French food

[froomeonthebroom]

Ages ago there was a thread about food/drink to buy in France. I read it with interest at the time and thought I'd remember all the delicious recommendations. Well of course I didn't, and we're in the Vendee for two weeks starting today, so hit me with all your 'must eats'!

Cacahuetes (peanut butter wotsits)
Orangina Haribo & Spicy Haribo
Violet Cordial
Butter and All The Cheeses
Créme caramel
All the baguettes

I'm 15 days off now and salivating....

Obvs all the wine and cheese...

'Bordeau Chesnel' Rillettes
'Joker' orange juice
Proper radishes with butter and salt
Religieuses (amazing cream cakes, with either chocolate or coffee icing)
Saucisson sec
Sheep's milk yoghurt (au lait du brebis)

I always bring back French curry powder. Totally inauthentic but great for making those very mildly spiced French dishes like mouclade.
Tins of cassoulet, saucissons and beans etc.
All the many different varieties of milka cake and biscuit.
Teisseire cordials.
Leffe beer - lots of special varieties you can’t get here.
Pineau de Charentes.
Foie gras 🤫

Oh and Lays cheeseburger flavour crisps ... phenomenal
God I love France

They do croque monsieur's in individual packs that you just have to fry on each side for a couple of minutes.. so so good.

Obvs wine, cheese & croissants.

Another thought ... worth stocking up
On the local cremant (sparkling wine) for parties/ Christmas ... a nice cremant can be better than a cheap champagne and great for mixing with chambord, Cassis etc

Fresh tomatoes, they taste so different even from a supermarket. Leffe beer. Dunkerquois biscuits - delicious buttery biscuits, although can't get them everywhere. Tinned ratatouille, totally different to ours. The big millefeuille that you cut yourself. Two weeks and counting 😁

If you are in the Vendée then brioche, melons and prefou. And tomatoes, lots of tomatoes.

And if you buy tinned ratatouille make sure it is in the square tons. Best ratatouille ever.

Yes to cheeseburger crisps- they are amazing.

I also get chestnut mousses, monin syrups in lots of flavours and Coke Zero lemon flavour.

Following for my upcoming trip

Bonne maman sables

Cheese & ham Monster Munch! 😋

Président Rondelé Noix de Dordogne (soft cheese with walnut)

I'm just back yesterday the wine, breads, cheeses, fresh tomatoes especially the yellow cherry tomatoes. Oh and if you can find a handmade chocolate shop

Fromage frais with mirabelles

Saucisson sec with beaufort cheese/comté/goat cheese etc

If you are getting baguettes from the supermarket, avoid the cheap ones

Get baguettes from a boulangerie not a supermarket, either search Google maps for one with good reviews or just look for one with a queue of locals. Ask for a baguette tradition: www.google.com/search?q=baguette+tradition&oq=baguette+tr&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0l3.11943j0j4&client=ms-android-motorola&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#sbfbu=1&pi=baguette%20tradition

Bonne Mamman preserves are cheaper than in the UK and with a wider selection. Cassis one is only euro 1.40 in the supermarket.

Rotisserie chicken with potatoes cooked in the chicken fat is often reduced at outdoor markets about an hour before they close, makes a good cheap lunch or dinner with a salad made from market lettuce, tomatoes etc and a baguette.

Thanks for the replies. Started the thread then went and drank rather a lot of vin Blanc and forgot about it!

Went to the super u again this morning and drooled over the fresh fish. Bought tomatoes, Sirop de menthe (vom) and noted the price of cremant - only €5.60!!!

Baguettes are obviously much better from a baker's but sometimes there isn't the time to go to separate places. In our old neighbourhood, when we didn't have time to get to the baker's, we'd get the ones in the black wrapper from Super U and they were fine.

It's great to be able to find drinkable wines for not too much money. If you like fruity whites, I love the Uby range. Some of them can be quite sweet, though, which isn't to everyone's taste.

Oh God , I wish I'd gone to France! Just home from Italy (Lake Garda and Venice) I CANNOT understand people raving about the food there! Even in the best restaurant, the food was nowhere near as food as good as in any random corner cafe in France. The pastries were too sweet, the bread stale in every single restaurant we went to. On the plus side I haven't piled on the pounds as much as on a usual holiday to France or Spain LOL. Was I seriously unlucky? For information I was in Peschiera del Garda, Sirmione, Verona and Venice. I had been SO looking forward to amazing food. (BTW my family felt the same).

The Michelin guide has loads of very accomplished restaurants around Sirmione and Verona. Venice is touristy. I’m afraid good cooking costs €€€ in Italy. That’s the only way to get great food in some areas without local knowledge. Sometimes small family trattoria can be good but don’t look great from the outside and are in back streets. Lonely Planet guides usually suss them out though!

Thanks BubblesBuddy. Had done so much research before I went and wasn't expecting it to be cheap. To to be fair did have a few nice ish meals and have to say wine and icecream were good everywhere. Was planning on going to the Amalfi coast for my big birthday next year with my husband and to Rome with friends, but unsure now.

Have always found fish good in Italy and ice cream. In Rome we went to a restaurant guide book recommended and that was very good and did lots of little dishes of local specialities - was a while back now. In Venice we asked hotel for recommendation and it was excellent but a lot are geared to mass tourist market, its worth asking hotel/locals. In Sicily the stuffed swordfish kebabs are amazing, generally worth trying local specialities in both countries. I prefer eating out in Italy to France but depends what food and atmosphere you prefer. I have a vegetarian child and much better catered for in Italy. Amalfi Coast and Rome is lovely.

Was in Rome years ago and have good food memories, but not chancing it, have booked San Sebastián and will book somewhere in France.

Had amazing meals in La Rochelle a few months ago!