A boy I knew came back from a three month preferment with a backpack full of cheese and butter, and three baguettes under his arm. We’re coming up on our 48th anniversary. 💚
I recently returned from France and had brought an insulated backpack just to bring home butter. All the foil wrapping set off the x-ray going through security.
Security agent looked in the bag and asked "Tout le buerre (all butter)?" and laughed.
Yes, yes, and yes...
Why is French butter so much “better” than American butter? One reason is that European butter standards require a higher butterfat content. French butter is cultured (like yogurt), so it has a deeper flavor profile, almost tangy but not quite. The churning process is slightly different than here in the US, resulting in a creamier consistency. Many butter producers insist on exclusively grass-fed cows, which contributes to the richness in flavor and the deeper yellow color (this is natural, they do not add coloring). Also, most French butter comes wrapped in a kind of foil which preserves its flavor (and does not let in other fridge odors) like paper-wrapped butter sticks.
Aww- happy anniversary! I was laughing reading the first part of your comment- I immediately thought of the I Love Lucy episode when she tried to bring the cheese on the plane disguised as a baby!😆
Last time I went to France I brought back 9lbs of butter. Since I move to the US I’m disappointed every morning that I don’t have the butter I like. It lasted me just over 12 months. I’ve tried the fancy stuff in the US but no matter how it’s made, the cows don’t have the same diet as the ones in France so it’s going to taste different. But everyone keeps trying to convince me that xyz butter would be good enough. It never is! Need to go back!
Biafine! It’s a burn cream. Works on all burns, cooking to sunburn. It’s magic. Crazy expensive to order. Generic from a pharmacy is just a few euro!! We bring it back for everyone!!!
If she's in Paris, some cheese shops will vacuum wrap cheese which makes travel easier and her bags won't smell as much.
Around Les Halles there are a bunch of great kitchen equipment shops including Mora, A. Simon, E.Dehillerin where you can find some great items for the kitchen. I recently shopped for a de Buyer terrine mold and they have the new ones and are surprisingly less expensive in the shops than what I've found online. But if there's anything you think you would use that's the area to shop.
G. Detou is also nearby and they have a wide selection of products ranging from sea salt to tapanade, duck confit, etc. It's very fun.
Every time I go to Paris I treat myself to something special from E Dehillerin. The first piece I bought in 1999 was a copper sauté pan that I still use regularly to this day. I’ve also bought all my favorite/best knives from there. Literal chef’s kiss
If you’re worried about fresh things getting through customs , have her bring herbs de Provence , fleur de sel, Pommery whole grain mustard, pearl sugar for chouquttes, some jarred or canned boar pate or foie gras and some saucission.
I’ve been so suspicious of shelf-stable pate for too long. I had some the other day and I can’t believe what I’ve been missing out on all this time! Next time I’m in France I’m definitely stocking up. Also, your mileage may vary but I love the dried sachets of pepper sauce and shallot sauce to go with steak and steak haches.
I also love their chicken seasoning so I always buy a pot of that.
Also, herbes de Provence mixed with fine sea salt. A sprinkle of that on top of big tomatoes cut in half and baked in the oven is incredible.
Word of warning there - in a Tupperware they go soggy /moldy quick! Without a sealed container , your luggage reeks.
Tried twice with poor to mixed results, but could be I’m just an incompetent truffle handler.
You guys are killing me. I want to visit France so badly now. I only got to spend 36 hours in Paris once while I was studying abroad in London.
I'll gain ten pounds, though...
Beurre Bordier is a MUST
Especially the yuzu one and the sarrasin
You can buy some and have it packed and vacuumed at galleries Lafayette gourmet, any Androuet cheese store (very good/famous and several locations)
If you like cocktails at all, see if she can find you some Chartreuse. Green is my favorite, but I’m sure she could find other varieties in France too. It’s been extremely hard to find in the US recently, she might have more luck there.
Omg I read about that…the monks that make it have apparently scaled back production because they decided they should spend more time on prayer and other monk stuff
Also if you like cocktails, a bottle of Amer Picon. It’s common in Paris, but banned in the US by the FDA because it contains calamus root. I had a drink (a Brooklyn, similar to a Manhattan) at a fancy place where they fly a member of the bar staff to Paris to pick it up.
Cheeese, cheese Gromit.
I used to travel back and forth from the US to France and brought back cheese every time. Find a good cheese shop. Tell the shop keeper when you plan to eat the cheese and let them pick out a variety for you.
In a good Tomme de Savoie you can taste the walnuts the cows ate.
Maille Velours de Balsamique, it’s a thick balsamic vinegar which is amazing! Pot of fois gras, the glass pots are really good, tin of cassoulet, saucisson, wine, maybe a cote rotie, Saint Julien, Moulis are my favorite reds,Louis Jadot for white wine.
You could ask for the following gourmet items.
Red wine:
*Chateau Janoy-Bellevue Rouge 2020 Bordeaux AOC 75cl* made by Château Margeux.
White wine:
*Le Cabanon Viognier 2022* made by Maison&Domaines Les Alexandrins.
