10 Traditional Christmas Dishes That You Will Eat in France

10 Traditional Christmas Dishes That You Will Eat in France

If you’re spending Christmas in France, prepare for the ride of your life.

Between the Christmas markets, street lights, entertainment and array of cuisines, you won’t know what hit you. The foods are particularly interesting, because the French get very experimental in the kitchen come the festive season.

Here are ten traditional dishes you can expect to find on just about every French family’s dining table throughout the month of December.

1. Foie Gras

Foie gras isn’t for everyone. The concept can put squeamish people right off of their dinner if they think too long and hard about what went down pre-plating.

Foei Gras – by Rafael Meirelles – Wikimedia Commons

Foie gras is the liver of a duck or a goose that has been force-fed until incredibly fat, making the organ considerably enlarged and “decadent in taste”, or so I’m told.

This dish is not something I’ve personally dabbled in, but it is a very important dish for the French. Christmas time brings foie gras to the table in abundance; the bursting livers are usually served alongside bread.

2. Boeuf Bourguignon

This dish is made by a lot of French families on Christmas Eve or Day, when the whole family dines together in a grand feast.

Boeuf bourguignon is a stewed beef dish that uses a lot of red wine in the making. Once the meat is properly braised, vegetables are added and slow cooked until a beautiful stew is formed.

Some of the Christmas markets in France, particularly in Paris, will serve piping hot Boeuf bourguignon as a grab-and-go dish to snack on while you stroll through the stalls.

Boeuf Bourguignon – by Slayschips – Wikimedia Commons

3. Caviar

The French love to start their dining experiences with a hearty dollop of caviar atop a cracker or miniature buckwheat pancake.

The dish is intended to line the stomach, wet the pallet, and get the evening’s dining underway. While this is a popular tradition around Christmas time, it is not unusual to find local French people serving caviar year round, particularly when entertaining guests.

4. Escargots

Escargots are another dish served year round in France, but during the festive season they will rarely be left off of a feast menu.

These are edible land snails that are cooked and served in a saucy mix of herbs alongside bread. They are generally one of the first courses to a feast; you will rarely find escargots being served as a main meal.

Another dish that isn’t necessarily for everyone; getting over the universal stigmas associated with snails isn’t easy.

Escargots – by DanceWithNyanko – Wikimedia Commons

5. Wildfowl

Lobster and turkey are traditional main meals during a Christmas feast in France. Not everyone, however, has the budget to cater these dishes to a large group of people, and so the tradition has shifted to wildfowl over the years.

Much cheaper than lobster, wildfowl are guinea fowl, pheasant, goose, and quail. One can roast them the way they would the turkey bird, and serve alongside all the traditional sauces and wines.

6. French Gratin Dauphinois

The more traditional French families might add gratin dauphinois to their Christmas menu. This is a hearty side dish served with the main courses.

Gratin dauphinois is made by slicing potatoes and layering them in garlic, cream and cheese. The dish is baked into a gooey, melted delight and pairs perfectly next to turkey, wildfowl, chicken and even seafood.

Gratin Dauphinois – by Ludovic Péron – Wikimedia Commons

7. Soufflé

The French love their soufflés, that is not secret. These can either be served as sweet or savory dishes, depending on the nature of the menu.

At Christmas time, soufflés are traditionally made savory. Most Christmas dinners incorporate a lighter soufflé instead of a heavier one, as there is already so much going on in terms of courses and dishes.

A classic spinach soufflé would be the lightest option for a savory dish, with a traditional chocolate soufflé being appropriate for dessert.

Soufflé – by t-mizo – Wikimedia Commons

8. Roast Turkey

Like most of the world, the French roast turkeys at Christmas time!

This dish is an easy one to do at home, but you’ll also be able to enjoy it at most restaurants throughout the country’s major cities. In Paris, for example, just about every bistro and brasserie will add a turkey dish to their menu during the festive season.

Turkey in France is traditionally roasted with chestnuts.

Turkey – by Jacklee – Wikimedia Commons

DESIGN YOUR PRIVATE PARIS TOUR NOW   »

9. Bûche de Noël 

The Christmas desserts in France are as important as the savory dishes.

One of the most traditional and important desserts you’re likely to find on ever dining table is a Bûche de Noël. This is also known as a yule log, and was first created by a French pastry chef in the 1800s as a Christmas treat.

It’s basically just a cake layered in buttercream, that is then sculpted and shaped to look like a tree log. Decorations are made out of meringue and placed around the log to give it a forest feel; think mushrooms, shrubs and even tiny forest people.

Bûche de Noël – by Kelly Sue DeConnick – Wikimedia Commons

10. Thirteen Desserts

In French culture it is customary for the big Christmas Eve feast to end in a serving of thirteen desserts.

This is representative of Jesus Christ as the twelve disciples at the last supper. The dishes can range from tarts and cakes, to cheese boards & fruits. The log cake mentioned above would be considered just a single dessert, so twelve more would be served in what might look like a buffet kind of setting.

Some parts of France take this tradition more seriously that others.

by Thomas Bresson – Wikimedia Commons

Christmas time in France is no reason to neglect experiencing the cultural and historic sides to the country in general. Everyone visiting Paris should still set aside an hour or two for a free guided walking tour though the festive streets.