French Food Dictionary
Here are some basic words that will be helpful in reading a French menu.
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- agneau (an-yo)
- Lamb. The principal cuts of lamb are the carré or rack, the épaule or shoulder and the côtelette or chop.
- ail (eye)
- garlic
- aïoli (i-yo-lee)
- garlic mayonnaise
- aloyau (al-wah-yo)
- Sirloin of beef
- anchois (awn-shwah)
- anchovy
- andouille (awn-dwee)
- Large sausage made from chittelings, tripe, etc; usually eaten cold
- andouillete (awn-dwee-yet)
- Small chitterling sausage, usually fried or grilled and eaten hot
- anguille (awn-gwee)
- eel
- artichaud (ar-tee-sho)
- artichoke
- asperge (as-pairzh)
- asparagus
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- baba (ba-ba)
- sponge cake steeped either in rum or in kirsch
- banane (ba-nan)
- banana
- bar (bar)
- sea bass
- basilic (ba-zee-leek)
- basil
- bavette (ba-vet)
- cut of beef equivalent to the skirt or flank
- betterave (bet-rahv)
- beet
- beurre (ber)
- butter
- biche (beesh)
- Doe; a deer, a female deer
- bifteck (bif-tek)
- beef or beefsteak—normally an inexpensive cut of meat, most frequently made up into a namburger or pan-fried
- blanc or blanche (blawn, blawnsh)
- White. The word is often used to describe the white meat or breast of chicken (blanc de poulet), or a filet of fish (blanc de turbo).
- boeuf (bof)
- Beef; the principal cuts are:
- aiguillette—rump roast
- bavette—flank steak
- chateaubriand—part of the fillet
- contre or faux filet—New York strip
- côtes—rolled rib or standing rib
- entrecôte—ribeye steak
- onglet—flank or loin
- poitrine—brisket
- romstek—rumpsteak, sirloin steak
- boisson (bwah-sawn)
- Drink. A beverage of any kind, whether alcoholic or not.
- bonbon (bawn-bawn)
- candy
- bordelaise, à la (ah lah bord-lez)
- In the regional style of Bordeaux, and often meaning that the dish is cooked in wine with mirepoix (diced mixed vegetables).
- boudin (boo-dan)
- Large sausage or meat pudding, which can be made in one of two ways:
- boudin blanc—White pudding, made from white meat, eggs and cream (but no blood) in a casing: this is served grilled with scrambled eggs and truffles as a traditional Chr9stmas breakfast.
- boudin noir—Black pudding:pork meat and suet with pig's blood, in an intestine casing.
- bouilabaisse (bwee-yah-bes)
- Provencal fish soup/stew made from a great variety of fish—the more the better, in a sense, but rascassse, conger and gurnard will usually be included; bouillabaisse is made all over France, however, the ingredients will vary with the locality. It is often served in two dishes, one for the fish and the other for the broth.
- bouillade (bwee-yahd)
- A sauce to accompany snails or fish, which is made with sweet peppers, garlic and wine.
- bourgeoise, à la (ah lah boor-zhwahz)
- A method of presenting braised meat, with onions, carrots and sometimes braised letuce and celery, plus diced bacon.
- bourguignonne, à la (ah lah boor-geen-yon)
- In the style of Burgundy: a way of casseroling meat, notably beef and chicken, in a red wine sauce with onions, mushrooms and bacon.
- bourride (boo-reed)
- Fish stew served with aïoli and accompanied by bread or toast: similar, but not identical to, bouillabaisse.
- brandade (brawn-dahd)
- Method of preparing morue (salt cod) by pounding it with oil, milk and garlic until it becomes creamy.
- brasserie (bras-ree)
- Café-restaurant with an extensive à la carte menu, and frequently a fixed-price menu too, which keeps café hours and can usually provide meals from 7 or 8 am until early morning.
