Magazine food and drink

How to describe wine like a French sommelier

Winemaker Jonathan Hesford provides a beginner’s guide to talking about flavours, smells and preferences in French

From corks to screw caps: French wine bottles are changing

Screw caps are winning out on ‘drinkable’ wines and recyclability, but are still facing resistance among premium wines

Crustless camembert? French cheese threatened by rind mould extinction

Scientists warn the fungus responsible for the famous white skin is at the point of disappearing

Day 11 French regional Christmas specialities: Papillotes from Lyon

The origin of papillotes is wrapped in a cute story

What does a winemaker in France actually do all day?

Vigneron Jonathan Hesford explains what happens behind the cellar door and the daily decisions involved in making wine

Day 9 French regional Christmas specialities: Escargots persillés

This snail dish is one of France’s most known Christmas recipes…thanks to a 19th-century visiting Russian tsar

Day 7 of French regional Christmas specialities: Pain d’épices

Pain d’épices is another Christmas staple of the Alsace region. A small village famously hosts one of the most famous gingerbread houses, and even a gingerbread museum

Bustling French brasseries offer delicious food and stunning decor

We explore eight iconic brasseries across France for traditional, good-value meals in sumptuous surroundings

Day 4 of French regional Christmas specialities: Chapon farci

Chapon farci are often associated with Bresse, an area overlapping two regions, and where there is a myriad of stuffing options

A French grape variety guide by winemaking region

Winemakers in France rarely put grape varieties on the label so Jonathan Hesford reveals which grapes are probably in your glass

What are IGP/AOC/AOP labels on French products?

Some labels are recognised at European level, others only at national level

France’s Mont d’Or seasonal cheese is back

The first Mont d’Or cheese signals the start of autumn in France. Here’s why, and how to enjoy it

Riz de Carmague in France: in a field of its own

Patrice Bertrand looks at the cereal grower’s increasing challenges

Early - and good - start to mushroom season in France

Favourable weather conditions have put the fun in fungi this year but pickers are still warned to be vigilant

The French brothers who hand make three hundred types of jam

Along with unusual chutney blends to pair perfectly with cheese

How little French ravioli became part of the Dauphiné food heritage

Ravioles du Dauphiné are tiny parcels of pasta filled with cheese and parsley, quite different to their Italian cousins

Cheap and cheerful French restaurants are back in fashion

Described as the McDonalds of their day, traditional Parisian ‘bouillons’ are having a renaissance in and out of the capital

Meet the French couple with a secret macarons recipe

It is believed that the macarons recipe originally came from Italy with Catherine de’ Medici

Pineau des Charentes becomes bartenders' secret weapon in cocktails

Thanks to innovative French producers, this fortified wine is brushing off its dusty image and making a splash with mixologists

How winemakers in France combat the effects of climate change

Vigneron Jonathan Hesford explains how he deals with more heat and less rain in the vineyard

Travel France from your kitchen: Galettes de Sarrasin recipe

For this recipe we journey northwest to Brittany and look at how to make a classic Breton buckwheat pancake

Why Brittany is a crêpe hotspot

Chandeleur has arrived and while you are eating delicious crêpes, we take a look at the their origins in Brittany

Why France’s alcohol-free cocktail boom is ‘not just a trend’

We talk to industry professionals about the growing demand for fancy mocktails

The only cheese-makers in Ambert make mildest blue cheese in France

The creamy blue ‘Fourme d’Ambert’ is lovingly made by these third generation dairy farmers

France’s galette des rois: Six facts about this January 6 cake

Epiphany marks the occasion that the Three Kings brought their gifts to the baby Jesus. We look at how France celebrates with a special sweet treat

Andouille: Meet the makers who defend this gutsy French sausage

It takes five weeks and a lot of ‘know-how’ to make real andouille – we discover the process and the passion

RECIPES: real French charcuterie of rabbit rillettes, pork liver pâté

We look at the history and techniques of pâtés, terrines, sausages and ‘farcis’ (stuffed dishes)

From spit cake to elf shoes... a Tour de France by Christmas desserts

How many have you tried?

How to choose French wines to match classic British Christmas food

We explore the perfect pairings for turkey, salmon and Christmas pudding

Traditional French Christmas food and a very modern bûche de Noël

We look at why France is ‘top’ at festive fayre and the mandatory chocolate log gets a star chef makeover

Meet the British couple growing ‘microgreens’ for French chefs

A property planning hiccup led these UK growers to turn a room in their house into a baby leaf farm

French sparkling wines to rival Champagne on price and taste

Why not opt for a Crémant this Christmas? We talk to a fizz producer in Burgundy about making wine for savvy consumers

RECIPES: Parisian picks, yoghurt cake and chocolate meringue gâteau

Two foolproof cake recipes from award–winning American food writer

Meet the sibling distillers making liqueurs from French Alpine plants

Distilling flavoured spirits ‘génépi’ and ‘sapinette’ in the mountains runs in the family for this brother and sister

RECIPES: bake a French baguette or sweet potato bread like a master

Award-winning French baker, Eric Kayser, shares his love of baking in ‘The Bread Book’. We share three recipes here

‘My gripe about French milk was replaced by awe at dairy statistics’

An ‘expat’ niggle about milk bottles lead Justin Postlehwaite to discover the sheer scale of France’s dairy industry

Tannins can make red wine undrinkable or delicious – what are they?

