Vocabulary
Apples and Oranges: French Food Vocabulary
The quality of cuisine in France is world-renowned, and the country takes steps every day to keep it that way. Because of this, French grocery stores and restaurants tend to carry more locally-grown and non-GMO foods, meaning much of what you are buying and eating is fresher.
When you are working with fresh fish, dairy, and produce, it changes the way you shop and cook. It allows for seasonal recipes to be enjoyed based on produce availability throughout the year. Farmer’s markets and local food experts are valued, so artisanal cheeses and specialty items are plentiful, even in supermarkets. Independent bakeries and butchers are literally everywhere. And yogurt, made with fresh dairy, has its very own aisle.
Suffice it to say that shopping, cooking, and eating in France is a totally different experience. Due to this fresher approach to cuisine, the French shopping method generally dictates that one should allot time each day for going to the grocery store and buying just enough groceries to prepare meals for that day. Because of this, many people (especially in the city) will walk to the store, buy the small amount they need, and carry their miniature bounty back home.
Knowing this is important when it comes to learning the vocabulary. Since much of your food experiences in France will be completely different from what you are used to, vocabulary is the anchor you can rely on when navigating this new terrain. Especially when you are ordering food at a restaurant, this vocabulary will help you pick out the key words for all those fancy French dishes you have always wanted to try.
French Food:
Listen Track 60:
la nourriture (food)
le repas (meal)
le petit-déjeuner (breakfast)
le déjeuner (lunch)
le diner (dinner)
le hors d'œuvre (appetizer)
l'entrée (a starter)
le goûter (snack)
le plat principal (main course)
la soupe, le potage (soup)
la salade (salad)
le dessert (dessert)
manger (verb) (to eat)
déjeuner (verb) (to have) breakfast or lunch)
diner (verb) (to have dinner)
la cuisine (kitchen, cooking)
la salle à manger (dining room)
le restaurant (restaurant)
French Fruits:
Listen Track 61:
le fruit (fruit)
un abricot (apricot)
un ananas (pineapple)
une banane (banana)
une cerise (cherry)
un citron (lemon)
un citron vert (lime)
une fraise (strawberry)
une framboise (raspberry)
une mûre (blackberry)
une myrtille (blueberry)
une orange (orange)
un pamplemousse (grapefruit)
une pastèque (watermelon)
une pêche (peach)
une poire (pear)
une pomme (apple)
une prune (plum)
un raisin (grape)
French Vegetables:
Listen Track 62:
un légume (vegetable)
un artichaut (artichoke)
les asperges (f) (asparagus)
une aubergine (eggplant)
la carotte (carrot)
le céleri (celery)
le champignon (mushroom)
le chou-fleur (cauliflower)
le concombre (cucumber)
les épinards (m) (spinach)
la laitue (lettuce)
un oignon (onion)
le maïs (corn)
les petits pois (m) (peas)
la pomme de terre (potato)
le radis (radish)
la tomate (tomato)
Meat:
Listen Track 63:
la viande (meat)
l'agneau (m) (lamb)
les anchois (m) (anchovies)
le bifteck (steak)
la dinde (turkey)
les escargots (m) (snails)
le jambon (ham)
le lapin (rabbit)
le poisson (fish)
le porc (pork)
le poulet (chicken)
le rosbif (roast beef)
le saucisson (sausage)
le veau (veal)
Dairy:
Listen Track 64:
le beurre (butter)
la crème (cream)
la crème fraîche (very thick, slightly sour cream)
le fromage (cheese)
le fromage blanc (cream cheese)
la glace (ice cream)
le lait (milk)
le yaourt (yogurt)
Dessert:
Listen Track 65:
le dessert (dessert)
le biscuit (cookie)
les bonbons (candy)
le chocolat (chocolate)
la crème caramel (flan)
les fruits (m) (fruit)
le gâteau (cake)
la glace (ice cream)
la mousse au chocolat (chocolate mousse)
la tarte (pie)
la vanille (vanilla)
French Staples:
Listen Track 66:
la confiture (jam)
le croissant (croissant)
la farine (flour)
les frites ((US) fries, (UK) chips)
l'huile d'olive (f) (olive oil)
la mayonnaise (mayonnaise)
la moutarde (mustard)
un œuf, des œufs (egg, eggs)
le pain (bread)
le pain grillé (toast)
les pâtes (pasta)
le poivre (pepper)
le riz (rice)
la sauce (sauce, dressing, gravy)
le sel (salt)
le sucre (sugar)
Drinks:
Listen Track 67:
un apéritif (pre-dinner drink, cocktail)
le café (coffee)
la bière (beer)
le champagne (champagne)
le digestif (after-dinner drink)
l’eau (water)
l’eau minéral (mineral water)
le jus d’orange (orange juice)
le jus de pomme (apple juice)
le lait (milk)
le soda (soda)
le thé (tea)
une bouteille de vin (a bottle of wine)
le vin rouge (red wine)
le vin blanc (white wine)