The tourist destinations in France are just some of the many reasons so many people travel to France every year. Some tourists arrive just to sample the food and wine that the country has become so well-known for. Wine and cheese are a part of the food culture, and regional influences on France’s cuisine can be found in restaurants around the country.

The food culture in France is something astounding to see and taste. Regional influences play a large part in the food that is served. For instance, regions in the west make seafood a large part of their cuisine. Visiting the southern regions of France, restaurants serve more rustic and hearty meals with livestock making up much of the protein in the diets there. And in the north, a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful.

In France, wine and cheese play a huge role in the food culture and France cuisine. France is well-known for its wine, easily identifiable by the regional influences that are detected in individual bottles of wine. And with every type of wine that can be produced by the various grapes grown in France, there is a perfect cheese to pair with it. France has a large array of gourmet cheeses that it produces itself, again with many of the regional influences coming out in the taste and texture of the cheese.

Some popular dishes that make up the food culture and cuisine in France include baguettes, steak frittes, poulette, blanquette veau, coq au vin, bouillabaisse, bourdin blanc, andouilette, quiche lorraine, tarte tatin, tripes, crepes, escargot, croquettes, ratatouille, and haricot verts and other fresh vegetables and fruits. Popular seasonings found in French foods include tarragon, rosemary, marjoram, lavender, thyme, fennel, and sage; and again will vary by region.