It’s Christmas market season, and as well as shopping for gifts French Christmas markets also offer a great opportunity to try regional and seasonal food and drink.
Most French Christmas markets serve the classic festive treats, but many also make an effort to showcase the local specialities of their region – in fact the Strasbourg Christmas market has even passed a decree banning the sale of Champagne in favour of the local sparkling white wine crémant d’Alsace.
So markets are a good place to seek out local specialities and try something new. Obviously the exact products will vary depending on where you are, but here are some of our favourite Christmas market food and drink offerings;
Vin chaud – we have to start with the obvious. Hot spiced wine is a festive staple across Europe at Christmas time, but in France vin chaud is served throughout the winter and is widely available in bars, cafés and sports grounds.
It’s a classic for a trip to a Christmas market though – look out for ‘vin chaud qui claque’ (literally ‘hot wine with a slap’) which has an added shot of brandy, rum or a local tipple. If you’re in Brittany or Normandy you will also often see hot spiced cider – cidre chaud.
Lait de poule – don’t panic, no-one is trying to milk a chicken – this is how eggnog is known in France. A sweet, milky, creamy base with spices and a hit of booze.
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Oysters – cold seafood may not seem the obvious food choice for a chilly day, but you will see oysters at most Christmas markets in France. As well as being in season, les huîtres are also the staple of traditional Christmas dining, so they have strong seasonal associations for the French.
You can buy them to take home, or take a break from shopping and get a platter of shucked oysters with bread, lemon and a glass of white wine.
Aligot – if you’re looking for something to warm you up, we recommend aligot – which is mashed potato with added wine, garlic and cheese. The aligot cheese is stringy making the final dish delightfully stretchy. It’s usually sold to take away so you can eat as you walk, and you can opt to have it topped with a sausage and gravy if you want a fuller meal.
Saucisse – which brings us neatly to sausages. The classic on-the-go junk food snack in France is not a burger but a sausage in a bun/baguette. The type of sausage will vary depending on where you are – in the south-west you might get the exquisitely meaty Toulouse sausage, in the north-east German sausage might be available while in Paris and Marseille the spicy north-African merguez sausage (made with beef and/or lamb instead of pork) is ubiquitous.
Most saucisse stalls also sell frites.
Tartiflette – if you’re in the Alps or eastern France you’re likely to find stalls selling the local hot cheese dishes such as tartiflette. Some even get creative with a ‘takeaway fondue’ – melted cheese ladled into a hollowed-out baguette.
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Foie gras – this won’t be to everyone’s taste but foie gras is traditionally served in France over Christmas and New Year, so you’re likely to see stalls selling it at Christmas markets, especially if you’re in the south west.
Cheese – while French Christmas markets are festive events, they’re also an opportunity for local artisans to display their wares and every region of France has its own specialist cheeses. Most stallholders are happy to hand out samples of their product so you can try a few cheeses for before stocking up on festive supplies.
The nice thing about shopping at markets is that the stallholder is usually the producer so they’re a mine of fascinating information about local cheese traditions.
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Pain d’epices – moving on to sweet options and we have gingerbread. This is especially common in north-east France and is not the cookie-style gingerbread, instead it is a combined bread/cake made with a mixture of spices including ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. You might also see decorated pieces, especially around December 6th which is St Nicolas Day.
13 desserts of Provence – if you’re in southern France you might come across stalls selling variations on the traditional ’13 desserts’. This is a Provençal Christmas tradition, with the 13 representing Jesus and his 12 apostles. The desserts themselves are usually dried fruit, nuts, marzipan and sweets, and you’ll commonly see items like this for sale around Christmas time.
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Some stalls offer decorated gift packs which might include things like crystallised ginger, marzipan-stuffed dates, dried figs and nougat.
Crèpes – staple of many French markets, but especially those in Brittany, are crèpes. Sweet options usually include confiture (jam), Nutella, caramel beurre salé (salted caramel) or a crèpe sucre, which is a plain crèpe with just a sprinkling of sugar.
Churros – these are actually Spanish but the French love them and you’ll find them at markets all over the country. Choux pastry is piped into a strip and then deep fried until crispy. Usually served with warm chocolate for dipping, you can see why France adopted this Spanish custom.
What’s your favourite festive treat at French Christmas markets? Share your tips in the comments section below