This list includes 49 French foods that start with B, from “Baba au rhum” to “Bœuf en croûte”. It covers breads, cheeses, desserts, sauces and regional dishes you might encounter across France.
French foods that start with B are traditional dishes, breads, cheeses and desserts tied to French regions. A notable example is “Baba au rhum”, a rum-soaked cake introduced to France in the 18th century.
Below you’ll find the table with ‘Dish’, ‘Region of origin’, and ‘Main ingredients’.
Dish: Name of the food as commonly used in French or English, so you identify it quickly.
Region of origin: Region or town where the food originated or became traditional, useful when planning visits or menus.
Main ingredients: Three to five key ingredients that define the recipe and guide your shopping or cooking choices.
French foods that start with B
| Name | Category | Region of origin | Main ingredients | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baguette | bread | Île-de-France (Paris) | wheat flour, water, yeast, salt | Iconic long crusty loaf with a chewy crumb, the daily staple of French bakeries and sandwiches. |
| Brioche | bread | Normandy/France (classic) | flour, eggs, butter, sugar, yeast | Rich, buttery, eggy bread used for breakfast, sandwiches and desserts like brioche à tête. |
| Bâtard | bread | France (general) | wheat flour, water, yeast, salt | Oval loaf between a baguette and a boule, versatile as table bread or for sandwiches. |
| Boule | bread | France (rural) | wheat flour, water, yeast, salt | Round country loaf with thick crust and tender interior, a rustic staple in bakeries. |
| Baba au rhum | dessert | Paris/France (popularized) | yeast dough, eggs, butter, rum syrup | Small yeast cake soaked in rum syrup, often with whipped cream (origin disputed: Poland/Paris). |
| Bûche de Noël | dessert | France (national Christmas) | sponge cake, buttercream, chocolate, sugar | Yule log cake rolled and decorated to look like a log, central to French Christmas tables. |
| Béarnaise | sauce | Béarn (southwest France) | butter, egg yolks, tarragon, shallots, vinegar | Emulsified butter sauce flavored with tarragon and shallots, classic with steak and grilled meats. |
| Béchamel | sauce | France (classic) | milk, butter, flour (roux), nutmeg | Creamy white sauce foundational to French cooking, used in gratins, lasagnes, and croque-monsieur. |
| Beurre blanc | sauce | Nantes / Loire-Atlantique | butter, white wine, shallots, vinegar | Silky emulsified butter-and-wine sauce from the Loire, ideal for fish and shellfish. |
| Bordelaise | sauce | Bordeaux | red wine, bone marrow, shallots, butter | Rich red-wine and marrow sauce traditionally served with beef and grilled meats. |
| Beurre maître d’hôtel | sauce | France (classic) | butter, parsley, lemon, salt | Herb-and-lemon compound butter served atop steaks, fish or vegetables as a finishing touch. |
| Beurre manié | sauce | France (classic) | butter, flour, salt | Simple kneaded paste of butter and flour used to thicken sauces and stews. |
| Blanquette de veau | dish | France (classic) | veal, onions, carrots, white stock, cream | Gentle white ragout of veal finished with cream and lemon; a comforting French classic. |
| Bœuf Bourguignon | dish | Burgundy (Bourgogne) | beef, red wine, bacon, onions, carrots | Slow-braised beef in Burgundy wine, rich, deeply flavored and emblematic of regional cuisine. |
| Bouillabaisse | dish | Marseille / Provence | mixed fish, fennel, tomatoes, saffron, olive oil | Provençal fish stew from Marseille, famously served with rouille and toasted bread. |
| Bourride | dish | Provence | white fish, garlic, aioli, olive oil, lemon | Provençal fish stew similar to bouillabaisse, typically thickened with aioli for a creamy finish. |
| Brandade de morue | dish | Languedoc / Provence | salt cod, olive oil, milk, potatoes, garlic | Whipped salt cod purée often served with toast or potatoes, a regional comfort food. |
| Baeckeoffe | dish | Alsace | pork, beef, lamb, potatoes, white wine | Alsatian marinated meat-and-potato casserole slow-baked in a sealed dish; hearty country fare. |
| Brochette | dish | France (general) | meat, vegetables, marinade, oil | Skewered and grilled meats or seafood, served as casual mains or starters across France. |
| Bœuf en croûte | dish | France (classic) | beef fillet, puff pastry, mushrooms, mustard | Beef wrapped in pastry and baked, an elegant main sometimes called the French take on beef Wellington. |
| Boudin noir | dish | Normandy / Brittany | pork blood, pork fat, onions, breadcrumbs, spices | Traditional blood sausage, often pan-fried and paired with apples, potatoes or lentils. |
| Boudin blanc | dish | Normandy / France | pork, milk, breadcrumbs, eggs, spices | Delicate white pork-and-milk sausage, commonly served at festive meals and Christmas. |
| Boulette d’Avesnes | cheese | Nord (Avesnes-sur-Helpe) | cow’s milk, salt, pepper, paprika, spices | Small spicy cylindrical cheese rolled in paprika and pepper, a savory specialty from the north. |
| Banon | cheese | Provence (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) | goat’s milk, salt, rennet, chestnut leaves | Small wrapped chèvre matured in chestnut leaves, often served with olive oil or herbs. |
