French Food and Wines : Pate

Typical French food

French food and wines, pates of all descriptions, with wonderfully scented ingredients, earthy flavours, dash of liquer or alcohol ... oh the choices for pate are enormous!

Walking down to the corner paté shop or spending time at the food market deciding which one to try next, is time very well spent in my opinion :-) I absolutely adore paté - there's no denying it. A little bit of toast and a spread of creamy chicken or duck paté, yum yum!

My old Dutch mate Leo use to make the most marvellous paté - simply divine - but would never share his recipe, and it went with him to the grave.

One of the truly wonderful things I love about Paris is the freshness of the food - every single day you can go shopping and buy whatever's been made that very day, including patés and other delights.

How to eat paté

I love pate on little fingers of toast, or Melba toast, something crunchy like a cracker or savoury biscuit.  You don't put butter on the toast - just the creaminess of the pate.  Whether Pate de Foie Gras, Pate a l'Orange, Pate de Campagne, Pate de Campagne Forrestier - also some with alcohol like Port - there are so many delicious types, some smooth and creamy to spread, others chunkier - like the de Campagne and Forrestier.  If you are in a restaurant or at a dinner party, you might see a small round blade knife, which is a pate knife.

Now this may come as a suprise to some, but pate is made from liver - but before you turn your nose up, you really should try it.  It's a delicious taste sensation and perfect as a starter or h'ors d'oeuvres before a meal.

Typical French food at the markets

You simply must visit the produce markets of Paris to see the amazing displays of traditional / typical French food.  You'll be amazed at how many types of pate there are, and I'm sure you'll even sample a few.

Food of France ... French food and wines!

While you're there, think about buying a bottle of wine or champage to enjoy with your pate and baguette.  You can buy wine just about everywhere :-)

Looking for somewhere interesting and inexpensive to eat? Pop into a Museum Cafe or Restaurant.

Would you like to recommend a great place to buy paté in Paris?

If you'd like to ask a question, provide a tip, or tell a story of your visit to Paris, please do! You can even upload a photo and send your friends to this page :-)

Fill in the form below to ask your question, and check back soon to view the answers and comments!