – breast of a fattened duck/goose
• Maigre – Lean
• Mangue – Mango
• Maïs – Corn
• Mandarine – Mandarin
• Mange-tout – Snow peas
• Maquereau – Mackerel
• Marcassin – baby wild boar
• Marjolaine – Marjoram
• Marrons – Chestnuts
• Mélasse – Molasses
• Menthe – Mint
• Merguez – Lamb sausages with Moroccan spices
• Merlan – Whiting
• Merlu – Hake
• Mérou – Grouper
• Miel – Honey
• Mi-cuit – Half-cooked
• Mille-feuille – Pastry made of layers of pastry and vanilla cream
• Mimolette – Orange cheese from the North of France
• Mirabelle – Yellow plum
• Moelle – Marrow
• Mont d’Or – Cow cheese
• Morue – Salted cod
• Moule – Mussel
• Moule à gâteau – Cake tin
• Moût – Must
• Moutarde – Mustard
• Mûr – Ripe
• Mûre – Blackberry
• Muscade – Nutmeg
• Myrtille – Blueberries

N

• Navet – Turnip
• Noisette – Hazelnut
• Noix – Walnut
• Noix de coco – Coconut
• Nougatine – Crunchy caramel and chopped almonds

O

• Oeufs – Eggs
• Oie – Goose
• Oignon – Onion
• Oiseille – Sorrel
• Onglet – Hanger steak
• Orge – Barley
• Origan – Oregano
• Orti – Nettle
• Os à moelle – Marrow bone
• Oseille – Sorrel
• Oursin – Sea urchin

P

• Pain – Bread
• Pain de Campagne figues et noix – Country loaf with figs and walnuts
• Pain d’épice – Gingerbread
• Pain perdu – French toast
• Pain Poilâne – Rustic starter bread
• Palombe – Wood pigeon
• Palourde – Clam
• Pamplemousse – Grapefruit
• Panais – Parsnip
• Panisse – Fried chickpea
• Papillote – cooking technique, meat or fish wrapped in foil and baked in the oven
• Pâté – Seasoned forcemeat or spread made from meat, fish, seafood, or vegetables
• Pâte à choux – Pastry dough used in the making of profiteroles
• Pâte brisée – Shortcrust pastry
• Pâte d’amande – Marzipan
• Pâte de fruits – Sugar-glazed fruit
• Pâte feuilletée – Puff pastry
• Pâte sablée – Shortcrust pastry
• Pâtisserie – Pastry shop
• Pâtissier – Pastry chef
• Pêche – Peach
• Perche – Perch
• Perdrix – Partridge
• Persil – Parsley
• Persillade – Parsley sauce
• Pétillant – Sparkling
• Petit beurre – Shortbread from Nantes
• Petit déjeuner – Breakfast
• Petit gris – Small snail
• Petit pois – Pea
• Petit suisse – Cheese from Normandy
• Pétoncle – Scallop
• Pignon – Pine nut
• Pieuvre – Octopus
• Piment – Pepper (vegetable)
• Pintade – guinea-hen
• Piperade – Stewed bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions, a specialty from the French Basque region
• Pissaladière – Onion tart with anchovies and black olives
• Pistache – Pistachio
• Pistou – Provençal cold sauce made from basil, olive oil, and garlic
• Plat – Main course
• Plat du jour – Today’s special
• Poché – Poached
• Pommes de terre – Potatoes
• Pommes rouges – Red apples
• Poire – Pear
• Poireau – Leek
• Pois chiche – Chickpea
• Pois gourmand – Snowpea
• Poisson – Fish
• Poisson d’eau douce – Freshwater fish
• Poisson de mer – Saltwater fish
• Poitrine – Breast of poultry or meat
• Poitrine fumée – Bacon
• Poivre – Pepper (spice)
• Poivron – Bell pepper
• Porc – Pork
• Potage – Hearty soup
• Pot-au-feu – Beef stew
• Potiron – Pumpkin
• Poulet – Chicken
• Poulpe – Octopus
• Praire – Clam
• Praline – Paste made from ground caramelized nuts and chocolate
• Praline rose Sugar-coated almond.
• Prune – Plum
• Pruneau – Prune
• Purée – Mashed potatoes

Q

• Quenelle – a poached oval dumpling-like preparation made from creamed fish, meat, or other mixtures
• Quetsche – sweet plum with green flesh and purple skin
• Quiche – a pastry-crust pie with eggs, cream or milk, cheese, meat, seafood, or vegetables. Can be served hot or cold

R

• Radis – Radish
• Ragoût – Stew
• Raie – Ray
• Raifort – Horseradish
• Raisin – Grape
• Râs al hânout – North African spice mix often seen in France
• Rascasse – Scorpion fish
• Rascasse – Rockfish Topinambour
• Ratatouille – Sautéed and stewed vegetable dish
• Ratte – Small potato with a nutty flavor
• Réglisse – Liquorice
• Reine Claude – Greengages/plum
• Ris de veau / ris d’agneau – Veal or lamb sweetbreads, usually thymus or pancreas
• Riz – Rice
• Riz au lait – Rice pudding
• Rocamadour – Goat’s cheese from the Périgord and Quercy regions
• Rocher à la noix de coco – Coconut macaroon
• Rognon – Kidney
• Roquette – Rocket/rucola
• Romarin – Rosemary
• Rouget – Red mullet
• Rôti – Roasted
• Rouge – Red
• Rouget – Red mullet
• Rouleau – Roll

S

• Sabayon – Sauce flavored with wine
• Sablé – Butter biscuit/cookie, grainy texture
• Sabodet – A sausage made with a pig’s head from Lyon
• Saignant – Cooked rare.
• Saint-Jacques – Scallop
• Saint-Pierre – John Dory fish
• Sanglier – Wild boar
• Sarrasin – Buckwheat
• Saucisse / saucisson – Sausage
• Sauge – Sage
• Saumon – Salmon
• Saumon fumé – Smoked salmon
• Sec – Dry
• Séché – Dried
• Seiche – Cuttlefish
• Seigle – Rye
• Sirop – Syrup
• Souris d’agneau – Lamb shank
• Speculoos – Crunchy cinnamon biscuit/ cookie from Belgium
• Sel – Salt
• Sucre – Sugar
• Supion – Small squid
• Surgelé – Frozen

T

• Tapenade – Green or black olive paste
• Tartare – A dish made with raw ingredients
• Tarte flambée – Thin tart dressed with crème fraîche and onions
• Tarte Tatin – Fruit pie/tart
• Terrine – Meat, fish, or vegetables, cooked and pressed
• Thym – Thyme
• Tiède – Lukewarm
• Tomate – Tomato
• Topinambour – Jerusalem artichoke/sunchoke
• Tourte – A savory pie
• Tourteau – Large crab
• Tourteau fromagé – A cheese cake from the Poitou region
• Tranche – Slice
• Tresse – Braid
• Truffe – Truffle
• Truite – Trout

V

• Vanille – Vanilla
• Veau – Veal
• Viande – Meat
• Vinaigre – Vinegar
• Vinaigre de Xérès – Sherry vinegar

X

• Xérès – Sherry

Y

• Yaourt – Yogurt
• Yuzu – Yuzu citrus fruit

Z

• Zeste – Citrus zest
• Ziste – The bitter white pith beneath citrus zest.
• Zézette de Sète – Sweet biscuit from Sète, traditionally flavored with white wine.