Markets teeming with local produce, lively café terraces, sun-kissed olive groves tended by third-generation farmers; old truffle farms, vineyards and oyster farms reflecting the beauty of each season…
The smorgasbord of romantic awards bestowed upon la belle France is staggering, and most are food-related.
Attending a food festival is a golden ticket to sampling seasonal produce, meeting local producers and artisans, and really getting under your skin with France’s down-to-earth food culture. Almost every French specialty has its own Firmly (Festival).
Here’s a highlight from Lonely Planet’s new book: eat france, celebrating the vibrant culinary scene of one of the world’s premier foodie destinations, from Paris to Corsica. From the communal tables in a vineyard to the world’s most incredible citrus fruits, get ready for the foodie tour of a lifetime.
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France’s food festival calendar: where and when to get the best local food
January is all about truffles
Fete de la Truffle
Feast on prized black truffles at this two-day truffle festival in Sarlat-la-Canéda in the Dordogne. The harvest of the black truffle in Provence is celebrated with a truffle fair in Aups.
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February is all about lemons and sea urchins
Fete du Citron
Feast on Menton lemons and admire monumental sculptures and floats made from the fruit at the seaside city’s Lemon Festival.
Les Oursinades
lover of our sin (sea urchin) wheezing bucketfuls of its bright orange innards in the fishing port of Carry-le-Rouet on the Côte Bleue.
The best things to do in France with kids
March is for ham and scallops
Foire au Jambon
The country’s finest cured ham has been celebrated with enthusiasm at Bayonne’s famous Ham Fair in the Pays Basque since 1462.
Fête de la Coquille St-Jacques
Luxurious scallops caught in Brittany’s Baie de St-Brieuc abound at this two-day festival that closes the tightly regulated scallop fishing season. The fishing ports of Paimpol, Saint-Quay-Portrieux and Erquy take turns hosting.
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May is for cherries
Fete de la Cerise
Sun-drenched Céret in Roussillon celebrates its cherry harvest with two days of markets, tastings and live music. Or visit the cherry-rich Basque village of Itxassou.
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June stands for garlic
Foire a l’Ail
Intoxicating scents fill the honey-colored Languedoc town of Uzès during the Garlic Fair.
France has its first-ever Michelin-starred vegan restaurant
July is for oysters
Fêtes de l’Huître
Summer-long seafaring towns around the Bassin de Thau on the Atlantic coast toast the iconic Bouzigues oyster with tastings, boisterous oyster feasts at communal tables and visits to local oyster farms.
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August is for champagne
Route du Champagne en Fête
Free tastings in the cellars of more than 20 world-class champagne houses are a highlight of this weekend festival celebrating the world’s most famous sparkling wines.
The 7 best day trips from Paris: Add a new dimension to your city break
September is for mussels
Braderie of Lille
Europe’s largest outdoor flea market in Lille is as much about mussel overdosing as it is about bargain shopping.
Taste of Paris
Filling the Grand Palais in Paris, this brilliant food fair showcases a huge range of French food products, regional cuisines and cooking styles – with tastings, meals, live cooking and cooking classes.
20 Best Free Things to Do in Paris: Explore France’s capital on a budget
October is for chestnuts, cows and chili peppers
Fete de la Chataigne
Pick, eat and fill up on sweet chestnuts native to the forests around Collobrières in the Massif des Maures in Provence.
Le Retour des Alpages
The return of cattle from the mountain pastures has been cause for celebration since the Middle Ages. Annecy celebrates with traditional music, flower-bedecked cows and street stalls selling local Savoyard cheese.
Fete du Allspice
A formal blessing of the city’s chili peppers and the refinement of a chevalier du allspice (a Knight of the Pimiento) are highlights of this chili pepper fair in Espelette, Pays Basque.
Prepare your taste buds: New French Food and Wine Museum opens in Dijon
November is all about wine
Beaujolais Nouveau
On the third Thursday in November, the bottles of cherry red Beaujolais Nouveau are cracked at midnight sharp – and what a party in Beaujolais and nearby Lyon.
Vente aux Encheres des Vins de Hospices de Beaune
The biggest of all wine festivals on Burgundy’s prestigious Côte d’Or, this is a three-day extravaganza of tastings, cuisine and a private wine auction.
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December is for Christmas markets
Marché de Noël
mug off Vin Chaud (mulled wine) in hand, stroll through fairytale stalls selling handicrafts and spices bredele (biscuits) at the month-long Strasbourg Christmas market.
The best time to travel to France
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