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What to eat in Brittany? Top 14 Breton Foods

Last update: Sun Feb 16 2025
Top 14 Breton Foods
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01

Sweet Pastry

DOUARNENEZ, France
4.3
Kouign-amann
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Kouign-amann is a cake that originated in the 1800s in the French region of Bretagne. Its name is derived from the Breton words for cake (kouign) and butter (amann). The cake consists of layers of butter and sugar that are folded into a dough.


Bretons claim that the cake is "the fattiest pastry in the world", due to its flaky yellow dough that is mixed with large amounts of sugar and butter. Although there are many theories about the origin of the cake, the most popular one says that it was invented by accident, when a 19th-century baker from Douarnenez wanted to save a failed batch of dough, so he added butter and sugar to the mix, creating the delicacy that we know today.

MOST ICONIC Kouign-amann

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02

Pancake

BRITTANY, France
4.3
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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

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03

Cheese

BRITTANY, France
4.0
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Saint-Paulin is a French semi-soft cheese made from cow’s milk, originating from the region of Bretagne. It was originally produced by Trappist monks. Underneath its washed rind, there is a white-colored body with a creamy and firm texture and milky aromas.


Its flavor is best described as nutty and buttery. Although the rind is edible, most people don’t consume it because it is quite dry and rough. It is recommended to pair Saint-Paulin with a glass of Riesling or Beaujolais.

04

Pancake

ILLE-ET-VILAINE, France
3.9
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This classic street food item hails from French Brittany, more precisely from the department of Ille-et-Vilaine. Usually sold at food trucks, galette saucisse consists of a cold buckwheat crêpe that is wrapped around a warm grilled pork sausage.


The combination can be complemented by mustard, but other options may also include mayonnaise or ketchup, cheese, or other garnishes. The dish is believed to have originated as early as the 15th century, and it is said that the first versions were prepared with pork offal. 
05
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Pâté de Campagne Breton is a pâté made in the French region of Brittany from local pork meat and fat, containing freshly skinned throats, liver, cooked rinds and onions. The roughly minced pieces of pork are distributed evenly throughout the pâté, with its dark color, firm and coarse texture and flavors of liver, onions and meat.


Spices such as nutmeg, garlic, pepper, thyme and parsley can also be added. It is cooked in the oven to develop its specific crust, where plain caramel can be used for browning the exterior. Serve it cold and eat it on bread with pickles as a tasty snack or pair it with wild mushrooms.

06

Cake

BRITTANY, France
3.8
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Far Breton is a traditional dessert: a custard flan cake similar to clafoutis, consisting of milk, eggs, flour, prunes, and raisins. The cake is a specialty of the Brittany region, and the original recipe dates back to the 18th century, when it was made in a savory version and was used to accompany meat dishes.


Over time, more butter and eggs were added to the combination, making far Breton an expensive dessert which was mostly consumed by the upper classes at the time. Today, the cake remains one of the most loved French family desserts.

07

Meat Dish

FINISTÈRE, France
3.5
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Kig ha farz is a traditional peasant's dish from the French region of Brittany, and its origin is mostly associated with the ancient region of Léon. When translated into English from the Breton language, the name of this dish means meat and stuffing.


It consists of various types of meat that are slowly simmered in a broth together with buckwheat flour. Traditionally, the peasants would prepare the dish in the morning, go to work, and then come back home to a complete, one-pot meal. Since it is not an attractive-looking dish, it is uncommon to find it in many French restaurants, although there is still a rising demand for it in the region.

08

Cheese

BRITTANY, France
3.5
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Madame Loïk is a French cheese made from cow's milk. It's a type of fromage fouetté, meaning whipped cheese. Its texture is creamy, fluffy, and light, while the flavors are mild and fresh. There are a few versions of this cheese, and the most common one is lightly seasoned with Guérande sea salt.


Other varieties include honey and nuts, shallots and chives, and red pepper purée. It is recommended to serve it with honey or spread it over a baguette, then sprinkle it with chopped herbs. Madame Loïk can also be used in a variety of cooked dishes.

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09
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Poulet à la bretonne is a traditional chicken dish originating from Brittany. The dish is usually made with a combination of chicken, leeks, onions, carrots, flour, cider, crème fraîche, Dijon mustard, oil, butter, salt, pepper, parsley, and thyme.


The chicken is cut into pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper, and then browned in oil over low heat. Butter and thyme are added to the pan and the chicken is basted a few times before it's removed from the pan. The leeks, onions, and carrots are sautéed until soft and mixed with flour, cider, mustard, and crème fraîche in order to make the sauce. 
10

Cheese

BRÉHAN, France
n/a
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Timanoix is a French cheese produced in the town of Bréhan by the Trappist monks at the Abbaye Notre Dame de Timadeuc. This semi-soft cheese is made from cow's milk. Due to the fact that it's a monastic cheese, it has a washed rind.


The rind is washed with a combination of brine and walnut liqueur as it ages for 60 days in a cellar. Timanoix has a texture that is smooth, silky, creamy, and pale straw in color, which becomes darker as it edges towards the rind. The aromas are earthy and leathery with notes of walnut, while the flavors are spicy-sweet, savory, herbaceous, and meaty, with a slightly bitter and milky aftertaste.

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Sausage/Salami
GUEMENE-SUR-SCORFF, France
3.5
14
Stew
BRITTANY, France
n/a

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 14 Breton Foods” list until February 16, 2025, 1,086 ratings were recorded, of which 945 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.

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