The best French products and flavours to try this winter (recipes included!)

Winter Fruits and Vegetables 

Root vegetables are a winter highlight. French carrots come in hundreds of varieties, from sweet, bright orange Romance to reddy-purple Rouge Sang. Robust storage carrots (carrotes de garde) are picked throughout the winter. Try them in a velvety carrot soup (crécy soup) thickened with potatoes and rice and perfect for chilly nights. French parsnips are at their peak and make a fabulous side dish. Other roots in season include celeriac, which has a delicious, celery-like flavour and French potatoes , the foundation of iconic winter dishes including aligot, tartiflette and gratin dauphinois. 

Alliums are another winter staple. Think French onion soup on a frosty night, made with sweet Roscoff Onions PDO from Brittany, which store well throughout winter. French leeks are a highlight. Seasonal varieties include the versatile Winter Giant, heirloom Bleu de Solaise and Créances (PGI) leeks which are grown in Normandy’s sandy soils and prized for their mild, nutty flavour. 

Also in season, brassicas like cabbage and kale form the backbone of regional dishes like Alsace’s choucroute garni (cabbage braised with white wine and juniper, served with pork and salted meats) and chou farci, a stuffed cabbage dish popular in Auvergne and southern France. 

French apples and pears are in plentiful supply. Golden Limousin Apples PDO from the Limousin region in south-central France have a sweet but zingy flavour that is equally delicious eaten raw or in baked goods. French pears come in hundreds of varieties. Seek out Conférence, Passe Crassane, and Angys® over winter. Combine pears with both sweet and savoury flavours, think a pear and blue cheese salad or a stunning pear and chocolate tart. Adour kiwis PGI have been grown in the Pays de l'Adour, southwestern France since the 1970s. These French kiwis are available throughout winter and have a fruity, slightly tart flavour. 

French winter delicacies 

The Perigord black truffle is coveted by gourmets for its heady aroma and complex flavour, with notes of humus and hazelnut.  These truffles come with a hefty price tag, which is why in France you’ll find them used in special occasion dishes. Think truffle shavings folded into a soufflé omlet or paired with guinea fowl for an unforgettable Christmas main course.

French chestnuts are a popular ingredient in festive recipes. Enjoy Ardèche Chestnuts PDO from southeastern France roasted or magicked into chestnut products such as jam, liqueur and chestnut cream (Crème de marrons). Use chestnut cream to elevate desserts, from an easy crêpe filling to the famous Mont Blanc: meringues topped with whipped cream and piped chestnut cream.

Winter cheese

French cheese can vary with the seasons, just like fruit and vegetables. Comté PDO from the Jura mountains is made with milk from cows who feast on hay during the winter months and fresh pastures and wildflowers in summer, giving it a different flavour profile at different times of year (winter Comté is paler and milder, with notes of hazelnuts). 

Winter is also the season for melted cheese dishes to shine. Think bubbling fondues, creamy gratins and raclette, made with Raclette de Savoie PGI. Try baking Mont D’Or with white wine and French shallots and serve with plenty of crusty bread for dunking. Creamy Mont D’Or is only available from September to March. 

Winter meat and seafood 

Hearty French winter dishes often feature pork and chicken. Poulet de Bresse PDO is the name to know for poultry. Succulent chicken from Bresse is available year-round but at Christmas time you can also buy flavoursome Bresse turkey and capons: perfect for festive feasting. 

Winter’s finest French seafood includes Normandy King Scallops and French oysters. Seek out Marennes-Oléron oysters PGI which are raised in oyster beds on the Atlantic coast of Charente-Maritime and have a nutty aroma and saline flavour. 

🍽️ Five French recipes to try this winter

Pumpkin and potato gratin with Comté cheese

A hearty gratin combining layers of sliced potatoes with pumpkin (which stores well over winter) and gooey Comté PDO. The nutty Comté goes beautifully with the earthy potatoes and subtly sweet pumpkin. Serve alongside lamb or chicken.

Chicken fricassee with mustard sauce

Chicken fricassee is a bold-flavoured stew with a generous slug of white wine and an irresistible creamy mustard sauce. For best results, make the dish with Poulet de Bresse PDO and Moutarde de Bourgogne PGI, a strong mustard made with at least 25% white Burgundy wine (Bourgogne PDO).

Oysters with seaweed butter

French oysters add a touch of glamour to festive gatherings. If you’re hosting over Christmas, serve these incredible cooked oysters with seaweed butter to your guests.

Authentic French raclette

Recreate those après-ski vibes at home with authentic French raclette. In this sharing dish, melted Raclette de Savoie PGI is served over boiled French potatoes and charcuterie. Raclette is not just for the mountains: many French households own a raclette grill.

French Calvados apple cake

This rustic apple cake is a true taste of Normandy, famous for its orchards and Calvados Pays d’Auge AOC, an aromatic apple brandy. Serve with a dollop of Normandy’s Isigny Crème Fraîche PDO.