11 French Specialties That Weren't Always French

Culture

Food History

11 French Specialties That Weren't Always French By Amadea Tanner Sept. 21, 2025 3:19 pm EST

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Food is often one of the first associations people make with French culture. France is a country renowned for its gastronomy. Its crisp baguettes, omnipresent wine, and ample butter are cultural icons as much as they are culinary staples. But many other foods we reflexively think of as French have other origins, and were simply adopted into French cuisine over time. In addition to homegrown innovation, influences on French food date back to Ancient Egypt and Rome, Renaissance Italy, and Medieval Germany, with other dishes taking inspiration from Austria, neighboring Belgium, and England across the Channel.

Few culinary cultures have