French people's favourite cuisines

From croissants to steak frites, France is world-famous for its cuisine. It’s the country where patisserie was invented, where the art of baking was perfected, and where chefs from around the world still pilgrim to develop their cooking expertise.

But it’s also a highly globalised country; and while the French love to eat escalopes and pains aux raisins as much as anyone else, they also enjoy a good deal of variety in their diet.

This year, a Statista poll asked a sample of 1,000 French citizens what their favourite cuisine is, and the results paint an eclectic picture of France’s culinary landscape.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, French food cinched the number one spot, with 78% of respondents naming it among their favourites. The French are understandably proud of their contributions to the menu of world cuisine, which include not just the delicious food itself, but even the way we eat - à la carte, anyone? - and, by extension, many of the words we use. It’s no coincidence that ‘chef’, ‘sauté’ and even ‘cuisine’ itself are all French words.

Paris is renowned for its restaurants, which serve the crème de la crème of French cuisine. France boasts more Michelin starred restaurants than any other country, and the Michelin Guide itself was begun by the eponymous French tyre company over a hundred years ago.

Italian restaurants are a common sight in Europe, and France is no different. The French may be proud of their reputation for culinary excellence, but they’re also big fans of pasta, pizza and everything in between, which is why 60% of people surveyed listed Italian food among their favourites. Italy is one of the top destinations for French tourists, so it’s natural that homecoming Italophiles might wish to replicate their favourite dishes from the bel paese, and since both countries share a mediterranean climate, many of the ingredients found in Italian cooking are easily accessible in French supermarkets.

Like so many cities in the west, Paris, Lyon, Toulouse and other French cities all have their own quartiers chinois, or ‘chinatowns’ (Paris even has two). The food served at these restaurants is often a bit different from what is typically served in China, but it appeals to the French palate; sweet and sour dishes, chop suey and stir-fry are all favourites.

Like Italy, Spain is one of the most popular tourist destinations for the French, and Spanish food is just as popular as the Spanish weather. And it isn’t just Spanish food, like tortilla and chorizo, that makes the French rank this national cuisine so highly, as the Spanish style of eating known as tapas lends itself especially well to French cuisine, which is replete with cheeses, hams and other petit dishes that are perfect for sharing.

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While France doesn’t have a large Japanese population, sushi and ramen - to name just a couple of Japanese dishes - have caught on in France, and arguably part of a wider interest in Japanese culture that has gripped the country in recent decades. For a country that regularly devours steak tartare and fresh oysters, the fact that much Japanese food is served raw is little hindrance to French tastebuds.

After France ceded control of the Maghreb in the aftermath of the Second World War, many North Africans came to France and brought their recipes with them. Now Algerian, Tunisian and Moroccan restaurants serving tagine, cous-cous and harira are a mainstay of the French food scene.

There is a sizeable Tamil population in France, particularly in Paris’ La Chapelle district. As a result, South Indian dishes from dosas to coconut curries, are popular among French gourmands.

You might be surprised to hear that French food is popular in Vietnam, and that the inverse is equally true. From the late 19th century up to 1954, Vietnam was a French colony, leading to a great deal of interchange between the two nations when it came to food. In fact, in France many ostensibly Chinese restaurants are owned by Vietnamese chefs, and their menus will often include Phở and Bánh mì.

The popularity of Thai food in France has increased in recent years. Thai restaurants can be found in most towns and cities, and Thai dishes like pad thai can often be found in popular Asian fusion restaurants - alongside Chinese and Vietnamese food, of course. Since Thai dishes make for good street food, you’ll often see stalls selling pad Thai and massaman curry in French open-air markets.

Creole food is the most popular cuisine in many of France’s overseas territories, such as Guadeloupe and Martinique, but you can also find it in Metropolitan France if you know where to look. The La Chapelle and Belleville neighbourhoods in Paris are hotspots for Creole dishes such as salted cod fritters and chicken stew.