In a country laden with fresh food, visitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to enjoying seasonal produce in France. Eating according to a seasonal calendar is not only healthy and delicious, it also keeps your carbon footprint down. But what should you be eating when?
What to eat in France – a month by month breakdown
Read our month-by-month guide to discover what seasonal foods ought to be on your plate at different times of the year in France.
In January make it about carrots and langoustine
Carrots are the second most popular vegetable in France and available all year-round. But for a touch of sweetness in your winter stews and soups, go for the special winter variety, carrotte de garde in January. And if possible, buy ones that come with the Label Rouge, a stamp awarded to only the best produce.
Langoustines are also at their best seasonal eating in January. The waters around Brittany give up one of the most treasured seasonal produce in France now. Buy them as fresh as they come at classic French food markets around the country.
February for eel and grapefruit
But obviously not together! Conger eel is the main ingredient in one of France’s greatest national dishes, bouillabaisse. Originally from Marseille, the fish and seafood stew now appears on menus around the country. And the eel, at its tastiest in winter, is one of the star ingredients.
> Discover three ways to make bouillabaisse
The winter is also the height of the citrus fruit season and in February, grapefruit take centre stage. The juiciest come from Corsica where the fruit has IGP status.
> Read about protected French foods
And this month of the year is also high season for Bleu des Causses. This blue cheese, made with cow’s milk, comes to maturity in deep caves in the Tarn region, to the east of Bordeaux.
Oignon time in March
Perhaps the French vegetable par excellence, onions are in full season in late winter. There are, of course, plenty of varieties, all good for making traditional French dishes such as French onion soup or pissaladiere, the Provençal ‘pizza’. But in March, go for sweet onions from Cévennes or the oignon rosé from Roscoff. Both have AOP status.
Go green in April
Early spring sees a flood of delicious green seasonal produce in France with asparagus and green beans leading the band. Asparagus, white or green, comes into its own in April and the best in the country hails from Les Landes and La Gironde. Pair with a local white Bordeaux for a meal made in paradise.
> See this delicious part of France for yourself when you cruise the Garonne
Beans form a staple part of the French diet, but the juiciest are in season in April. Known as févettes, the young green beans almost melt in your mouth. And of course, in French cuisine, they serve them as a course in their own right – all you need is a dash of seasoning and lashings of butter.
May is white and purple
Mid-spring sees the arrival of one of the most iconic vegetables in France, the artichoke. Its white version, the Camus breton, grown in Brittany, claims to be the best, while in purple, as any discerning French foodie will tell you, it has to be the Violet de Provence. Best of all? This seasonal produce in France carries on until high summer so look out for it at farmers markets.
Camembert also reaches full ripeness in May as the cows graze in the lush spring pastures. The Normandy versions are the most authentic and come with AOP and Label Rouge status.
Make it octopus and tomatoes in June
Mostly fished in the Mediterranean, octopus is at its best in early summer. You’ll find it on the menu at restaurants and beach bars along the French coast, grilled or braised usually. If you’re in Provence, don’t miss poulpes provençales (octopus with tomatoes and white wine).
Coincidentally, tomatoes are also in high season in June. Known as the king of summer fruit and vegetables, they come in several varieties. National favourites include Marmande, a large sweet tomato from Lot-en-Garonne; bull’s heart, the largest variety; and cherry tomatoes, perfect for summer picnics.
Juicy July
Known as the ‘woodland strawberry’ in French, raspberries (framboise) dominate the fruit scene in summer. The juiciest seasonal fruit come from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes where the wet and warm climate is just perfect for this pink fruit.
On the opposite side of the colour wheel is the brilliant green cresson, a watercress that is at its peppery crunchy best in high summer. Most comes from wetlands in the Île de France area.
August is for M
As in mackerel and Mirabelle plums, both French foods at their most succulent in August. Mackerel is fished off most of the French coastline and stars on many summer menus. And any which way – grilled, barbecued, smoked, tinned…
After your mains of mackerel, finish your meal with the small, round, yellow mirabelle plums. They grow in orchards in Grand-Est and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. If you want the very best in France, look for Mirabelle from Lorraine with AGP status on market stalls.
Shop and cook your own seasonal produce
When you hire a self-drive boat on a French waterway. Plan your route to include stops at local markets where you can stock up on delicious seasonal fruits and vegetables to cook on board.
September for leeks and figs
The early autumn heralds when root vegetables are in season in France, and in September, leeks begin to arrive at markets. To enjoy the tastiest fall season produce, choose the Label Rouge poireau des sables, grown in the sandy soils by the Atlantic in Normandy or the leeks from Créances with the IGP stamp.
On the sweeter side, September is all about figs. They grow everywhere in the south of France – look out for their sweet scent in the air – and form part and parcel of traditional desserts and pastries. If you fancy trying some with floral notes, buy figs from Solliès, near the French Riviera.
In October enjoy mushrooms and chestnuts
Earthy tastes characterise seasonal produce in France at this time of year. You can of course buy mushrooms year-round, but they tend to be at their best in autumn. The champignon de Paris are a household name in French cuisine and famed as the choicest in the country. They’re actually grown in the Pays de la Loire, deep in cellars in Anjou. And as their slogan says, they’re to be eaten without moderation!
October sees chestnuts at their best too and in France, the most flavoursome come from the Ardéche and Corsica where chestnut flour is something of a delicacy. If you aren’t in time for chestnut season, don’t worry – the famous marrons glacés are available all year round.
Saint Jacques and sprouts in November
The Coquille Saint Jacques is perhaps the most quintessential shellfish in France and something of a French culture institution. Scallop season begins in early October and continues until early May with strict quotas for fishermen in Normandy and Brittany. This succulent scallop appears in a number of classic French dishes, but tastes its best in the traditional recipe – baked with white wine and mushrooms, preferably the champignon de Paris.
Probably not the best side for scallops, but great to accompany a hearty winter stew, Brussel sprouts come into their own in the winter. Most are grown in the Hauts-de-France region and the French eat them in a sauce made with mustard and almonds.
December is for endives and oysters
A classic French vegetable, the endive has its heyday in winter. There are two varieties – white or purple – and they’re from Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. To ensure maximum whiteness, endive is grown in the dark.
Endive may feature on a Christmas menu or two in France, but the king of the festive table is the oyster. The huîtres make a timely appearance too because December is their best season when the French consume them by the dozen, served on ice with a twist of lemon. True foodies claim that champagne is the only thing to pair them with, but a white Sancerre is just as delicious.
> See what else the French eat at Christmas
More seasonal produce in France
There are of course lots of other fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, seafood and cheeses at their best at different times of the year. The French Ministry of Agriculture does an excellent month-by-month round-up with more information on the deliciousness of individual products.
Discover the best food in the best season
Our luxury barge hotels serve the best of French cuisine with fresh local produce that’s in season when you cruise. And it comes perfectly paired with wines from the area too.
Find out more about enjoying a foodie feast as you glide down the most beautiful rivers in France.
> Let’s go luxury hotel barging in France