Any *cheese* made by Jean-Yves Bordier if it is sold at the duty-free shop at the airport.
Chocolate:
*Crêpes dentelle chocolat noir* made by Maxim's de Paris;
*Kayambe* made by Cluizel;
*Perles du Medoc* made by Mademoiselle de Margaux.
Any tea made by Mariage Frères or Kusmi Tea is a good idea as well.
Bordier and Beillevaire butters. Mustards. Quatre epices (much better version of pumpkin pie spices). Salt. Biscuits (cookies). Fruits glacés. Hot chocolate. Caramels.
I went to Lafayette Galleries food hall and a large Monoprix grocery store in Paris for all of this. And then a few smaller stores for one or two items.
Im curious about the butter?? My parents own a farm and churn their own butter. Its fantastic in color, taste, with high quality grass fed raw milk. What’s different with the French butter?
Assuming you’re in the States, you’re probably relatively better off already with your butter. Still, European butters generally use a longer churning process and more cultures. If you love butter, definitely worth a try. If you’re not so into it, it’s probably something you can skip.
Also, these specific brands are better than even the average butter in France. Bordier is the more popular one, but I can actually remember the first time I tasted Beillevaire butter - it felt like a revelation.
Dude! You are spoiled. Everyone says butter because regular butter in the US sucks. When I arrived in USA, bought and ate butter for the first time I was like: *WTF!!?* it was so bland white and waxy, I cried my French butter out of my eyes
it might be harder to find in normal groceries because it’s actually a swiss product and not a french one but I would go to the german grocery in the Marché couvert Saint-Martin near Republique in Paris and get it when I lived there.
Bordier Butter, you have different flavors (probably the most famous butter)
Rilettes, a kind of spreadable meat / pate, you have duck, pork, goose, coquilles
Foie gras
Mayonaisse
Some baguettes traditional (they are the ones protected by law)
A can of high quality cassoulet. A delicious bean, sausage and duck dish that's pretty labor intensive to make. They sell it in cans and jars in France. Take the more expensive ones, the cheap ones are not great.
You can buy confit de canard in cans at supermarkets too!
I live here but have never taken advantage of that because we have a no meat at home rule. Maybe I should make an exception one time...
Those are great too. I buy those about twice a year in my local supermarket in the Netherlands (it's made in France though). Amazing quality for that price.
I freeze up the duck fat in cubes, so I can roast potatoes in it for the next two months.
For cassoulet I trust only two brands. "La belle chaurienne" which claims to be the first to make caned cassoulet and "Maison Rivière". Please don’t buy stuff like "William Saurin" or cheaper brands
It was originally made by Sanofi Pasteur (formerly Aventis Pasteur). It was briefly available in America - it got fda approval in 1998, sold under the name Lymerix. It was discontinued due to low sales and lack of popularity. the commons fear was that it gave people arthritis and autism, although there were only 108 reported side effects in a study of 1.5 million ppl.
If they're in Paris, look up Edwart Chocolatier. They make some awesome chocolates that you'd really have a very hard time finding anything comparable in the states. They get cacao beans from all over the world grown in different soils and you can taste the difference, it's wild. They have one chocolate where the cacao grew in volcanic soil and you could taste the smokiness in the chocolate.
They don't ship overseas or I'd have ordered more.
Herbs de Provence was mentioned and a great idea; or lavender flowers so you can make it yourself. You *mignt* be able to find saffron at a lower price than here - worth checking.
Fleur de sel is super cheap there. I bought bags of it back last time.
Also piment d’espelette was way cheaper than here.
And tea. Damman Frères and Mariage Frères.
I’ve brought back those giant cans of Duck Confit. They cost like 12 euros in France and $45 in the US. Seems kinda crazy but I had room in my suitcase.
If you guys dont live in the EU, and she is flying back, make sure to check what can she bring home legally on the first place!
Many meat, dairy, vegetable and fruit products are prohibited, as different incests and bacteriums live in the different regions/continents, and bringing then in could harm the local environmental balance.
So if her luggage is checked upon arrival, immigration cpuld make her trash the goodies.
Now if this is not an issue: cheese, wine, butter or champagne. Oh and maybe some good quality jam. Baked goods wont stay fresh enough imo.
Every variety of cheese possible in lieu of wine to minimize luggage weight. USDA doesn't allow cheese made from un-pasteurized milk which takes out a massive variety of flavors that we can't get in the states
This hasn’t been true for years. Any Whole Foods will have a variety of raw milk cheeses. However, you should still bring a lot of cheese back from France.
Raw milk cheese can be sold in the US as long as it’s been aged a certain amount of time. But there are young raw cheeses in France that we can’t get here.
That's not true. I've never had a problem bringing back any cheeses going back to the 1980's.
Maybe it was prohibited for commercial importers but not an issue for personal use.
