I consider myself to be somewhat adventurous when it comes to food. I’ll try anything once and I actually like escargot, frogs’ legs, octopus and other more exotic foods (big lover of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches too, though).
But sometimes you try a food and know the minute it hits your taste buds that it’s something you’re never going to have again. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Let’s talk about disgusting French foods that fall into that “never having again” category.
Here’s my list of 5 popular French foods I won’t touch.
5 Popular French foods I won’t eat
As I said, I don’t consider myself a picky eater at this point in my life, but still, there are certain foods I just don’t like. Horse meat, for example, goes without saying.
So without further ado, here’s my list of disgusting but popular French foods (or foods commonly eaten in France) that I won’t touch:
1. Foie gras
A few things about foie gras rub me the wrong way. I don’t like the taste or smell and I like the way it’s made even less. Force feeding ducks is not something that sits well with me at all and I don’t find foie gras to be appetizing in the least. I tried it once and that was enough for me.
2. Oysters
I’m a seafood lover but for some reason I just can’t get in on the oyster trend. They’re eaten a lot over the holidays and I always opt out. Two Christmases ago, everyone had oysters on Christmas Eve and proceeded to get violently ill the next day. Everyone but me. Coincidence?
Now whenever I think of oysters, I think of my family getting sick and want to stay away from them even more. But I do hear they’re delicious!
3. Nutella
Nutella is SO popular in France (although it’s Italian) but I just can’t get on board with it. I hate anything with a praline/hazelnut taste. It’s not my style. Praline candy and cookies and cake are all big no mercis for me.
I know Nutella is pretty commonplace in the U.S. too, but in France it’s just as normal as peanut butter would be to an American. Many French folks eat it on bread or crepes. It’s also a kid favorite and eaten for breakfast in France. I’ll stick with regular old peanut butter!
Popular American food items you won’t find in French grocery stores >>
4. Boudin noir
Blood sausage. Mmmmm. NOT. This dark brown/purple pork sausage is stuffed with delicious pigs’ blood and has a very potent smell and taste.
If you’re like me, you’ll try it once and you’ll probably never try it again. Or maybe you’ll surprise yourself. For me? I usually don’t eat foods that look like dog poop. This might top my list of the most popular French food I can’t stand. Or maybe the next thing on my list wins that award…
5. Tripe
This is a mix of animal innards and is commonly found in soup. Tom’s dad loves “interesting” meats like cow cheek and tongue and liver and tripe but it’s not too appealing to me. Just knowing what it is I’m eating keeps me far, far away from tripe. Tried it once. Never again.
So I hear you’re having a dinner party. If you want to win me over, be sure to start off with oysters and foie gras and then serve a mix of blood sausage and tripe for the main course and follow it up with a lovely Nutella mousse! Friends for life! Will be the best part of my life, guaranteed!
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So there’s my list of the most popular French foods I won’t eat. What about you? Are there any disgusting French foods you won’t touch?
i pretty much agree on all of those especially the fois gras. I haven’t ever tried it but it’s the way it’s made that really makes my blood boil. We went to a local cafe in England last week and I was very surprised to see it on the menu. We walked out and found somewhere else. I haven’t tried the sausage but I assume it’s like black pudding which I love but I was brought up on it! Have a good day. Maggie x
Good point about liking stuff you’re brought up with. I’m sure if we ate foie gras as kids, we might like the taste even if we object now as adults for ethical reasons. As a kid, my grandma would always have only coffee ice cream in the house so it naturally became my favorite flavor — although other 5-year-olds opted for the more kid-friendly flavors. Still love it to this day. And glad Grandma wasn’t a fan of foie gras!
I LOATHE the idea of foie gras. I would never eat it (but then I am a vege), but I go one step further (too far?) with that one and hate the thought of other people eating it too. I do love Nutella though! I didn’t realise it was French though!
Hi Holly, Nutella is Italian I believe but is commonly eaten in France. Up top there I said French foods (or those commonly eaten in France.) 😉 I don’t like when others eat foie gras either, but it’s SO popular here!
I like foie gras, but I feel like I’m in denial when I eat that or any meat because I’d never kill an animal myself to eat it. I found this article when I first came to France, and it changed my ideas a little about foie gras production. http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/12/the-physiology-of-foie-why-foie-gras-is-not-u.html
I recently ate foie de veau (veal liver), became ill, and won’t eat that again – not sure if it was too rich or poorly handled/prepared, but after I ate it several French people acted not surprised that it made me sick… I’ve tried andouillette, and I don’t feel the need to have that again. And I’m not a fan of slugs and slimy things in general, so even when escargot are dripping with butter, garlic and parsley, I’m not interested. I will sop up the extra beurre d’escargot with my bread though 🙂
Oh yuck, I think we can do a whole separate post on animal liver foods. I didn’t put pate on this list but that goes right up top with the foie de veau and all that other stuff. I wouldn’t be able to stomach it either. But good for you for trying it! Not sure I could have been that brave!
