Here you’ll find 50 French foods that start with S, organized from “Sabayon” to “Sérac”. The list highlights regional cheeses, sauces, breads, desserts and classic bistro dishes. Use it for menu planning, travel or culinary study.

French foods that start with S are a diverse group of regional specialties, cheeses, sauces, breads and desserts found across France. Many items reflect strong local identities, from Alpine sérac to coastal seafood preparations.

Below you’ll find the table with Name, Region of origin, and Main ingredients.

Name: The food’s common name as used in France; you can scan quickly for familiar or new dishes.

Region of origin: The region or town associated with the item, so you can understand its local roots and traditions.

Main ingredients: A concise list of three to five primary ingredients, helping you anticipate flavor, allergens and cooking needs.

French foods that start with S

Name Type Region Main ingredients Description
Soupe à l’oignon dish Paris onions, beef stock, bread, cheese Classic Parisian onion soup of caramelized onions in beef broth, gratinéed with crouton and melted cheese.
Salade niçoise dish Nice tomatoes, tuna, anchovies, olives, eggs Iconic salad from Nice combining fresh vegetables, tuna or anchovies, olives and hard-boiled eggs.
Salade lyonnaise dish Lyon frisée lettuce, lardons, poached egg, croutons, vinaigrette Warm salad of frisée with bacon lardons and a runny egg, a Lyonnaise bistro staple.
Steak frites dish France beef steak, potatoes, butter, salt Quintessential French bistro plate: simply cooked steak served with thin or thick fries and beurre maître d’hôtel.
Steak tartare dish France raw beef, egg yolk, capers, onions, mustard Finely chopped raw beef seasoned with condiments and topped with a raw egg yolk; classic French raw dish.
Soufflé dessert France eggs, butter, flour, sugar/cheese Light, airy baked dish that can be sweet (sugar, chocolate) or savory (cheese), relies on whipped egg whites.
Sablé Breton pastry Brittany flour, butter, sugar, egg, salt Rich, crumbly shortbread cookie from Brittany with intense butter flavor.
Sablé pastry France flour, butter, sugar, egg Generic French shortbread-style cookie; regional variations include Sablé Breton and flavored versions.
Saint-Honoré pastry Paris puff pastry, choux, pastry cream, caramel Elegant Parisian cake combining puff and choux pastry, filled with cream and topped with caramelized choux.
Saint-Genix pastry Savoie flour, butter, sugar, pralines Sweet brioche-like bun from Saint-Genix-sur-Guiers studded with pink pralines; regional specialty of Savoie.
Savarin pastry France flour, yeast, sugar, rum syrup Ring-shaped yeast cake soaked in syrup (often rum), served with cream or fruit.
Sabayon dessert France egg yolks, sugar, wine (or liqueur) Light, frothy custard made with whipped egg yolks, sugar and wine; served over fruit or as sauce.
Socca dish Nice chickpea flour, water, olive oil, salt Thin, crispy chickpea pancake cooked on a hot oven plate — a street-food specialty of Nice.
Saucisson sec charcuterie France pork, salt, spices, curing culture Classic dry-cured French sausage eaten sliced as charcuterie; many regional varieties exist.
Saucisson brioché charcuterie Burgundy pork sausage, brioche dough, eggs, butter Regional specialty of Burgundy: sausage encased and baked in a rich brioche.
Saucisse de Toulouse charcuterie Toulouse pork, salt, garlic, pepper Thick coarsely-ground pork sausage from Toulouse, traditional in cassoulet and grilling.
Saucisse de Morteau charcuterie Franche-Comté pork, salt, wood-smoke Heavily smoked, tightly twisted pork sausage from Morteau with a protected tradition.
Saucisse de Montbéliard charcuterie Franche-Comté pork, salt, smoked spices Small smoked sausage from Montbéliard, often lightly poached or grilled.
Saucisson d’Arles charcuterie Provence pork, garlic, salt, pepper Provençal dry sausage with rustic spices, typical of Arles and Provence.
Saucisse à l’ail charcuterie France pork, garlic, salt Traditional French garlic sausage, common on charcuterie boards and in home cooking.
Salers cheese Auvergne cow’s milk, salt, rennet Rustic pressed cow’s-milk cheese from Auvergne, traditionally made from summer milk in mountain pastures.
Saint-Nectaire cheese Auvergne cow’s milk, salt, rennet Semi-soft washed-rind AOP cheese from Auvergne with earthy, mushroomy flavors.
Saint-Marcellin cheese Isère cow’s milk, salt, rennet Small creamy cheese from the Dauphiné that becomes very soft and runny when ripe.