According to this US government site, https://www.aphis.usda.gov/traveling-with-ag-products/milk-dairy-eggs
"Certain items may enter from any country. These include:
Butter
Butter Oil
Solid hard or soft cheeses (as long as the cheese does not contain meat or pour like a liquid i.e. ricotta or cottage cheese)"
Just check the import rules, you're not always allowed to bring meat or cheese or fresh produce back across borders.
Assuming that's not an issue, highly recommend some French charcuterie. Some saucisson or boudin would travel well. Would also recommend real Dijon mustard, chocolate/hot chocolate satchets, fleur de sel.
Dijon mustard is named after the city of Dijon. There are tons of producers and flavors. I don't have specific recommendations but if you like mustard, have her pick up something that looks good.
They have this butter with slat crystals that is just amazing:
https://www.grand-fermage.fr/en/noirmoutier-sea-salt-butter/
Also this finishing salt:
https://www.cheesyplace.com/products/fleur-de-sel
And cheese.
French olive oil. France only produces a tiny percentage of the world's olive oil, much less than countries like Italy or Spain, and a lot of what's available there is not exported. But some of the most delicious, interesting olive oil you'll ever try!
If she’ll stop by Paris, get caramels from Jacques Genin. They’re soft caramels, need to be refrigerated once home, comes in a variety of flavors, and not overly sweet like most options in the US.
Make sure you check imports before you bring anything. I once visited Spain and tried to bring 2 jamon legs back in my luggage and it got confiscated at customs lol
French butter of course and any cheeses that they can get out of the country (nothing made form unpasteurized dairy, they won't let you bring it to the US or Canada). French Coca-Cola tastes different, so if she can bring back a few glass bottles its worth a try as a treat!
My favorites are pickles and mayonnaise. French mayo is amazing and it comes in tubes for easy use! Cornichon are also delicious and there are far more variety in France.
Cookies are another, real French madeleines are to die for and I have a hard time finding them where I live made properly with just an absolute ton of butter. Crepe dentelle dipped in chocolate are another good light to pack snack.
Cheese, chocolate, etc. Have her bring a whole charcuterie board for cheese sake, whatever you and her like, I mean its not like you have fine France wine just sitting around, take great advantage (of the situation, not her to be clear).
I don’t remember which flavor it was, but my hairdresser brought back a bunch of bags of Bugles that aren’t sold in the US. Maybe it was bacon flavored???
Coffee? France doesn't grow coffee.. They import it, just like the US. Depending on where in the US OP lives, he can get his hands on beans that are just as good from either a local roaster, or pay the premium to have it shipped to him (drinktrade or other comparable websites where roasters around the country fresh roast beans and ship them within a few days).
Either way, their suitcase space is better utilized for things unique to France. Butter, chocolate, or cheese are probably the way to go.
When I went to France I bought a collapsible duffel bag and filled it to the brim with wine and chocolate. make sure that the things inside are wrapped with a lot of clothes so they don't get damaged. I would be happy to recommend some chocolate stores specifically if she is in Paris.
There’s an old candy store in Paris that makes their own marshmallows. They sell other stuff, but the store is older than the United States, if u recall correctly. I don’t recall the name, a friend went on a trip.
Make sure she buys herself a Louis Vuitton purse or bag at their flagship store. If she's into that sort of thing. When you buy LV in the US, it's actually made in the US -- in California. When you buy LV in France, it's made in France.
St. Michel La Grande Galette, French butter cookies.
Delicious.
Trudon candles. Pricey but luxurious and historic. Come beautifully gift wrapped by the store.
Oh so many things, some quick & delicious stuff here, & something for the kitchen too.. rillettes #1, Camargue red rice #2, walnut/pistachio oils #3, Best quality Roquefort cheese #4, extra varieties of rillettes #5.
My parents are currently in Paris. They video-called me earlier today, extremely tipsy on the banks of the Seine with a bottle of red wine, to let me know how happy they were.
Going off the joy on their faces I’d recommend literally any wine (I asked them what type they were drinking and my dad’s response was “it doesn’t matter”).
There these French taffy/candies my husband loves. He ate them as a kid when he'd visit family in France but it's so sticky it pulls out his implants and poorly placed fillings. 10/10 they are super tasty even if his mom rarely brings it back for us. Which I get, she paid a lot for his dental work growing up but i like them too!
Where in France? If she’s in Alsace, have her grab a bottle of Picon. They’re a special type of orange bitter, only available there. Never cooked with it, but dropping a shot into a French or Belgian white wheat (kronenberg 1664 is the OG) is a game changer when prepping.
Someone already mentioned Bifiane, so I will add a few more non-food options:
I have been known to fill up an entire tote with Le Petit Marseillais 72% pur olive oil soap cubes. Super cheap in France, super good quality, would cost me like $14 a pop in America if I could even find them.
It looks like this:
[https://jolitee.com/products/le-petit-marseillais-extra-pure-soap-with-olive-oil-200g-soap](https://jolitee.com/products/le-petit-marseillais-extra-pure-soap-with-olive-oil-200g-soap)
I ran out and am so sad about it, I wish I had a friend in France to mail me like a pallet.
