10 Must Foods to eat in Nice, France

When it comes to French cuisine, you can never have enough. French food is known globally for its flavor and finesse. This is because French food relies on combinations of rich and natural flavors to create unforgettable dishes. Nice has a diverse culinary offering, and below are the 10 must foods to eat in Nice, France.

Thanks to the amazingly tasting food, France is the first country to have its food classified by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. Whatever the French people touch becomes art. They’ve successfully turned eating into an art. To the French people in Nice, eating is more than satisfying hunger.

1. Socca

Rated as the number one street food in Nice, this is a must-try dish for anyone. This crispy chickpea pancake is not an ordinary dish in Nice. It is a local cultural and culinary tradition which became popular early 1990s. It was first made for workers and fishers by portable cookers when it became famous.

From the looks, it is a huge thin pancake. It’s cooked in an oven on a large pan, and it’s best served hot on a plate or a paper cone. It is made from chickpea flour, and the outside edges are crunchy, while the inside is soft and custard-like. The savory snack is available in sit down restaurants and is also sold as street food in Nice.

2. Salade Niçoise

If you’re looking for a healthy salad in Nice, this is the best one. The Niçoise salad is popular all over the world for its impeccable combination of natural ingredients. It is a healthy and refreshing dish that contains tuna, cucumbers, local olives, sliced hard-boiled eggs then mixed with some vinaigrette dressing.

Thanks to the evolving culinary tradition in France, there are different versions of Niçoise salad. Some even have boiled baby potatoes, steamed young greens and other types of fish apart from tuna. A traditional one differs from other versions, which also contain raw tomatoes. This is one of the most famous foods from Nice.

3. Le Pan Bagnat

If you’re keen on the looks and taste of this sandwich, one thing stands out. It is a Salade Niçoise made into a really big sandwich. The name in French means’ wet bread’, and it’s filled with the ingredients found in the Salade Niçoise. Before the technique evolved, people used to soften a day-old bread with water to make the le pan bagnat more palatable. Today, the bread isn’t soaked in water, but it’s nicely drizzled with olive oil.

It contains whole wheat bread, tomatoes, tuna, peppers, radishes, hard-boiled eggs and onions. This round sandwich can be served with olives, vinegar, or artichokes.

4. Pissaladière

This traditional dish is more like pizza, but it’s not pizza. It is tart topped with olives, onion, and anchovies. