This list includes 48 French foods that start with P, from “Pain au chocolat” to “Pêche Melba”. These entries cover breads, cheeses, desserts, sauces, and regional specialties across France. They are useful for menus, travel planning, and culinary study.
French foods that start with P are varied breads, cheeses, desserts, sauces, and regional dishes. For example, “Pain au chocolat” is a Parisian pastry, while “Pêche Melba” honors a Victorian-era singer.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Region of origin, and Main ingredients.
Name: Lists the dish or product so you can quickly find the exact French food and cross-reference recipes or menu entries.
Region of origin: Shows the region or town linked to the item, helping you understand local traditions and where to taste or buy it.
Main ingredients: Lists three to five key ingredients so you judge flavors, dietary needs, or decide to try the recipe at home.
French foods that start with P
| Name | Category | Region | Main ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pot-au-feu | Dish | France | beef, carrots, leeks, turnips |
| Poulet Marengo | Dish | France | chicken, tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic |
| Poule au pot | Dish | France | chicken, vegetables, herbs, stock |
| Pissaladière | Dish | Provence | onions, anchovies, olives, dough |
| Piperade | Dish | Basque Country | peppers, tomatoes, onions, eggs |
| Pan bagnat | Dish | Nice | bread, tuna, olive oil, vegetables |
| Potée | Dish | Lorraine | cabbage, pork, potatoes, carrots |
| Pounti | Dish | Auvergne | pork, chard, prunes, eggs |
| Petit salé aux lentilles | Dish | Burgundy | salted pork, lentils, carrots, onions |
| Panisse | Dish | Provence | chickpea flour, water, olive oil, salt |
| Poulet Basquaise | Dish | Basque Country | chicken, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions |
| Poulet chasseur | Dish | France | chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, white wine |
| Poulet au vinaigre | Dish | France | chicken, vinegar, butter, thyme |
| Pâté de campagne | Charcuterie | France | pork, liver, breadcrumbs, herbs |
| Pâté en croûte | Charcuterie | France | pork, pastry, eggs, herbs |
| Pâté de foie gras | Charcuterie | Périgord | duck or goose liver, butter, cognac |
| Pâté Lorrain | Charcuterie | Lorraine | pork, puff pastry, nutmeg, egg |
| Petit-suisse | Cheese | Normandy | cow milk, cream, cultures |
| Pont-l’Évêque | Cheese | Normandy | cow milk, cultures, salt |
| Picodon | Cheese | Drôme/Ardèche | goat milk, salt, cultures |
| Pouligny-Saint-Pierre | Cheese | Centre-Val de Loire | goat milk, salt, cultures |
| Pélardon | Cheese | Languedoc | goat milk, salt, cultures |
| Port-Salut | Cheese | Pays de la Loire | cow milk, cultures, salt |
| Petit Basque | Cheese | Basque Country | sheep milk, salt, cultures |
| Petit Beurre | Pastry | Brittany | flour, butter, sugar, milk |
| Pain de campagne | Bread | France | flour, water, yeast, salt |
| Pain d’épices | Bread | Alsace | rye flour, honey, spices, milk |
| Pain au chocolat | Pastry | France | puff pastry, chocolate, butter, flour |
| Pain perdu | Dessert | France | bread, eggs, milk, sugar |
| Pain aux raisins | Pastry | France | puff pastry, raisins, custard, sugar |
| Pogne de Romans | Bread | Romans-sur-Isère | flour, eggs, butter, orange blossom |
| Palet Breton | Pastry | Brittany | flour, butter, sugar, egg yolk |
| Pithiviers | Pastry | Pithiviers | puff pastry, almond cream, eggs, sugar |
| Paris-Brest | Pastry | Île-de-France | choux pastry, praline cream, butter, sugar |
| Profiteroles | Dessert | France | choux pastry, ice cream, chocolate, cream |
| Poire Belle Hélène | Dessert | Île-de-France | pears, chocolate, vanilla ice cream, syrup |
| Pruneaux d’Agen | Dessert | Lot-et-Garonne | prunes, sugar, Armagnac |
| Pêche Melba | Dessert | France | peaches, raspberry sauce, vanilla ice cream |
| Praline | Pastry | France | almonds, sugar, butter, cream |
| Praluline | Pastry | Roanne | brioche, pink praline, butter, sugar |
| Puits d’amour | Pastry | France | puff pastry, jam, sugar, custard |
| Petit four | Pastry | France | flour, sugar, butter, eggs |
| Pastis | Drink | Provence | anise, fennel, liquorice, alcohol |
| Pineau des Charentes | Drink | Charente | grape must, cognac, sugar, alcohol |
| Pommeau | Drink | Normandy | apple juice, calvados, alcohol, sugar |
| Pouilly-Fumé | Drink | Loire Valley | Sauvignon Blanc grapes, yeast, oak |
| Potage Parmentier | Dish | France | leeks, potatoes, butter, stock |
| Potage Saint-Germain | Dish | France | green peas, ham, stock, butter |
Descriptions
Pot-au-feu
Classic French beef-and-vegetable stew, served hot with broth and mustard; a national comfort food.