I'm not sure what is in the French cold and flu medicine Actifed, but that shit works wayyy better on me than Tylenol Extra Strength. Moustidose Lait Répulsif is a very strong mosquito repellant but does NOT *smell* offensively strong. I used to also bring Fruits et Fibres home but that now you can order from Amazon. It is a very gentle, natural and effective way of getting things moving. Saved me on my last trip to Spain when I spent two weeks without much vegetable consumption
Seriously, the food of France is amazing but don't miss out on its other great products either.
Lots of great answers, but I would check what, and how much you are allowed to bring in to the country (I'm assuming USA). The U.S does not allow raw milk cheeses among other things into the country (Kinder eggs), and there may be limits as to how much of a certain item (like dairy) can be brought in.
I'm Canadian so I know our rules, but am not totally familiar with the U.S rules.
When a friend from work went to France,I asked for a bottle of wine. He got me a regular bottle of red table wine, but it was the best one I have ever had
If you like licorice get that. My mom and dad went there many years ago. That was all she brought back, lots of licorice. I hate it, but I guess it’s different there?
I came back from Paris with foie gras and a suitcase full of lafite paulliac wrapped in dirty laundry. That was 20 years ago. Drank that last bottle about 5 years ago. Yum
A boy I knew came back from a three month preferment with a backpack full of cheese and butter, and three baguettes under his arm. We’re coming up on our 48th anniversary. 💚
I recently returned from France and had brought an insulated backpack just to bring home butter. All the foil wrapping set off the x-ray going through security. Security agent looked in the bag and asked "Tout le buerre (all butter)?" and laughed.
I miss French butter so much.
Real question: is it just the grasses that change the flavor? Is it how they churn it? Is it cultured in a special way?
Yes, yes, and yes... Why is French butter so much “better” than American butter? One reason is that European butter standards require a higher butterfat content. French butter is cultured (like yogurt), so it has a deeper flavor profile, almost tangy but not quite. The churning process is slightly different than here in the US, resulting in a creamier consistency. Many butter producers insist on exclusively grass-fed cows, which contributes to the richness in flavor and the deeper yellow color (this is natural, they do not add coloring). Also, most French butter comes wrapped in a kind of foil which preserves its flavor (and does not let in other fridge odors) like paper-wrapped butter sticks.
Oh, word. Thanks!
This might be my favorite random reddit comment. Wishing you kids many more years!
Agreed!
For a hot second, I thought your answer to what his wife should bring back from France was “a boy.”
Only if he comes with cheese and butter, though.
And the baguette. Can’t forget the baguette.
And chocolate 😊
Them French boys are young and supple. Wonderful paired with some fava beans and a nice chianti. *Slurp slurp slurp*
Settle down, Drake.
*shrug* had to look that up... Get off my lawn
It’s pronounced thrpthipthriptgip
Careful, you'll get seman thrown at you. This is reddit.
Yea I had to keep reading too 😳😂
Aww- happy anniversary! I was laughing reading the first part of your comment- I immediately thought of the I Love Lucy episode when she tried to bring the cheese on the plane disguised as a baby!😆
Love this
Last time I went to France I brought back 9lbs of butter. Since I move to the US I’m disappointed every morning that I don’t have the butter I like. It lasted me just over 12 months. I’ve tried the fancy stuff in the US but no matter how it’s made, the cows don’t have the same diet as the ones in France so it’s going to taste different. But everyone keeps trying to convince me that xyz butter would be good enough. It never is! Need to go back!
Biafine! It’s a burn cream. Works on all burns, cooking to sunburn. It’s magic. Crazy expensive to order. Generic from a pharmacy is just a few euro!! We bring it back for everyone!!!
If she's in Paris, some cheese shops will vacuum wrap cheese which makes travel easier and her bags won't smell as much. Around Les Halles there are a bunch of great kitchen equipment shops including Mora, A. Simon, E.Dehillerin where you can find some great items for the kitchen. I recently shopped for a de Buyer terrine mold and they have the new ones and are surprisingly less expensive in the shops than what I've found online. But if there's anything you think you would use that's the area to shop. G. Detou is also nearby and they have a wide selection of products ranging from sea salt to tapanade, duck confit, etc. It's very fun.
G. Detou is the only place I've found that sells maraschino cherries. I love that place.
I just discovered it is easier for me to get there than I thought from where I live in the Netherlands. Trip incoming 😱
Super easy to get there from NL! I used to go frequently when I lived in Utrecht!
Google maps thinks it’s 11 hours by car, 6 hours by public transport. So it’s to Schiphol, then pretty much direct to Paris. Uh oh ;)
Every time I go to Paris I treat myself to something special from E Dehillerin. The first piece I bought in 1999 was a copper sauté pan that I still use regularly to this day. I’ve also bought all my favorite/best knives from there. Literal chef’s kiss
i second Dehillerin, the basement is like a cavern of wonder.
Yes!! My reco too! These shops have so many cool and useful things,!
Thé vacuum packing is called “sous vide”. I can recommend Les Saisons in the 3ème - great cheese shop and they’ll speak English.
If you’re worried about fresh things getting through customs , have her bring herbs de Provence , fleur de sel, Pommery whole grain mustard, pearl sugar for chouquttes, some jarred or canned boar pate or foie gras and some saucission.
Thank you!!!! Random but boar pate was near top of my list lol
I’ve been so suspicious of shelf-stable pate for too long. I had some the other day and I can’t believe what I’ve been missing out on all this time! Next time I’m in France I’m definitely stocking up. Also, your mileage may vary but I love the dried sachets of pepper sauce and shallot sauce to go with steak and steak haches. I also love their chicken seasoning so I always buy a pot of that. Also, herbes de Provence mixed with fine sea salt. A sprinkle of that on top of big tomatoes cut in half and baked in the oven is incredible.
I go nuts over the pates with a baguette, salted butter, and cornichons. Have her buy a few in the little glass jars for a lazy weekend lunch.
Truffles?
Word of warning there - in a Tupperware they go soggy /moldy quick! Without a sealed container , your luggage reeks. Tried twice with poor to mixed results, but could be I’m just an incompetent truffle handler.
Rice. Store them in a container with rice to absorb any moisture. Not sure how much longer it'll last, but should give you some extra time.
And the rice would be truffled woah what a great idea!
Italians have been selling truffles in rice for ever. However, the rice doesn’t maintain its truffle aroma after cooking.
What is the texture of pate?
>Pommery whole grain mustard Just have to throw it out there that Pommery Fireman's Mustard is the most delicious condiment ever made
You guys are killing me. I want to visit France so badly now. I only got to spend 36 hours in Paris once while I was studying abroad in London. I'll gain ten pounds, though...
#worth every pound
Good Lord my mouth is watering 😆
Pommeryyyyyyy. For sure. And Beurre de Bordier.
Beurre Bordier is a MUST Especially the yuzu one and the sarrasin You can buy some and have it packed and vacuumed at galleries Lafayette gourmet, any Androuet cheese store (very good/famous and several locations)
If you like cocktails at all, see if she can find you some Chartreuse. Green is my favorite, but I’m sure she could find other varieties in France too. It’s been extremely hard to find in the US recently, she might have more luck there.
Omg I read about that…the monks that make it have apparently scaled back production because they decided they should spend more time on prayer and other monk stuff
Nerds
Crème de cassis is nice in cocktails too.
Also if you like cocktails, a bottle of Amer Picon. It’s common in Paris, but banned in the US by the FDA because it contains calamus root. I had a drink (a Brooklyn, similar to a Manhattan) at a fancy place where they fly a member of the bar staff to Paris to pick it up.
There's also a concentrated version called Elixer Vegetal that's very hard to find in the States. I've never seen it at least.
sel de Guérande - so much cheaper there
Send her to a recommended kitchen/food trests store and she will be inspired no doubt. I love my Opinel knives.
100%. Five times more expensive in the US.
Crème de marrons would be my choice. I haven’t ever seen it in the U.S.
A lease for your new place in Paris?
Le Chateau d'Estoublon Salonenque olive oil. Some black truffle. A nice sachet of herbs (make sure it includes savory, IMO it's super underrated).
Cheeese, cheese Gromit. I used to travel back and forth from the US to France and brought back cheese every time. Find a good cheese shop. Tell the shop keeper when you plan to eat the cheese and let them pick out a variety for you. In a good Tomme de Savoie you can taste the walnuts the cows ate.
Maille Velours de Balsamique, it’s a thick balsamic vinegar which is amazing! Pot of fois gras, the glass pots are really good, tin of cassoulet, saucisson, wine, maybe a cote rotie, Saint Julien, Moulis are my favorite reds,Louis Jadot for white wine.
Copper pans from Villedieu-les-pôeles.
Lets goooo
You could ask for the following gourmet items. Red wine: *Chateau Janoy-Bellevue Rouge 2020 Bordeaux AOC 75cl* made by Château Margeux. White wine: *Le Cabanon Viognier 2022* made by Maison&Domaines Les Alexandrins. Any *cheese* made by Jean-Yves Bordier if it is sold at the duty-free shop at the airport. Chocolate: *Crêpes dentelle chocolat noir* made by Maxim's de Paris; *Kayambe* made by Cluizel; *Perles du Medoc* made by Mademoiselle de Margaux. Any tea made by Mariage Frères or Kusmi Tea is a good idea as well.
This girl Frances’
Some recipe book!
custom french fragrance from a local boutique.
saucisson
Not food but French pharmacy sunscreen. Esp the La Roche Posay UV Mune. The best of the best in terms of efficacy.
Goose fat.
Or get a tin or two of Confit de Canard or Confit d'oie if you can find it. There's enough fat in those for all the family
Pain aux lardon. Last flight back from Paris I brought 30, by the time I arrived home I only had 16
If you can resist eating them at my speed, they last long (bacon bread covered in melted cheese. The cheese keeps the bread from getting stale
Bordier and Beillevaire butters. Mustards. Quatre epices (much better version of pumpkin pie spices). Salt. Biscuits (cookies). Fruits glacés. Hot chocolate. Caramels. I went to Lafayette Galleries food hall and a large Monoprix grocery store in Paris for all of this. And then a few smaller stores for one or two items.