- brebis ( bray-bee)
- Ewe sheep
- brioche (bree-yosh)
- A bun or small cake made form a rich yeast dough incorporating butter and eggs; they come in various shapes and sizes, and some have cream fillings.
- brochet (bro-shay)
- fresh water pike
- brochette (bro-shet)
- A grilling skewer; anything grilled on a skewer
- brouillé (brwee-yay)
- Scrambled or mixed
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- cabillaud (ka-bee-yo)
- Fresh cod
- cacahouette (ka-ka-wet)
- peanuts
- caille (kah-ee)
- Quail
- calamar (ka-la-mar)
- squid
- campagnard or campagne (kawn-pan-yar, or kawn-pan-yo)
- Country-style, rustic; in general, this means that the dish or garnish is simple and unsophisticated. It often refers ot rough-cut pâtés, often containing mushrooms, herbs and pepper.
- canard (ka-nar)
- Duck
- caneton (kan_tawn)
- Duckling
- canette (ka-net)
- Female duckling
- capres (kah-pre)
- Capers
- carré (ka-ray)
- Rack of lamb
- cassoulet (ka-soo-lay)
- Stew from southwest France featuring white haricot beans, pork and sausages and including preserved goose or duck.
- céleri (say-lo-ree)
- Celery
- cèpe (sep)
- Cep or boletus mushroom, also known as bolet; very fleshy, with a strong flavour sometimes described as "nutty."
- cerf (sair)
- Stag; deer
- cerfeuil (sair-foy)
- Chervil
- cervelas (sair-vo-lah)
- A mildly garlicky smoked port sausage which is served sliced, either hot or cold, as an hors d'oeuvre.
- champagne (shawn-pan-yo)
- Champagne
- champenoise, à la (ah lah shawn-pon-wahz)
- In the style of Champagne
- chanterelle (shawn-trel)
- Orange/yellow mushroom also known as girolle, which looks like an umbrella blown inside out.
- chantilly (shawn-tee-yee)
- Cream whipped with sugar and vanilla
- charbon de bois, au (o shar-bawn de bwah)
- Charcoal-grilled
- charcuterie (shar-koo-tree)
- The preparation and serving of cold meats, usually pork but also including dishes made from other meats
- charlotte (shar-lot)
- One of two types of desserts: the first is a baked fruit pudding in a breadlined mould, which is generally served hot; the other is a sponge lining containing a cream filling.
- charollais (sha-ro-lay)
- Premium beef cattle from Burgundy.
- châtaigne (sha-tan-yo)
- Chestnut, better known as marron.
- chèvre (shev-ro)
- Goat; also short for goat's milk cheese
- chevreuil (she-vroy)
- Venison
- chou (shoo)
- Cabbage
- choucroute (shoo-kroot)
- Sauerkraut
- chou-fleur (shoo-flor)
- Cauliflower
- ciboulette (see-boo-let)
- chives
- citron (see-trawn)
- Lemon
- civet (see-vay)
- Stew or ragoût, usually of game with mushrooms, onions and bacon in red wine
- cochon (ko-shawn)
- Pig
- cochonnaille (ko-sho-neye)
- Anything made from pork.
- conconbre (kawn-kawn-bro)
- Cucumber
- confit (kawn-fee)
- preserved
- consommé (kawn-so-may)
- General term for many different clear soups or broths, each made from an enriched, concentrated stock of mea, poulty or game and usually containing added ingredients such as pasta, vegetables, herbs, etc.
- coq (kok)
- Cock or cockerel; also used more generally for chicken
- coquillages (ko-kee-yahzh)
- Shellfish
- coquille Saint-Jacques (ko-kee san zhak)
- Scallops
- côte (kot)
- Chop of meat; also, rib of beef
- coulis (koo-lee)
- A thick sauce or purée
- courgette (koor-zhet)
- Zucchini
- crème (krem)
- Cream
- crèpe (krep)
- Large, thin wheat-flour pancake,either sweet of savoury
- cresson (kres-sawn)
- Watercress
- crevette (kro-vet)
- Shrimp
- croissant (kraw-sawn)
- Cresent-shaped breakfat roll made from yeast dough, deliciously light and crispy when fresh
- croque-madame (krok madam)
- Sandwich of toasted cheese and fried egg.
