13 Weird French Foods To Try When In France

Looking for weird French foods to try?

French cuisine is certainly one of the most popular in the planet. Their sauces, desserts, and side dishes, not to mention the tasteful presentation, are simply world-class.

However, there’s a weird side of French cooking few of us know. There are French delicacies that you either like them or not – no halfway about them. So what way to find out? Try them out!

13 Weird French Foods to Try When in France

Read on to find out 13 weird French foods to try when you’re in France.

1. Escargots (Land Snails)

Escargots are edible land snails commonly cooked with garlic and parsley butter. This popular French delicacy tastes like clams with a touch of mushroom.

This dish is actually healthy as escargots are virtually free of fat, sugar, and carbohydrate. Plus, these snails are an excellent source of lean protein, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, and selenium. 

Wow.

2. Bulots (Whelks or Sea Snails)

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Here’s another snail delicacy to try.

Bulots are whelks or sea snails that are best eaten cold with vinegar along with bread and butter or added to another seafood dish. You can also eat them with French fries and mayonnaise. 

Bulots can as well be cooked with garlic and parsley butter – or any way escargots are cooked.

3. Pieds de Porc (Pig’s Feet)

If you’re trying some weird French food for the first time, I suggest the pieds de porc – which is called pig’s feet, pig’s trotters, or pettitoes in English. They are pork, at least, and are pretty easy to find in France.

However, for your peace of mind, make sure to invest in a reputable restaurant.

You can have them grilled (pieds de porc panés) or stuffed (pieds de cochon farcis). They are rich in collagen so they’re good for the skin.

4. Cuisses de Grenouilles (Frogs’ Legs)

Frogs’ legs are traditionally associated with the French. They love cuisses de grenouilles so much that they consume up to 4,000 tons of these legs per year. That’s about 80 million frogs!

Preparation for cuisses de grenouilles is easy. Frogs’ legs are dipped into flour, added with garlic, and fried in a pan. 

Don’t forget to order some salad to go with your cuisses de grenouilles.

5. Foie Gras (Duck or Goose Liver)

Foie gras, which literally means “fat liver” in French, is a French specialty popular not only in France but in some parts of the world as well. This French delicacy is made of duck or goose liver, usually pan-seared with spices and sauces.

But did you know foie gras is illegal in over a dozen other countries? Force-feeding these birds destroy their livers and causes hepatic lipidosis, a really painful disease for these animals. For humans, consumption of foie gras is linked with a fatal disease called secondary amyloidosis. 

So, just go easy on the foie gras. Do not overeat.

READ MORE: 15 Interesting Facts About Foie Gras

6. Fromage de Tête (Head Cheese)

Also called tête fromagée which translates as “cheesed head,” this delicacy is actually not a cheese at all. Instead, it’s a cold cut terrine or meat jelly, usually made of flesh from a calf’s (or a pig’s) head. 

Fromage de tête goes well with bread. Try it with mustard and pickles. 

7. Boudin Noir (Blood Sausage or Black Pudding)

Boudin noir is a French sausage that’s stuffed with blood – either pig’s or duck’s –  and cooked or dried. It is traditionally prepared with cream with apples or onions and served with mashed potatoes.

Boudins noirs taste like oats, apple, and onion. It does sound weird, but it can’t be that bad.

8. Andouillette

Here’s another weird sausage you should try when in France.

Andouillette is a pork sausage – sometimes veal is also used – made with intestine, onions, pepper, seasonings, and wine. It can be cooked various ways: grilled, boiled, or the popular pan-fried. 

The texture is coarser than all the sausages you’re used to. And because of the intestine ingredient, andouillette does smell weird. 

Try it with vegetables in either red wine sauce or mustard. You sure will discover the taste isn’t as bad as it smells.

9. Steak Tartare

This meat specialty is made from raw minced beef or horse meat and served with onions, peper, sauce, and other seasonings. A raw egg yolk is also served on top of steak tartare.

If you cringe at the thought of eating 100% raw food, then you should go for tartare aller-retour instead. Tartar aller-retour is a bit seared on both sides. However, it is less common in France so just stick to steak tartare, maybe?

10. Ris de Veau (Calf’s Pancreas/Thymus, aka Sweetbread)

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Before we start, let us make two things clear about this dish that’s more commonly known as sweetbread:

One, it’s not sweet.

Two, it’s not a bread. 

“Sweetbread” is a name used for the thymus or pancreas in cooking. It is typically from a calf. The calf sweetbread is called ris de veau.

Ris de veau is tender and creamy in texture with mild flavor. It can be prepared in various ways – from grilled to fried to braised and sautéed. It’s your call. 

If you’d rather have the lamb version, try ris d’agneau.

11. Couilles de Mouton (Mutton Balls)

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Okay, this one’s not for the faint of heart.

Couilles de mouton is a gastronomic specialty of Limoges in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. It uses sheep’s testicles as its main ingredient.

Mutton balls are blanched and cut into thin strips before cooking, added with parsley and lemon. You can also add sour cream if you like.

12. Farci Poitevin

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Farci poitevin is another famous regional dish of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It’s a stuffed herb pâté made with Swiss chard, eggs, flour, pork, smoked bacon. Its main ingredients are green veggies such as cabbage, spinach, and sorrel.

This specialty is oven-baked but it’s eaten cold and with bread. It does look weird, alright, but you’re guaranteed to love its powerful flavor.

13. Pastille de Musculines

If you’re a sweet tooth, this is a must-try when in France.

Pastille de musculines – or simply musculines – is a specialty confectionery made exclusively by the Cisterian monks from the Abbey of Notre-Dame des Dombes in Ain in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. 

Musculines are made of fruit jam, honey, and beef. 

No, it’s not a typo. Beef put this delicacy to our list.