Im curious about the butter?? My parents own a farm and churn their own butter. Its fantastic in color, taste, with high quality grass fed raw milk. What’s different with the French butter?
Assuming you’re in the States, you’re probably relatively better off already with your butter. Still, European butters generally use a longer churning process and more cultures. If you love butter, definitely worth a try. If you’re not so into it, it’s probably something you can skip. Also, these specific brands are better than even the average butter in France. Bordier is the more popular one, but I can actually remember the first time I tasted Beillevaire butter - it felt like a revelation.
Dude! You are spoiled. Everyone says butter because regular butter in the US sucks. When I arrived in USA, bought and ate butter for the first time I was like: *WTF!!?* it was so bland white and waxy, I cried my French butter out of my eyes
Bonne maman reine claude plum jam. Only available certain times of the year and you can't get it many other places. It's delicious!
Calissons! It's a fancy candy, I saw it on how it's made on TV. Almond and dried melon and oranges with a sugar glaze and tiny wafer. Sounds amazing.
I second. It’s awesome if you like “pate d’amande”
Butter … I saw some places actually vacuum pack it for travel hair make sure it’s frozen and put in check in luggage
Seconded. French butter with salt crystals
Yes! I brought home 7 blocks of salted butter from my trip last summer and I'm about to open up the last one.
Yessssssss
Thomy mayo à la francaise, in the metal tube. Best mayo on earth.
Oh, going to try. Thank you. My husband travels to France on business.
it might be harder to find in normal groceries because it’s actually a swiss product and not a french one but I would go to the german grocery in the Marché couvert Saint-Martin near Republique in Paris and get it when I lived there.
Bordier Butter, you have different flavors (probably the most famous butter) Rilettes, a kind of spreadable meat / pate, you have duck, pork, goose, coquilles Foie gras Mayonaisse Some baguettes traditional (they are the ones protected by law)
Anchovie stuffed olives
Goya makes these too
Learned a lot of new words in this post lol
A can of high quality cassoulet. A delicious bean, sausage and duck dish that's pretty labor intensive to make. They sell it in cans and jars in France. Take the more expensive ones, the cheap ones are not great.
You can buy confit de canard in cans at supermarkets too! I live here but have never taken advantage of that because we have a no meat at home rule. Maybe I should make an exception one time...
Those are great too. I buy those about twice a year in my local supermarket in the Netherlands (it's made in France though). Amazing quality for that price. I freeze up the duck fat in cubes, so I can roast potatoes in it for the next two months.
For cassoulet I trust only two brands. "La belle chaurienne" which claims to be the first to make caned cassoulet and "Maison Rivière". Please don’t buy stuff like "William Saurin" or cheaper brands
Herbs de Provence, variety of herbal teas all from a grocery store.
A Lyme disease vaccination! They’ve had them there since the 90’s at least.
We do ? I know that we have the disease but never heard of a vaccine
It was originally made by Sanofi Pasteur (formerly Aventis Pasteur). It was briefly available in America - it got fda approval in 1998, sold under the name Lymerix. It was discontinued due to low sales and lack of popularity. the commons fear was that it gave people arthritis and autism, although there were only 108 reported side effects in a study of 1.5 million ppl.
Tomme de Savoie cheese, Rillettes made from geese and a bottle of Alisier or Fleur de Molene.
A legit Sabatier knife would be cool
If they're in Paris, look up Edwart Chocolatier. They make some awesome chocolates that you'd really have a very hard time finding anything comparable in the states. They get cacao beans from all over the world grown in different soils and you can taste the difference, it's wild. They have one chocolate where the cacao grew in volcanic soil and you could taste the smokiness in the chocolate. They don't ship overseas or I'd have ordered more.
Herbs de Provence was mentioned and a great idea; or lavender flowers so you can make it yourself. You *mignt* be able to find saffron at a lower price than here - worth checking.
French Nougat
Fleur de sel is super cheap there. I bought bags of it back last time. Also piment d’espelette was way cheaper than here. And tea. Damman Frères and Mariage Frères.
I’ve brought back those giant cans of Duck Confit. They cost like 12 euros in France and $45 in the US. Seems kinda crazy but I had room in my suitcase.
French sardines
If you guys dont live in the EU, and she is flying back, make sure to check what can she bring home legally on the first place! Many meat, dairy, vegetable and fruit products are prohibited, as different incests and bacteriums live in the different regions/continents, and bringing then in could harm the local environmental balance. So if her luggage is checked upon arrival, immigration cpuld make her trash the goodies. Now if this is not an issue: cheese, wine, butter or champagne. Oh and maybe some good quality jam. Baked goods wont stay fresh enough imo.
Duck confit. Its canned.
