Crêpes 

France is usually associated with bread, cheese, and wine for the main part but, who can forget the Famous crêpes? 

Crêpes can be both savoury or sweet, and they date back to “Le jour des crêpes” circa 472, when they were offered to French Catholic pilgrims visiting Rome for Candlemas by Pope Gelasio I. Their circular shape symbolizes a coin or the sun. Its place of origin is accredited to the northwest region of France, Brittany, where they are traditionally made with buckwheat flour, also known as Galettes. 
The crêpe batter consists of flour, eggs and milk or water, with butter, sugar, and salt as optional ingredients. They can be filled with a variety of sweet fillings from jam or Nutella to savoury like ham and cheese or seafood. 

Salade Niçoise 

If you enjoy salads, then this famous French food will please you, the Salade Niçoise. This salad originates in French province of Cote D’Azur with the salad being named after the city of Nice. It includes fresh tomatoes, sliced hard-boiled eggs, tuna, or anchovies, and a vinaigrette dressing. 
There are many variations of this salad that vary with the seasons. In the spring, chefs may add freshly harvested blanched green beans or include chopped red bell pepper, minced shallots, and steamed artichoke hearts. Some versions may also include steamed potatoes. 

If you love French food as us, you have already made a variation of the Salade Niçoise. 

Quiche 

The history of this traditional French dish goes back to the time of the German ruling, the medieval kingdom of Lothringen. The name quiche originates from "kuchen”, the German word for cake.  
The original quiche is the Quiche Lorraine, which consisted of an open pie bread base with a filling consisting of an egg and cream custard with smoked bacon. Modern versions of this quiche now include cheese and are made of puff pastry.  
There are many variations of the quiche, for example, if you add onions to the Quiche Lorraine, then you are making a quiche Alsacienne. There are also other versions that include broccoli, mushrooms, ham, or shellfish. It is up to the person’s preference! 

At the end of this article, we will share with you a version of the Quiche Lorraine.  

Steak tartare 

The steak tartare is a dish to be eaten with care because of its raw nature. Consisting of raw meat with spices, topped with a raw egg, this dish is said to have originated with the Genghis Khan’s Mongol warriors (Tatars), who conquered Europe by horse who laced the meat between the saddle and the back of the horse, so that it softened while they rode.  
A few years back in France, eating raw was associated with freshness, vitality, and health. Horse was still used although beef’s longevity made it the meat of choice. This recipe requires prime quality meat and various ingredients depending on the several variations. 

 These are some of the traditional food of France. Do you have any favourites, or do you have a variation of one of these dishes that you would like to share? Let us know on social media!  

Recipe for Quiche Lorraine

 To try one of these popular foods in France, we are sharing with you a version of Quiche Lorraine so you can try preparing it and trying it at home! 

Directions:
To make the puff pastry: 

1. Pour the flour into a bowl and add salt.  
2. Add butter and work it into the flour so that you have a coarse texture.  
3. Once you have achieved a coarse floured texture, add the water slowly while mixing the flour until a dough forms. The dough must be manageable and not too dry or too humid. If it is dry, add a bit of water.  
4. Roll out the dough until you have a circular shape of approximately 1 cm of width.  
5. Place the dough on a 9.5 inch pie pan and prick the dough with a fork. 

Once you have prepared the pastry, you can start preparing the filter. 

For the filling: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 
2. Place the diced butter on the prepared pie dish.  
3. In a pan on the stove, cook the pancetta or the bacon strips. Once cooked, remove from the pan and place on a paper towel. 
4. In a bowl, beat the eggs together with the whipping cream. Add the salt, pepper, and the nutmeg. 
5. Add the cooked pancetta or bacon strips to the pie dish. 
6. Pour the beaten eggs on the pie dish. 
7. Cook in oven for 45 to 50 minutes. 

Let it cool for a few minutes before serving. It can be accompanied with a green salad.  

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