Poulet Marengo
Legendary Napoleon-era chicken in a tomato and mushroom sauce, often served with rice or bread.
Poule au pot
Henri IV’s famed wholesome chicken-and-vegetable stew, traditionally served as a family Sunday meal.
Pissaladière
Niçoise-style onion tart topped with anchovies and black olives, served warm or at room temperature.
Piperade
Bright Basque sauté of peppers and tomatoes often finished with eggs or served alongside ham.
Pan bagnat
Niçoise sandwich of soaked bread filled with salad niçoise ingredients, perfect for picnics.
Potée
Hearty country stew of meats and root vegetables, a winter staple in eastern France.
Pounti
Savory loaf from Auvergne combining meat, greens and prunes, sliced for appetizers or lunch.
Petit salé aux lentilles
Comforting slow-cooked dish of salted pork served with hearty green lentils.
Panisse
Fried or baked chickpea fritters from Provence and Nice, crisp outside and creamy inside.
Poulet Basquaise
Chicken stewed with peppers and tomatoes, a colorful Basque classic served with rice.
Poulet chasseur
Hunter’s chicken in a mushroom-tomato-wine sauce, rustic and savory.
Poulet au vinaigre
Tangy braised chicken in a vinegar sauce, often finished with butter for shine and flavor.
Pâté de campagne
Rustic country pâté served sliced with cornichons and crusty bread, a charcuterie board staple.
Pâté en croûte
Savory meat pâté baked inside pastry, elegant when sliced and often served cold.
Pâté de foie gras
Luxurious liver pâté from foie gras, commonly served on toast for special occasions.
Pâté Lorrain
Spiced pork pie encased in pastry, a traditional specialty from Lorraine.
Petit-suisse
Small creamy fresh cheese, mildly tangy and often eaten with sugar or fruit.
Pont-l’Évêque
Soft washed-rind cheese with a creamy texture and pronounced aroma, from Normandy.
Picodon
Small tangy goat cheese from the Rhône foothills, often aged for firmer texture.
Pouligny-Saint-Pierre
Distinct pyramid-shaped goat cheese with delicate, slightly nutty flavors.
Pélardon
Small round goat cheese from the Cévennes with a rustic, tangy profile.
Port-Salut
Mild semi-soft cheese with an orange rind, originally made by Trappist monks.
Petit Basque
Small, firm sheep’s milk cheese with a mild, slightly tangy flavor from the Basque region.
Petit Beurre
Classic rectangular buttery biscuit, crisp and slightly sweet—ideal with coffee or tea.
Pain de campagne
Rustic country loaf, often sourdough-style, with a crisp crust and airy crumb.
Pain d’épices
Spiced honey loaf from Alsace, aromatic and traditional at holiday markets.
Pain au chocolat
Flaky viennoiserie filled with dark chocolate, a beloved French breakfast treat.
Pain perdu
French toast made from stale bread, served sweet with sugar or savory with cheese.
Pain aux raisins
Spiral viennoiserie filled with pastry cream and raisins; common in French bakeries.
Pogne de Romans
Rich brioche-like festive cake from Romans, scented with orange blossom or rum.
Palet Breton
Dense, buttery shortbread cookie native to Brittany, perfect with coffee.
Pithiviers
Round puff pastry filled with frangipane, traditionally served at festivities.
Paris-Brest
Ring-shaped choux pastry filled with praline cream, created to honor a cycling race.
Profiteroles
Choux puffs filled with ice cream and topped with warm chocolate sauce; classic dessert.
Poire Belle Hélène
Poached pears served with vanilla ice cream and warm chocolate sauce—elegant and sweet.
Pruneaux d’Agen
Famous dried prunes from Agen, often stewed or macerated in Armagnac for desserts.
Pêche Melba
Poached peaches with raspberry coulis and vanilla ice cream, a 19th-century classic.
Praline
Caramelized sugar-coated nuts or a nut paste used as a filling or flavoring in pastries.
Praluline
Brioche studded with pink pralines, a local specialty invented in Roanne.
Puits d’amour
Small puff pastry tart filled with jam or custard, traditionally glazed with sugar.
Petit four
Tiny bite-sized confections served at the end of a meal or with tea.
Pastis
Anise-flavored aperitif from Marseille, diluted with water to reveal a milky louche.
Pineau des Charentes
Sweet fortified wine made by blending grape must with cognac, served as an aperitif.
Pommeau
Fortified apple aperitif combining unfermented apple juice and Calvados, slightly sweet.
Pouilly-Fumé
Dry white wine from the Loire, known for smoky, flinty notes and crisp acidity.
Potage Parmentier
Smooth leek-and-potato soup named after Antoine Parmentier, comforting and creamy.
Potage Saint-Germain
Velvety pea soup often enriched with ham or cream, elegant and simple.