| Brie de Meaux | cheese | Île-de-France (Meaux) | cow’s milk, rennet, cultures, salt | Iconic soft-ripened cheese with a bloomy rind, AOC-protected, creamy and nutty in flavor. |
| Brie de Melun | cheese | Île-de-France (Melun) | cow’s milk, rennet, cultures, salt | Older, more robust Brie with a pronounced aroma and tang, historically prized in Paris. |
| Bleu d’Auvergne | cheese | Auvergne | cow’s milk, blue mold, salt, rennet | Creamy blue cheese with spicy, tangy character; one of France’s classic blue cheeses (AOP). |
| Bleu de Bresse | cheese | Bresse (Ain) | cow’s milk, blue mold, salt, rennet | Soft, creamy blue cheese from eastern France, milder and less crumbly than many bleus. |
| Bleu des Causses | cheese | Aveyron (Occitanie) | cow’s milk, blue mold, salt, rennet | Dense, cave-aged blue cheese with earthy, robust flavors from the Causses plateaus. |
| Bleu de Gex | cheese | Jura (Franche-Comté) | cow’s milk, blue mold, salt, rennet | Delicate alpine blue with milky sweetness and gentle blue tang (PDO-protected). |
| Brocciu | cheese | Corsica | sheep/goat milk, rennet, salt | Fresh Corsican whey cheese used in both savory dishes and desserts; PDO-protected and seasonal. |
| Brousse du Rove | cheese | Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône) | goat milk, salt, rennet | Fresh, slightly grainy goat cheese from the Marseille area, often eaten with honey or fruit. |
| Bouchée à la Reine | dish | France (classic) | puff pastry, chicken, mushrooms, cream, stock | Small puff pastry case (vol-au-vent) filled with creamy chicken and mushroom ragout, elegant starter. |
| Bisque | dish | France (coastal) | shellfish, cream, tomatoes, brandy | Smooth, concentrated shellfish soup, rich and velvety, often made from lobster or crab shells. |
| Beignet | dessert | France (common) | flour, eggs, sugar, oil, fruit or cream | Fried dough pastry, light or filled, popular at fairs, cafés and as a breakfast treat. |
| Biscuit rose de Reims | dessert | Reims (Champagne) | flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla | Light pink twice-baked biscuit, traditionally dipped in Champagne or dessert wines. |
| Bavarois | dessert | France (pâtisserie classic) | custard, gelatin, whipped cream, sugar | Silky set cream dessert often molded and served with fruit or coulis in pâtisseries. |
| Berlingot | dessert | Carpentras (Vaucluse) | sugar, flavoring, color | Small hard candy in bright stripes, a traditional sweet from Carpentras with many flavors. |
| Beaufort | cheese | Savoie (Alps) | cow’s milk, salt, rennet | Firm alpine cheese with nutty, fruity notes, historically used in fondue and mountain cuisine (AOP). |
| Biscuit de Savoie | dessert | Savoie (Savoie) | eggs, sugar, flour, butter | Light, airy sponge cake traditionally dusted with sugar, popular with tea or as cake base. |
| Broyé du Poitou | dessert | Poitou (Nouvelle-Aquitaine) | flour, butter, sugar, eggs | Large flat buttery cake that is cracked (“brodé”) before serving, a Poitou specialty. |
| Bêtise de Cambrai | dessert/candy | Cambrai (Nord) | sugar, mint flavoring, caramel | Mint-and-caramel striped hard candy, a regional specialty with a playful name meaning “mistake”. |
| Bugnes | dessert | Rhône-Alpes / Lyon | flour, eggs, sugar, butter, oil | Crispy fried dough similar to beignets, traditional for Mardi Gras in Lyon and surrounding areas. |
| Bière de Garde | drink | Nord-Pas-de-Calais / Hauts-de-France | barley malt, hops, yeast, water | Traditional French farmhouse ale, malty and bottle-conditioned, brewed for cellar aging. |
| Bordeaux | drink | Bordeaux | grapes (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc), yeast, oak | World-famous wine region producing structured red and elegant white wines, central to French viticulture. |
| Beaujolais | drink | Beaujolais (Bourgogne) | Gamay grapes, yeast, oak | Light, fruity red wines including Beaujolais Nouveau, approachable and food-friendly. |
| Banyuls | drink | Roussillon (Pyrénées-Orientales) | Grenache grapes, fortifying spirit, sugar | Fortified sweet red wine from the Mediterranean Roussillon, classic with chocolate or desserts. |
| Barigoule (artichauts) | dish | Provence / Lyonnais variations | artichokes, white wine, olive oil, herbs, bacon | Braised artichokes (artichauts à la barigoule) cooked in wine and aromatics, served as a rustic side. |
| Biscuit Joconde | dessert | France (pâtisserie) | almond flour, eggs, sugar, flour | Flexible almond sponge used as a layer in entremets and opera cakes in classic French pastry. |
Descriptions
Baguette
Brioche
Bâtard
Boule
Baba au rhum
Bûche de Noël
Béarnaise
Béchamel
Beurre blanc
Bordelaise
Beurre maître d’hôtel
Beurre manié
Blanquette de veau
Bœuf Bourguignon
Bouillabaisse
Bourride
Brandade de morue
Baeckeoffe
Brochette
Bœuf en croûte
Boudin noir
Boudin blanc
Boulette d’Avesnes
Banon
Brie de Meaux
Brie de Melun
Bleu d’Auvergne
Bleu de Bresse
Bleu des Causses
Bleu de Gex
Brocciu
Brousse du Rove
Bouchée à la Reine
Bisque
Beignet
Biscuit rose de Reims
Bavarois
Berlingot
Beaufort
Biscuit de Savoie
Broyé du Poitou
Bêtise de Cambrai
Bugnes
Bière de Garde
Bordeaux
Beaujolais
Banyuls
Barigoule (artichauts)
Biscuit Joconde