Sainte-Maure de Touraine cheese Touraine goat’s milk, salt, ash, straw AOP log-shaped goat cheese marked with a straw through its center; characteristic Loire goat cheese.
Selles-sur-Cher cheese Selles-sur-Cher goat’s milk, ash, salt Round, ash-coated goat cheese from the Loire Valley with subtle, tangy flavor; AOP.
Saint-Agur cheese Auvergne cow’s milk, blue mold, salt Rich, creamy blue cheese made from cow’s milk, milder than Roquefort.
Soumaintrain cheese Burgundy cow’s milk, salt, rennet Strong-smelling washed-rind cheese from Burgundy with a creamy interior.
Sérac cheese Savoie skimmed cow/goat milk, salt Fresh alpine cheese (serac) from mountain regions, soft and mild.
Salicorne ingredient Brittany samphire (sea vegetable) Crunchy coastal plant sold brined or fresh, used as garnish or side vegetable with seafood.
Sarrasin ingredient Brittany buckwheat flour Buckwheat used for savory galettes (crêpes de sarrasin) and rustic breads in Brittany.
Sel de Guérande ingredient Guérande sea salt Coarse, unrefined Celtic sea salt harvested from Guérande marshes, prized for flavor and minerality.
Saumon fumé ingredient France salmon, smoke, salt Smoked salmon commonly served on toasts, blinis or in salads; widely produced in France.
Sancerre drink Loire Sauvignon Blanc grapes Famous Loire white wine appellation prized for vibrant acidity and mineral character.
Sauternes drink Bordeaux Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle Sweet, botrytized white wine from Bordeaux, known for honeyed apricot flavors.
Saint-Émilion drink Bordeaux Merlot, Cabernet Franc grapes Renowned red wine appellation east of Bordeaux producing age-worthy Merlot-dominant wines.
Syrah ingredient Rhône Syrah grapes Red grape variety central to northern Rhône wines, noted for peppery, dark-fruit character.
Sirop de menthe drink France sugar, water, mint Concentrated mint syrup used to make refreshing drinks or to flavor desserts.
Soupe au pistou dish Provence tomatoes, beans, pasta, basil, garlic Hearty Provençal vegetable soup finished with pistou (basil, garlic and olive oil).
Soupe de poisson dish Provence mixed fish, tomatoes, garlic, saffron Provençal fish soup served with croutons and rouille; base for bouillabaisse-like dishes.
Salmis dish France game bird, stock, red wine, liver, butter Rich classical preparation of roasted game turned into an intense pan sauce for slices of bird.
Sauce béarnaise sauce France butter, egg yolks, tarragon, vinegar Emulsified butter sauce flavored with tarragon and shallot vinegar, classic with steak and grilled meats.
Sauce hollandaise sauce France butter, egg yolks, lemon Velvety emulsified butter-and-egg sauce often used with eggs and vegetables.
Sauce gribiche sauce France hard-boiled eggs, mustard, capers, cornichons, oil Cold mayonnaise-like sauce of chopped eggs and pickles for cold meats and fish.
Sauce ravigote sauce France mustard, vinegar, herbs, oil Zesty vinaigrette-style sauce with herbs for fish and boiled meats.
Sauce rémoulade sauce France mayonnaise, mustard, capers, gherkins Tangy mayonnaise-based sauce for fish, crab, or cold vegetables.
Sauce Soubise sauce France onions, béchamel, butter Creamy onion-based béchamel sauce traditionally served with meats.
Sauce au poivre sauce France peppercorns, cream, brandy, butter Classic peppercorn cream sauce served with steak in bistros.
Sot-l’y-laisse ingredient France chicken/turkey, dark meat Two prized small morsels of meat (oysters) on either side of the backbone, prized in French cooking.
Sucette (bonbon) dessert France sugar, glucose, flavoring Traditional French hard-candy lollipop (sucette) often sold at fairs; simple sugar confection.
Sucre d’orge dessert France sugar, water, flavoring Traditional French barley-sugar candy made from boiled sugar, historically popular as a sweetmeat.

Descriptions

Soupe à l’oignon
Salade niçoise
Salade lyonnaise
Steak frites
Steak tartare
Soufflé
Sablé Breton
Sablé
Saint-Honoré
Saint-Genix
Savarin
Sabayon
Socca
Saucisson sec
Saucisson brioché
Saucisse de Toulouse
Saucisse de Morteau
Saucisse de Montbéliard
Saucisson d’Arles
Saucisse à l’ail
Salers
Saint-Nectaire
Saint-Marcellin
Sainte-Maure de Touraine
Selles-sur-Cher
Saint-Agur
Soumaintrain
Sérac
Salicorne
Sarrasin
Sel de Guérande
Saumon fumé
Sancerre
Sauternes
Saint-Émilion
Syrah
Sirop de menthe
Soupe au pistou
Soupe de poisson
Salmis
Sauce béarnaise
Sauce hollandaise
Sauce gribiche
Sauce ravigote
Sauce rémoulade
Sauce Soubise
Sauce au poivre
Sot-l’y-laisse
Sucette (bonbon)
Sucre d’orge
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