- croque-monsieur (krok mo-syor)
- Toasted ham and cheese sandwich.
- croustillant (kroos-tee-yawn)
- Crunchy, crisp or crusty
- cru (kroo)
- raw
- crudités (kroo-dee-tay)
- Selection of raw, in-season vegetables offered as a starting course, often with cold sauces and dips.
- crustacé (kroo-sta-say)
- Crustacean or shellfish
- cuisse (kwees)
- thigh
- cuisson (kwee-sawn)
- Cooking, or cooking time
- cuit (kwee)
- cooked
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- darne (darn)
- Thick slice or steak of a large fish.
- daube (dob)
- Method of cooking meat, fowl or game by braising it slowly in wine and meat stock with vegetables and herbs.
- daurade (do-rahd)
- Sea bream
- demi-bouteille (do-mee boo-tay)
- Half-bottle (of wine) (37.5 centiliters)
- désossé (day-zo-say)
- Boned
- digestif (dee-zhes-teef)
- A drink served after dinner such as cognac.
- dinde (dand)
- Turket
- dorée (do-ray)
- Golden browned
- douce or doux (doos, doo)
- Sweet, mild
- dur (door)
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- eau (o)
- water
- écaillé (aye-ki-yaye)
- Scaled (fish)
- échalote (aye-sha-lot)
- Shallot
- écrevuse (aye-kro-vees)
- Crayfish
- emmenthal (a-mawn-tal)
- "Swiss cheese"
- encornet (awn-kor-nay)
- Another name for squid
- entrecôte (awn-tro-kot)
- Rib or sirloin steak, normally cut fairly thin and either fried or grilled.
- entrée (awn-tray)
- The course preceeding the main course.
- épaule (aye-pol)
- Shoulder of lamb, pork or veal
- épice (aye-pees)
- Spice
- épinards (aye-pee-nahr)
- spinach
- escalope (es-ka-lop)
- A slice of meat flattened out and lightly fried in butter or fat
- escargot (es-kar-go)
- Snail
- espadon (es-pa-dawn)
- Swordfish
- estragon (es-tra-gawn)
- Tarragon
- étouffé (aye-to faye)
- stuffed
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- farci (far-see)
- stuffed
- fenouil (f0n-wee)
- fennel
- feu (fo)
- Fire (feu de bois—wood fire)
- figue (feeg)
- Fig
- fines herbes (feenz airb)
- Mixture of finely chopped herbs—usually parsley, tarragon, chervil and chives
- fix (feeks)
- Fixed: a menu term referring to a fixed-price menu
- flageolet (fla-zhyo-laye)
- A small, tender haricot white bean, often served with lamb
- foie (fwah)
- Liver of an animal or bird
- fondu (fawn-doo)
- Melted
- fondue au fromage (fawn-doo o fro-mahzh)
- A simmering mixture of melted cheese, white wine and kirsch into which are dipped cubes of bread on skewers
- fondue bourguignonne (fawn-doo boor-geen-yon)
- Cubes of steak cooked on forks in hot oil, then eaten with various sauces
- four (foor)
- Oven
- fraise (frez)
- Strawberry
- framboise (frawn-bwahz)
- Raspberry
- fricassée (free-ka-say)
- A light stew usually consisting of white meat or poultry served in a creamy white sauce
- frisée (free-zay)
- The salad green known as chicory in the United States
- frites (freet)
- Short for pomme frites, i.e., French fries
- fromage (fro-mahzh)
- cheese
- fruit (frwee)
- fruit
- fruits de mer (frwee do mair)
- Seafood in general
- fumée (foo-may)
- Smoked or cured
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- gamba (gawn-bah)
- Large prawn
- gâteau (ga-to)
- Cake
- gelée
- jelly, aspic
- gibier (zheeb-yay)
- game
- gigot (zhee-go)
- Leg; hind leg, normally of lamb or mutton.