What about foie gras on oysters? Just kidding 🙂 I guess I’m a typical French guy, I like all of them! Soon I’ll comment on your other post on how you got there. Have a great day Diane.
Well why stop there?? Let’s smear some Nutella on top! Have a good afternoon as well!
I hate all of these too! Well, except for Nutella, I must be honest : I used to like it as a kid (but not as much as the French!), but now that I know that it is basically 60% palm oil, I’m not touching it anymore!
Foie gras is a real nightmare during holiday season : I hate it because of the same reasons as you (+ the greasy texture, god this is just awful), and everyone looks as if I was a picky girl because “how could you not like that?!” urgh…
I would add escargot and frog’s legs to the list! no way I’ll eat that!!
Eww yes, the texture really is nasty in my opinion. I’m feeling queasy typing this. And that yellow layer of fat or whatever it is. Just yuck. I can’t do it. I’m happy to be picky when it comes to things like this!
I like oysters fried.
No boudin or tripe.
foie gras fine in very small quantity, never foie gras de campagne.
Never tried fried oysters. I’d try them once just to say I tried them.
I agree with your list, except Nutella… I love it! I would add tete de veau to the would not eat list. Yuck! I don’t think I’d eat escargot again either.
Yes, tons of people love Nutella but for some reason it’s just not a taste I ever learned to like. Ewww tete de veau. Don’t even want to think about that.
You are so funny Diane ! Being 1/2 Scottish and 1/2 French I’ve had the good fortune to see everything at my house ! My mother made fois gras all of the time growing up. I would never eat it ! In my grandmother’s kitchen there was always some kind of animal head laying on the counter or in the fridge. The ancient Scots have always been fascinated with severed heads. This is why stuffed fish heads are a delicacy. My dad made Haggis several times a year on holidays. This is Sheep’s insides, suet, oatmeal, onions, herbs salt and pepper. If you like to go to high tea in the afternoon you can also try a delicious tongue sandwich !
Oh my gosh, that sounds like torture. But I guess it’s all normal for someone growing up. It’s what we’re used to. I’ll kindly pass on the tongue sandwich. Eek!!
Eeewww. Tongue! My dad has eaten that here in the U.S. He will eat anything. I would gag!
I totally agree with all 5 on your list however the least objectionable would be Nutella – I don’t eat it because for me it’s not worth the calorie spend. The others: 100% never!
We stand united, Shelby. Hahah. Some of the stuff I see at the butcher doesn’t even look like food. Head cheese and blood sausage and all that stuff. I will say that it seems that the older generations tend to like those things more than say 20-year-olds. If you’re 70+ years old, the “odd” meats are more your thing.
i don’t like tripes or andouillette, but I love boudin noir! my kids do too.
i agree it’s a cultural thing: we grow up eating that kind of stuff, without questioning it. that’s why we love to eat veal liver or rognons (don’t know the translation).
i once invited an American friend for a lunch where I served boudin noir, with mashed potatoes and apple sauce (you should mix the three in your plate for best flavor). I told her: you can try it, and if you don’t like it, just go with mashed potatoes and roasted chicken. well, the chicken went back to the kitchen untouched!
I thought of you today as I strolled down the ham/meat/lardons aisle in the supermarket and saw the boudin noir packages. One was a boudin noir/pomme mix. Not sure I could stomach it but I’ll try the mix once. 😉
please promise me that the day you decide to try boudin noir, you’ll buy it in a real butcher shop, not in the supermarket!
and with home-made apple sauce and mashed potatoes (no purée mousseline)
OK I promise but that day may never come!!
I’m like you pretty adventurous eater. I’m half asian so i’ve eaten my fair share of weird foods.
I actually love the taste of Foie Gras but “try” not to eat it because of the way it is made.
I won’t eat veal either. My cousin lives in the country in Quebec Canada and I was traumatized by seeing poor little calves contained for most of their life unable to move;
My French Canadian side of me is used to eating tongue and even brain but I find if i think too much about it I get grossed out.
Awww, yea the treatment of the calves is terrible. I buy my eggs at the marche because I know they’re all free-range and grass fed. Best part is the eggs are the same price as the supermarket or cheaper So win-win.
Oh man, brain. I could never!
Did you try the “andouillettes” ? I have never been able to taste it just because of the horrible smell !!