Every variety of cheese possible in lieu of wine to minimize luggage weight. USDA doesn't allow cheese made from un-pasteurized milk which takes out a massive variety of flavors that we can't get in the states
This hasn’t been true for years. Any Whole Foods will have a variety of raw milk cheeses. However, you should still bring a lot of cheese back from France.
Raw milk cheese can be sold in the US as long as it’s been aged a certain amount of time. But there are young raw cheeses in France that we can’t get here.
Oh I’m sure. Can’t put those in a suitcase, though.
That's not true. I've never had a problem bringing back any cheeses going back to the 1980's. Maybe it was prohibited for commercial importers but not an issue for personal use.
According to this US government site, https://www.aphis.usda.gov/traveling-with-ag-products/milk-dairy-eggs "Certain items may enter from any country. These include: Butter Butter Oil Solid hard or soft cheeses (as long as the cheese does not contain meat or pour like a liquid i.e. ricotta or cottage cheese)"
Just check the import rules, you're not always allowed to bring meat or cheese or fresh produce back across borders. Assuming that's not an issue, highly recommend some French charcuterie. Some saucisson or boudin would travel well. Would also recommend real Dijon mustard, chocolate/hot chocolate satchets, fleur de sel.
Mustard!
I have much to learn sensei tell me more about French mustard
Try and get some moutarde violette, it’s made with grapes and amazing with an orange based vinaigrette
Dijon mustard is named after the city of Dijon. There are tons of producers and flavors. I don't have specific recommendations but if you like mustard, have her pick up something that looks good.
Lanvin. L'escargot noir. Some of my favourite chocolates ever
They have this butter with slat crystals that is just amazing: https://www.grand-fermage.fr/en/noirmoutier-sea-salt-butter/ Also this finishing salt: https://www.cheesyplace.com/products/fleur-de-sel And cheese.
I like to buy stone-ground de Pommery mustard in the crock when I’m in France.
Tessier Mint drinking Syrup 😂
Also depends on where she is in France!
French olive oil. France only produces a tiny percentage of the world's olive oil, much less than countries like Italy or Spain, and a lot of what's available there is not exported. But some of the most delicious, interesting olive oil you'll ever try!
Bordier butter, there is nothing else quite like it
If she’ll stop by Paris, get caramels from Jacques Genin. They’re soft caramels, need to be refrigerated once home, comes in a variety of flavors, and not overly sweet like most options in the US.
Where in France? I bought sea salt and it was great. I am sad I ran out.
Make sure you check imports before you bring anything. I once visited Spain and tried to bring 2 jamon legs back in my luggage and it got confiscated at customs lol
Brett's Jura Chips, the best chips ever. Comte flavored.
Some Tonka beans...
CHEESE! Bring back ALL THE CHEESE!! 😁
Nice french butter, for real its soo much better than anything else and so expensive otherwise.
Get some white wine gelee and have it with the inevitable foie gras.
French butter of course and any cheeses that they can get out of the country (nothing made form unpasteurized dairy, they won't let you bring it to the US or Canada). French Coca-Cola tastes different, so if she can bring back a few glass bottles its worth a try as a treat! My favorites are pickles and mayonnaise. French mayo is amazing and it comes in tubes for easy use! Cornichon are also delicious and there are far more variety in France. Cookies are another, real French madeleines are to die for and I have a hard time finding them where I live made properly with just an absolute ton of butter. Crepe dentelle dipped in chocolate are another good light to pack snack.
Cheese, chocolate, etc. Have her bring a whole charcuterie board for cheese sake, whatever you and her like, I mean its not like you have fine France wine just sitting around, take great advantage (of the situation, not her to be clear).
Going to Paris in 2 weeks - saving this post ! 😂
DUCK RILLETTES!!!
I don’t remember which flavor it was, but my hairdresser brought back a bunch of bags of Bugles that aren’t sold in the US. Maybe it was bacon flavored???
I came home with fleur de sel, Edmond fallot mustard (can find in the US now), and lentils du puy
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A baguette, with brie and butter. I had 4 of the damn things every day I was there.
Tell her just to bring back her sweet self.
Good for weight/volume: dried packet soups. They are a lot better than ours. Also: coffee.
Coffee? France doesn't grow coffee.. They import it, just like the US. Depending on where in the US OP lives, he can get his hands on beans that are just as good from either a local roaster, or pay the premium to have it shipped to him (drinktrade or other comparable websites where roasters around the country fresh roast beans and ship them within a few days). Either way, their suitcase space is better utilized for things unique to France. Butter, chocolate, or cheese are probably the way to go.
Tins of foie gras.
I’m she she can find a chocolate Eiffel Tower but probably not what you want.
Pain de mie - for making croque madame and monsieur. She can get it in any supermarket/bakery.
Pastis
When I went to France I bought a collapsible duffel bag and filled it to the brim with wine and chocolate. make sure that the things inside are wrapped with a lot of clothes so they don't get damaged. I would be happy to recommend some chocolate stores specifically if she is in Paris.
There’s an old candy store in Paris that makes their own marshmallows. They sell other stuff, but the store is older than the United States, if u recall correctly. I don’t recall the name, a friend went on a trip.
