From snacks and meals to cooking and restaurants, the French language is full of colorful slang and casual terms related to food. This article explores common French expressions, vocabulary, and phrases to help you chat about cuisine like a true francophone. Whether you’re discussing recipes, ordering food, or shopping for ingredients, these inside terms will add local flavor to your conversations. Let’s dig in to some savoureux French food slang!
Expressions related to food and cooking
Le Grignotage (Snacking)
- Les chips – Potato chips
- Le chocolat – Chocolate
- Les bonbons – Candy
- Un sandwich – Sandwich
- Un croissant – Croissant
- Un pain au chocolat – Chocolate croissant
Les Repas (Meals)
- La bouffe – Food, grub
- Le pâté – Pâté, meat paste
- Les pâtes – Pasta
- La pizza – Pizza
- Les hamburgers – Hamburgers
- Le poulet – Chicken
- Les céréales – Cereal
- Les tartines – Slices of bread
- La confiture – Jam
Le Petit-Déjeuner (Breakfast)
- Un bol – Bowl
- Les céréales – Cereal
- Le jus – Juice
- Le café – Coffee
- Le lait – Milk
Le Déjeuner (Lunch)
- Le sandwich – Sandwich
- La salade – Salad
- La quiche – Quiche
Le Dîner (Dinner)
- Le poisson – Fish
- Le boeuf – Beef
- Le canard – Duck
- Les légumes – Vegetables
- Les pâtes – Pasta
La Cuisine (The Kitchen)
- La bouilloire – Kettle
- La casserole – Pot
- La poêle – Frying pan
- Le four – Oven
- Le frigo – Fridge
Desserts
- Le gâteau – Cake
- La tarte – Pie/Tart
- La glace – Ice cream
- Le sorbet – Sorbet
- La crème glacée – Ice cream
Drinks
- L’eau – Water
- Le jus d’orange – Orange juice
- Le soda – Soda
- Le coca – Coke
- Le café – Coffee
- Le thé – Tea
- Le lait – Milk
Tastes
- Succulent(e) – Succulent
- Délicieux/Délicieuse – Delicious
- Savoureux/Savoureuse – Tasty
- Immangeable – Uneatable
- Dégoûtant(e) – Disgusting
Textures
- Croustillant(e) – Crispy
- Mou/Molle – Soft
- Dur(e) – Hard
- Crémeux/Crémeuse – Creamy
- Épais(se) – Thick
- Liquide – Liquid
Cooking Verbs
- Mélanger – Mix
- Battre – Beat
- Émincer – Slice
- Cuire – Cook
- Mijoter – Simmer
- Frire – Fry
- Sauter – Sauté
At the Restaurant
- La carte – Menu
- L’addition – Bill
- Le serveur/La serveuse – Waiter/Waitress
- Le pourboire – Tip
- La terrasse – Patio
Types of Restaurants
- Le bistro – Bistro
- La brasserie – Brasserie
- Le café – Cafe
- La cantine – Cafeteria
- Le resto – Restaurant
- Le restau – Restaurant
Ordering Food
- Je voudrais… – I would like…
- Comme boisson – To drink
- Comme entrée – For an appetizer
- Comme plat principal – For a main course
- Comme dessert – For dessert
Food Qualities
- Frais/Fraîche – Fresh
- Rassis/Rassise – Stale
- Pourri/Pourrie – Rotten
- Brûlé/Brûlée – Burnt
- Épicé(e) – Spicy
- Salé(e) – Salty
- Sucré(e) – Sweet
- Amer/Amère – Bitter
What are some common French slang terms related to meals?
From breakfast to dinner, here are the inside terms French speakers use to talk about their meals and favorite foods:
- Le p’tit dej’ – Abbreviation for le petit-déjeuner (breakfast). A typical French breakfast includes a tartine (slice of bread) with jam (la confiture), butter (le beurre), or Nutella (le Nutella).
- Le déj – Short for le déjeuner (lunch). French students often have sandwiches (les sandwiches), quiche (la quiche), or salads (les salades) for lunch.
- Le dîner – The evening meal (dinner). Common French dinners consist of meat like chicken (le poulet), beef (le boeuf), or fish (le poisson), as well as vegetables (les légumes) and potatoes (les pommes de terre).
- Le plat principal – The main course or entree.
- Le dessert – Dessert item like cake (le gâteau), ice cream (la glace), or fruit.
- Les pâtes – Pasta, a popular and casual dinner option.
- La bouffe – Slang for food in general.
What are some useful French slang words related to cooking?
When French students start learning their way around the kitchen, there are some handy slang terms they pick up:
- La Popote – Slang for cooking or cuisine
- Le frigo – Short for le réfrigérateur (refrigerator)
- Le micro-ondes – Microwave oven
- La gazinière – Stovetop, cooker
- La poêle – Frying pan
- La casserole – Cooking pot
- La cuillère en bois – Wooden spoon
- Le robot ménager – Food processor
- La balance – Food scale
- Le four – Oven
- Les ustensiles – Utensils
- La planche à découper – Cutting board
- Le presse-ail – Garlic press
- La maryse – Spatula
Having the right French vocabulary makes cooking much easier!
What French slang terms describe different tastes and textures of food?
Here are some common French slang words used to describe the taste and texture of food:
- Croustillant(e) – Crispy
- Fondant(e) – Melting, smooth
- Mou/Molle – Soft, mushy
- Dur(e) – Hard
- Crémeux/Crémeuse – Creamy
- Épais(se) – Thick
- Liquide – Liquid, runny
- Collant(e) – Sticky
- Épicé(e) – Spicy
- Salé(e) – Salty
- Sucré(e) – Sweet
- Amer/Amère – Bitter
- Savoureux/Savoureuse – Tasty
- Immangeable – Uneatable
- Délicieux/Délicieuse – Delicious
- Succulent(e) – Succulent, juicy
These descriptive terms help French speakers talk about the texture and flavor of dishes.
What are some slang words used for foods in French cuisine?
French cuisine has its own unique slang terms for common ingredients and foods:
- La baguette – Baguette, French bread
- Les escargots – Snails
- Le magret de canard – Duck breast
- Le gigot d’agneau – Leg of lamb
- La daube – Beef stew
- La bouillabaisse – Fish stew
- Les frites – French fries
- Le croque-monsieur – Grilled ham and cheese sandwich
- La ratatouille – Veggie stew with tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini
- Le navarin – Lamb stew with vegetables
- Le cassoulet – Bean stew with sausage and duck
- Le foie gras – Duck or goose liver pâté
- Le fromage – Cheese
These terms will help you order traditional French fare like a local!
What are some useful French phrases about cooking and recipes?
When following or discussing French recipes, these phrases and terms come in handy:
- La recette – The recipe
- Les ingrédients – The ingredients
- Il faut – You need…
- Coupez en dés – Dice into cubes
- Emincez – Slice thinly
- Faites revenir – Cook/sauté over heat
- Ajoutez – Add
- Mélangez – Mix/stir together
- Salez et poivrez – Salt and pepper
- Laissez mijoter – Let simmer
- Servez chaud – Serve warm
- Bonne dégustation! – Enjoy!
Knowing basic French cooking terms allows you to understand recipes much better. À vos casseroles
you have errors in here and why are you calling many of these terms slang……thats not slang…..that how you say them.