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What to eat in Lorraine? Top 13 Lorrainian Foods

Last update: Fri Jan 31 2025
Top 13 Lorrainian Foods
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01

Tart

LORRAINE, France
4.3
Tarte aux mirabelles
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While the traditional version couples only two elements, shortcrust pastry or pâte brisée and juicy mirabelle plums, modern varieties of this classic occasionally place the plums on a bed of pastry cream or creamy custards. Before baking, the tart is sprinkled with powdered sugar (alternatively, the top can be drizzled with mirabelle brandy), and it is then caramelized under a broiler or with a blowtorch.


This autumnal French dessert is often associated with the regions of Lorraine and Alsace, where mirabelle plums are traditionally grown. Because their season is very short, they are a prized ingredient in the French cuisine.

02

Savory Pie

LORRAINE, France
4.1
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Although quiches can be made with nearly anything, from meats and vegetables to seafood, herbs, and cheeses, the king among these delicious baked tarts is still the original quiche Lorraine, consisting simply of a shortcrust dough base that is filled with bacon, eggs, cream, nutmeg, and a dash of salt and pepper.


The word quiche is thought to have been adapted from the German word küchen, meaning cake, as the first Lorraine quiches were made with bread dough instead of shortcrust dough. In the French region of Lorraine, it is traditionally served on May Day as an accompaniment to roasted suckling pig. 

MOST ICONIC Quiche Lorraine

1
03

Savory Pie

LORRAINE, France
4.0
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This hearty, meat-studded entrée is often confused with pâté Lorrain, another classic French meat pie. But unlike pâté Lorrain, cream and egg custard is added to the filling of Tourte Lorraine. Apart from this, according to Larousse Gastronomique, one of the prime reference books on French cuisine, both are baked in pastry and include a chunky pâté of pork and veal marinated in an aromatic bath of wine, shallots, cloves, and flavorful Herbes de Provence – a classic blend of dried thyme, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, chervil, tarragon, lovage, savory, sage, bay leaf, and fennel.


Best enjoyed fresh out of the oven, Tourte Lorraine is traditionally served as an appetizer with a side of green salad, and is typically paired with a chilled glass of wine. In Lorraine, it is also particularly popular among the working class as an early morning meal.

04

Cake

COMMERCY, France
3.9
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Madeleines are the perfect accompaniment to afternoon tea - these buttery sponge cakes (often mistaken for cookies because of their small size) are slightly browned and crispy on the outside while remaining soft and tender on the inside. A typical dessert of the Lorraine region, madeleines are said to have originated in Commercy.


They are supposedly named after Madeleine Paulmier, the 18th-century pastry chef who first made them for Stanisław Leszczyński, the Duke of Lorraine. Later on, his daughter Marie Leszczyńska introduced madeleines to the court in Versailles, and they attained countrywide popularity soon afterward. 
05

Cheese

LORRAINE, France
3.9
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Carré de l'Est is a French cheese made with cow's milk. It originates from the region of Lorraine. The cheese is traditionally left to mature for 5 weeks. It has a brine-washed rind, pale yellow color, and a pungent, smoky flavor, while the texture is very soft, even more buttery than Brie.


The name of this cheese means square of the East, referring to its region of origin and its shape, because carré means square. Carré de l'Est is so popular in France that it can be found throughout the country.

06
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A macaron is a sweet treat that is prepared throughout France, its name derived from the italian maccarone, referring to the crushing of the almond paste, which is the main ingredient of these delectable treats. Originally, the daughter of Charles III, Duke of Lorraine founded a monastery called Les Dames du Saint-Sacrement, right in the center of the French city called Nancy.


As meat was forbidden in the monastery, the nuns started to bake numerous pastries, amongst them the popular macarons. Upon their abolishment from the monastery, nuns Marguerite and Marie-Elisabeth sought refuge in the house of a local doctor, and started to make and sell macarons in order to survive. 
07
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Pâté Lorrain is a French dish consisting of marinated meat that is wrapped in puff pastry. In traditional French cuisine, the meat needs to be a mixture of pork and veal, although modern recipes also suggest other varieties, such as rabbit or chicken.


The meat is sliced and marinated in a flavorful mixture of wine, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, and shallots. Before baking, it is completely enclosed in puff pastry. The dish is usually associated with Baccarat, a commune located in the Lorrain region. 
08

Veal Dish

LORRAINE, France
2.8
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As the name might imply, this French dish consists of a calf’s head, which is boiled for a long time until the meat becomes tender and the skin develops a gelatinous consistency. The tongue and brain are also boiled separately with a combination of spices, and the three types of meat are served together in thick slices on a platter with the vegetables used in cooking, usually potatoes and carrots, and a drizzling of ravigote sauce.


Although the dish has numerous supposed origins, famous French writer Gustave Flaubert traces it back to the British celebrating the decapitation of King Charles I. After the French revolution and yet another well-known decapitation, the French followed suit. 
09

Cheese

LORRAINE, France
n/a
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Belletoile is a French triple cream brie-style cheese hailing from the Lorraine region. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk and extra cream. It's aged for less than a month. Underneath its bloomy rind, the texture is soft, creamy, smooth, and buttery.


The aromas are mild, while the flavors are nutty, mild, mushroomy, and slightly tangy. It's recommended to serve Belletoile with a crusty baguette or crackers on the side. Pair it with bold red wines such as Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon.

10

Ice Cream

PLOMBIÈRES-LES-BAINS, France
n/a
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Glace plombières is a French ice cream that was originally invented as a way to cover up a cook's failure at a secret dinner party for Napoleon. There is a theory that the plombière part of its name refers to the leaden ice cream molds that were used in the preparation of ice cream in the past.


However, Napoleon's dinner was held in the French commune called Plombières-les-Bains to negotiate a secret treaty, so the true origin of glace plombières still remains a mystery. The defining characteristic of this ice cream is the candied fruit that is ideally macerated in high-quality kirsch, which is typically dispersed throughout the dessert.

11
12
Stew
LORRAINE, France
n/a
13

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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