Pane e olio is an Italian phrase meaning bread and oil, referring to a simple yet classic Italian dish that highlights the quality of its basic ingredients: bread and olive oil. Traditional Italian bread such as ciabatta, focaccia, or a rustic country loaf is typically used, while extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the oil of choice due to its superior flavor and health benefits.
High-quality, cold-pressed olive oil from regions like Tuscany or Puglia is ideal. The bread is usually sliced and may be served fresh or lightly toasted, with toasting enhancing its texture and providing a warm base for the olive oil. The olive oil is typically poured into a small dish or bowl for dipping, though some variations may include a drizzle of olive oil directly on the bread slices.
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Smoked salmon canapés are considered a classic upscale choice in the finger food department and the ultimate party food. Simple toasted bread, blinis, cucumber slices, or pumpernickel bread are regularly used as a base that's spread with ingredients such as cheese, crème fraîche, or sour cream, while common flavorings include condiments and herbs such as lemon juice, lemon zest, horseradish, mustard, dill, and capers.
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Galettes de Bretagne are basically thin crépes from the Brittany region in northwestern France. These pancakes are made from buckwheat flour, then filled with various ingredients such as eggs, ham, mushrooms, and bacon. In Brittany, créperies are so popular that they outnumber cafés, and people regularly use them to consume their galettes with bits of salted butter.
Traditionally, the pancakes are paired with a glass of local cider. According to a legend, the Bretagne galette was invented by accident, when a farmer spilled buckwheat porridge on a hot surface. Although people usually associate buckwheat flour with a salty taste, buckwheat crépes are extremely nutritious and contain vitamins B1, B2, and fiber that helps in preventing high blood pressure.
MOST ICONIC Galette de Bretagne
View moreSteak tartare is an appetizer made with finely chopped raw beef or horse meat that is seasoned with salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and mustard. The meat is combined with a raw egg yolk, capers, shallots, parsley, and (sometimes) chopped gherkins.
When served, steak tartare is usually accompanied by toasted bread, rye bread, or french fries. It is believed that steak tartare was originally a variation on beefsteack à l'Américaine, a dish of raw chopped beefsteak that first appeared in France at the turn of the 20th century.
MOST ICONIC Steak tartare
View moreOeufs en meurette is a traditional dish originating from the French region of Burgundy. The dish consists of eggs that are poached in red wine, as the wine's acid keeps the eggs nice and tidy and prevents the spillage that can happen during poaching.
The eggs are accompanied by either a meurette or bourguignon sauce, consisting of red wine, onions, bacon, and shallots. This elegant dish is traditionally served with toasted garlic bread on the side.
MOST ICONIC Oeufs en meurette
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Paillassons de courgettes is a traditional pancake or fritter that's especially popular in the south of the country, especially in Languedoc. It's usually made with a combination of zucchini, onions, eggs, flour, oil, salt, and pepper. The zucchinis are grated, salted, drained, and rinsed, while the onions are sautéed in oil until tender, and then mixed with the zucchinis.
A mixture of eggs, flour, salt, and black pepper is whisked into a batter that's mixed with the onions and zucchinis, and it's then dropped by spoonfuls into a large pan with heated oil in it. The pancakes are flattened with a spoon and fried over medium heat on both sides until golden, but not brown.
There are a number of ways one can prepare shrimp canapés. Toast, cucumber slices, or pumpernickel bread are often coated with either a shrimp paste or a chopped shrimp spread. There is also a method where the base of the canapés is first coated with cream cheese, sour cream, or mayonnaise, followed by placing a whole precooked shrimp on top with either cucumber or avocado slices in between.
These tiny, delicate sweets are one of the most famous French delicacies. The name refers to any miniature, bite-sized baked items with a sophisticated and elegant appearance. They come in an endless variety of flavors, forms, and decorations. The most general division is made between petit fours glacés, the glazed variety, and petit fours sec, which include dry varieties such as meringues, cookies and puff pastries.
Although not nearly as popular as the dessert kind, savory petit fours salés are also prepared and served as appetizers. Invented in 18th century France, they were primarily served during traditional afternoon tea ceremonies. Today, both savory and sweet petit fours are often served at formal gatherings and celebrations as appetizers or as a part of buffet meals.
MOST ICONIC Petit four
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Airy and simple, this legendary French comfort food consists of a cheese base combined with whisked egg whites, butter, milk, and flour. The dish puffs up into a decadent, golden soufflé when baked. Cheese soufflé is believed to have been invented during the late 18th century.
Today, it is typically served hot in small ramekins straight out of the oven.
MOST ICONIC Soufflé au fromage
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Gougères are tiny, hollow pastry puffs made from choux dough and cheese, most commonly grated Comté, Emmentaler, or Gruyère. These cheese puffs are often served cold or at room temperature as an accompaniment to beverages such as champagne or wine, but they can also be served warm as an appetizer.
The snacks were invented in the 17th century, in a store called Le ramequin de Bourgogne, located in the Burgundy area. Gougères can also be served in a sweet version, accompanied by various fruit jams on the side.
MOST ICONIC Gougères
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. For the “Top 67 French Appetizers” list until February 13, 2025, 3,310 ratings were recorded, of which 2,699 were recognized by the system as legitimate. 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.