I saw them in the supermarket today and should have taken a pic. All of the stuff I hate was all together, pate/andouillettes/boudin noir/foie gras. Eek. I don’t even want to think about the smell. Not sure I’ve ever smelled it. And don’t want to!
How is it possible to dislike pâté ???!! =)
‘m actually a big foie gras and Nutella fan.
But Tracy and I avoid eating anything that was previous a pet or companion. No rabbit or horse.
I’ve looked at boudin noir and just can’t do it.
Hopefully not together! Yes, big no to anything that was a pet. I’d try it to be polite at someone’s house for dinner but I’d never seek it out. Yuck.
First of all thanks @mappingmegan for posting your story. Great one, and laughing. I’ll agree on the fois gras, but for the rest… Yup. Expect no dinner invites. I was expecting the post to be about the more traditional snails and frogs legs. Interesting choices though. Here are a few of mine, mostly from Asia.
https://paxview.wordpress.com/2013/10/31/strange-food/
Ps: With enough wine… It all tastes better.
Hi there! Thanks for checking out the post. I actually like snails and frogs’ legs! These were the foods in recent memory but so many of the commenters here have mentioned other foods I could probably add. Scared to check out your post on Asian foods… but I will. 😉
i don’t eat tripe, and I don’t eat Nutella, since I am allergic to hazelnuts (plus, it’s cheap fat and sugar, not exactly my idea of food). The rest I’ll eat happily, But then I don’t eat French andouille. The one time I tried it it smelled and tasted like the part of the pig it is made from…
Eek, I will stay away from the andouille. Don’t like the idea of it and everyone says it tastes and smells terrible. That’s good enough proof for me!
It’s really only the last two that I won’t eat. Tripe makes me gag and I just don’t like blood sausage much. But fresh oysters are amazing–the best I had were farmed in Hokkaido.
Yeah, they are both gross in my opinion. Come across any “weird” foods in Asia? Will check out your blog. Thanks for stopping by!
So funny for a french lady to read this post! 🙂
We do have lot of weird food I guess.
But just to be clear and not afraid american people to come in France and have a good french meal, french peeps don’t eat this kind of food that much 😉
Nah, your food isn’t weird. It’s just different and not the “norm” for an American like me who didn’t grow up with it. I’m sure we eat weird stuff too haha. But like someone you mentioned, most French people don’t eat tripe regularly for dinner. It’s more of a specialty. Thanks for checking out my post and commenting!
So how about some veal head and a bit of horse sausage for next lunch? ;)))
Ok I promise I won’t cook you this if you come to dinner, but of course there are thousands of other delicious French foods to discover! Have a look at my website, I’m sure you’ll find plenty frenchandparfait.com Bon appétit!
Yuck, yuck, yuck! No thank you hahahaha. I’ll have to do a post on my favorite French foods. Love your chocolate mousse video and looking forward to reading more on your blog!
and you consider to be somewhat adventurous when it comes to food… I don’t think so!!! Sorry but you are not “adventurous”…
Hi, I said “somewhat,” didn’t I? I’ve tried a bunch of foods over the years but didn’t say I liked them all! 😉
Haha, I’m french and I eat none of those things too (except Nutella… But I prefer peanut butter on toast with banana slices)
Ah yes, a favorite of mine as well!
I loooooove oysters, I looooove boudin noir (I finally find boudin noir in the US yeeeepeeee!), I like Nutella and foie gras (but not so much, only a small part), and I don’t like Tripes.
Did you try frogs thigh? (it’s not a joke, french people – including me- love that) 😀
Oh wow, did you find it at a grocery store in the US or a specialty butcher shop? I have tried frogs before. Just once. They weren’t horrible but it’s not something I’d go out of my way to eat again.
I love the first three-it is the tripe and boudin noir I will not try. When I was admitted to law school my Dad sent me off with a large jar of Nutella. Too bad they use corn syrup in the Nutella here in the US and Canada. My post this morning has lots of doors you may like.
Honestly, I really hate French food. Seriously. There aren’t many French dishes I enjoy. When I studied there during my year abroad in university, there was always a line-up of fellow Canadians at the microwave at the CU, trying to cook the crap out of our steak frites. I can’t stand pink steak! They always want to include some kind of innard or fish head in their meals. Now the boulangerie, on the other hand, that I enjoy!
I totally agree with you. But I do like fried oysters not raw – lol lol.
The oysters must be alive (yes, exactly : alive !) when you eat them, otherwise you get sick. People get sick when their oysters were dead several hours or days before they were eaten.
Oysters need water to live, so you must handle them carefully in order not to spill the water reserve they keep in their shells.