They can make your face pucker or add rich complexity – winemaker Jonathan Hesford explains their importance

Aligot: cheesy French comfort food famous for being remarkably stringy

A cross between mashed potatoes and cheese fondue is the traditional dish of the Aubrac - we explore the history and future of Aligot

Meet the French craft beer brewers taking wine drinkers by storm

We take you on a boozy tour of museums, fairs and micro-breweries where regional ‘terroir’ is still important

Meet the producers: the Toulouse farmers who mill their own crops

Three farmers bought the traditional granite mill and now press their own oil and flour to sell

Top French chef champions ‘trumpet of death’ mushroom

Have you tried this tasty 'poor man's truffle'? Take care when foraging

Five things they don’t tell you about entertaining in France

Is it ok to top up your own glass? Is it acceptable to serve store-bought dishes? We have some answers for you

RECIPES: three classic French dishes get an exotic twist

Caramelised onion soup, baked Mont d’Or cheese and Baba au Cognac - recipes inspired by the travels of two Paris chefs

Know your onions – 14 facts about France’s superstar vegetable

Legend has it that French onion soup was invented by Louis XV after a day's hunting. Here we look at some more onion trivia

The onion - flavours, dishes and festivals to celebrate a French icon

From Brittany to Provence, we explore the tradition, history and culture of onions in France

Wine tips: ‘Acidity is a balancing act with sweetness and tannins’

Vigneron Jonathan Hesford explains how acids affect the way a wine tastes and reveals some winemaker tricks

Camembert losing out in battle for France’s favourite cheeses

Raclette and Mozzarella are nibbling away at camembert’s position as the second-most sold cheese in France, new figures show

Dine out: French restaurant schools offer fine dining at reduced rates

Student chefs, waiters and sommeliers learn ‘on the job’ – one school even has a Michelin star

Fresh fish in the post - French fishing fleet cuts out the middleman

The ice-packed fish are sent anywhere in France and the boat-to-plate service is growing

Michelin star chef makes Loire France’s sustainable eating capital

Eco-responsable chefs are tackling climate change with their delicious food. The Connexion’s Tamara Thiessen visits the Loire to find out how

Sugar, yeast, ice, mould - what makes French sweet wine…sweet?

Winemaker Jonathan Hesford explains how sweet wines are made

Beetle burger anyone? French firm allowed to cook with Buffalo beetles

The start-up now plans to step up production massively and wants to create burgers and protein bars

Map: Our tour of France by local sweets, treats and desserts

From kouglofs to éclairs to tropéziennes, we take you on a sugar rush-inducing trip around the l'Hexagone

Tielle de Sète - Poor man’s pie that became a local French food icon

The family recipes for ‘tielles’ have been passed down from Italian immigrant fisherman to today’s passionate bakers of Sète

Moneysaver: We try out French app to source cheap shop and cafe food

Mobile app allows venues to sell left-over products at a heavy discount which would otherwise be thrown away

Wine tasting basics: describing the smell, the flavour and the texture

Wine maker, Jonathan Hesford, tells us how to describe wine and why we prefer one wine to another

Map: our tour of France by local apéritif

Apéritifs actually started out as medical drinks and were popular in the 19th century among soldiers struggling with malaria in Africa

Are your taste buds turning French? You share your thoughts

Connexion readers say whether they have adopted French breakfasts, fish and meat dishes, or whether they still prefer milky coffees and bangers and mash

French restaurant whose staff have Down’s syndrome sets global example

Most of the ‘extraordinary’ staff at Le Reflet in Paris and Nantes have the condition and work in the busy restaurants with a few simple modifications

Adopt an oak tree in France and enjoy the truffles it produces

Founders say that they want to change the way truffles are sold, making the process more transparent

What you need to know before producing your own wine in France

Producing the grape-based beverage is a dream for many people. We look at the minimum requirements of managing a vineyard and why it is doable, but not easy

Why Roquefort is the true king of French cheeses

Casanova even said it was ideal for restoring love. We look at where the emblematic cheese comes from and how it is made

Why Roquefort is the true king of French cheeses

Casanova even said it was ideal for restoring love. We look at where the emblematic cheese comes from and how it is made

Thou shalt not overcook: How Gault & Millau’s style freed French chefs

In our series providing a sideways glance at French food, we look at the impact of nouvelle cuisine and how it helped fuel innovation in a strict business

AOP or IGP, doux or liquoreux…How to interpret French wine labels

A little knowledge can go a long when choosing wine, says independent wine grower Jonathan Hesford

Black truffle from France sells for US$10,000 at online auction

The truffle weighs more than 1kg and was sold as an NFT (non-fungible token), meaning the buyer will receive both the actual truffle and an official certificate showing proof of ownership

The chicken burger that sold out in the US is coming to France

A first ‘Popeyes’ restaurant will open in Paris later this year with several hundred more branches to follow

French dressing is news in US but orange sauce is not found in France

A 72-year old rule governing ingredients of the sweetened salad sauce has been dropped - but its association with France remains a mystery

French Champagne’s record €5.5bn year is ‘victory for good living’

Industry expert says that 2021 sales are likely to be the ‘best ever year for Champagne’ – a marked improvement after the sector was badly hit during the first lockdown in 2020

France is country where alcohol is drunk the most often, poll finds

People in France drink alcohol on 132 days of the year, well above the global average of 101, but they are not the heaviest drinkers

8 French food idioms for when things are going wrong

In France food is not just for eating, it's also for complaining. Here are our favourite food-related expressions to use when the going gets tough

Boire du petit lait and other French drinking phrases

With a university in Lille offering a new master’s course in gastronomy, we look at three French expressions related to drinking

Truffle season starts in France with quantity down but quality up

The prized black Haut-Var truffle went on sale for a near record €600 per kilo in late November with prices set to soar as high as €1,000 per kilo by Christmas

French city Rouen in Normandy awarded Unesco City of Gastronomy status

The award is not for an individual dish or culinary style, but for the way food is produced, valued and, importantly, involves the local population