The food of Paris & Île-de-France

Paris and its surrounding region offer both everyday bakery food and elaborate pastry traditions. A ham-and-butter baguette is one route in; a Paris-Brest or Saint-Honoré is another. These foods are widely enjoyed elsewhere too, so this guide describes culinary connections rather than claiming exclusive ownership.

Start at the bakery

A jambon-beurre makes bread, butter and ham the whole point of the sandwich. For something sweet, compare the praline cream of Paris-Brest, the cream-and-choux construction of Saint-Honoré and the coffee-and-chocolate layers of an opéra.

A seasonal pastry and a familiar broth

Galette des rois is associated with the Epiphany season and often appears in January. Pot-au-feu brings beef, vegetables and broth together in a different kind of meal. Availability on US menus depends on the individual kitchen.