- gingembre (zhan-zhawn-bro)
- Ginger
- glace (glas)
- ice
- glaçon (gla-sawn)
- ice cube
- graisse (gres)
- Grease, fat
- gratin (gra-tan)
- Any dish which is browned in the oven to form a top crust.
- gratinée (gra-tee-nay)
- Cooked au gratin
- grenouille (gron-wee-yo)
- Frog
- gribiche, sauce (sos gree-beesh)
- Sauch for fish, compposed of hard-boiled egg-yolks, pounded with oil and vinegar plus chopped cappers, herbs, gherkins and strips of egg-white.
- grillade (gree-yod)
- Grilling; food which has been grilled.
- grillée (gree-yay)
- Grilled
- gruyère (groo-yair)
- Swiss cheese
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- haché (a-shay)
- Chopped, minced or ground
- hareng (a-rawn)
- Herring
- haricot (a-ree-ko)
- Bean
- homard (o-mar)
- Lobster
- hors d'œuvre (or-dov-ro)
- Common term for the first course. It may also refer to a selection of hot or cold appetizers served with drinks before the first course, and to an array of various salads, cold meat dishes and smoked or marinated fish from which you can make your own selection as a first course.
- hôte (ot)
- Host
- huile (weel)
- Oil
- huitre (wee-tro)
- Oyster
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- île flottane (eel flo-tawnt)
- "Floating island": a dessert of whipped poached egg whites floating in vanilla custard and topped with almonds.
- infusion (an-foo-zyawn)
- Herb and other "natural" teas which are prepared by steeping the ingredient in question in boiling water to extract its essence.
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- jambon (zhawn-bon)
- Ham
- jeaune d'œuf (zhon-dof)
- Egg-yolk
- jarret (zha-ray)
- Shank or knuckle of veal, beef, or lamb
- joue (zhoo)
- Cheek or jowl
- jus (zhoo)
- juice
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- kebab (ka-bab)
- General term for meat cooked on a skewer
- kir (keer)
- Aperitif of dry white wine mixed with crème de casis
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- lait (lay)
- milk
- laitue (lay-two)
- lettuce
- lamproie (lawn-prwah)
- Lamprey eel
- landaise, à la (ah lah lawn-dez)
- In the style of the Landes region in Western France, where geese are abundant; generally, à la landaise means that the dish is cooked in goose fat,with garlic, onions, and ham.
- langouste (lawn-goost)
- Spiny lobster; crawfish, or similiar to a lobster but without claws.
- langue (lawng)
- Tongue
- lapereau (lap-ro)
- Young rabbit
- lapin (la-pan)
- rabbit
- lard (lahr)
- Pork fat; larding bacon
- lardons (lahr-dawn)
- Diced, fried pieces of bacon
- laurier (lo-ryay)
- Bay
- légumes (lay-goom)
- vegetables
- lentilles (lawn-tee)
- Lentils
- liève (lyev-ro)
- Hare
- limande (lee-mawnd)
- a flatfish similiar to sole
- lotte (lot)
- Monkfish; an ugly but highly-regarded sea fish
- loup (loo)
- Wolf: the French don't normally eat wolves, but use loup figuratively as a name for sea bass (bar)
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- macédoine (ma-sa-dwahn)
- General term for a mixture of vegetables (raw or cooked), or of fruit
- magret de canard (ma-gray- de kan-ar)
- Breast of duck, which is either grilled or fried and often served fairly rare
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- nature or au naturel (na-ture, oh na-tur-al)
- Natural, plain, ungarnished, unseasoned or unmixed
- navet (na-vay)
- Turnip
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