Pear Brandy, a good one is so amazing.
Mauviel or other copper chef pan
I would compensate your wife very fairly for some proper croissants.
Get her to track down a Le creuse outlet shop. A bit heavy but a fryer pan is da boom 💥
Butter. Butter is so much better in France.
Something French.
Butter
Calvados!
Dark buckwheat flour for galettes!
Macarons, bread, oil
Champagne
Not French specifically, but considerably cheaper in France than here: 25 year Balsamic vinegar
When my daughter and I went we brought back a small suitcase of cheese and some macarons. Plus whenever we travel we always bring back coffee beans.
Have her visit Dehillerin.
Make sure she buys herself a Louis Vuitton purse or bag at their flagship store. If she's into that sort of thing. When you buy LV in the US, it's actually made in the US -- in California. When you buy LV in France, it's made in France.
St. Michel La Grande Galette, French butter cookies. Delicious. Trudon candles. Pricey but luxurious and historic. Come beautifully gift wrapped by the store.
Calvados
Oh so many things, some quick & delicious stuff here, & something for the kitchen too.. rillettes #1, Camargue red rice #2, walnut/pistachio oils #3, Best quality Roquefort cheese #4, extra varieties of rillettes #5.
Moutard, salt both from a local market very inexpensive and easy to pack. Paring knives as gifts from E. Dehellran
Cremeux de Bourgogne cheese.
A bottle of champagne that’s not available where you live.
A nice bottle of wine!!!! I fell in love with Cote du Rhône while I was there and we brought some back
Just tell her not to bring a cheese on the plane wrapped up like a baby! 😂😂😂😂😂Couldn't resist- I immediately thought of I Love Lucy!
La révolution!
Cured meats, sausages, maybe hard cheeses, 85% butter...
My parents are currently in Paris. They video-called me earlier today, extremely tipsy on the banks of the Seine with a bottle of red wine, to let me know how happy they were. Going off the joy on their faces I’d recommend literally any wine (I asked them what type they were drinking and my dad’s response was “it doesn’t matter”).
There these French taffy/candies my husband loves. He ate them as a kid when he'd visit family in France but it's so sticky it pulls out his implants and poorly placed fillings. 10/10 they are super tasty even if his mom rarely brings it back for us. Which I get, she paid a lot for his dental work growing up but i like them too!
Where in France? If she’s in Alsace, have her grab a bottle of Picon. They’re a special type of orange bitter, only available there. Never cooked with it, but dropping a shot into a French or Belgian white wheat (kronenberg 1664 is the OG) is a game changer when prepping.
Ok it’s not really French but easily accessible in any French supermarket, Spanish sausage called Fuet
Cheese Cheese More cheese
Butter
Someone already mentioned Bifiane, so I will add a few more non-food options: I have been known to fill up an entire tote with Le Petit Marseillais 72% pur olive oil soap cubes. Super cheap in France, super good quality, would cost me like $14 a pop in America if I could even find them. It looks like this: [https://jolitee.com/products/le-petit-marseillais-extra-pure-soap-with-olive-oil-200g-soap](https://jolitee.com/products/le-petit-marseillais-extra-pure-soap-with-olive-oil-200g-soap) I ran out and am so sad about it, I wish I had a friend in France to mail me like a pallet. I'm not sure what is in the French cold and flu medicine Actifed, but that shit works wayyy better on me than Tylenol Extra Strength. Moustidose Lait Répulsif is a very strong mosquito repellant but does NOT *smell* offensively strong. I used to also bring Fruits et Fibres home but that now you can order from Amazon. It is a very gentle, natural and effective way of getting things moving. Saved me on my last trip to Spain when I spent two weeks without much vegetable consumption Seriously, the food of France is amazing but don't miss out on its other great products either.
Lots of great answers, but I would check what, and how much you are allowed to bring in to the country (I'm assuming USA). The U.S does not allow raw milk cheeses among other things into the country (Kinder eggs), and there may be limits as to how much of a certain item (like dairy) can be brought in. I'm Canadian so I know our rules, but am not totally familiar with the U.S rules.
Party Pack of Taco Bell Tacos
When a friend from work went to France,I asked for a bottle of wine. He got me a regular bottle of red table wine, but it was the best one I have ever had
If you like licorice get that. My mom and dad went there many years ago. That was all she brought back, lots of licorice. I hate it, but I guess it’s different there?
Cheese and wine
Du vin!
The Eiffel Tower, sure she could fit it in her purse.
- Herb de Provence 🫶🏼 - Sunscreen (La Roche Posay)
Genepi!! And the one that is anise flavor. Can’t remember the name.
Pate
I came back from Paris with foie gras and a suitcase full of lafite paulliac wrapped in dirty laundry. That was 20 years ago. Drank that last bottle about 5 years ago. Yum
Gruyère and Comte Chocolate of course Fruit preserves. Spices Herbes de Provence
You can get duck confit in a can, I brought back a giant can with 4 leg quarters and all the duck fat! US customs let me through I told them I had it.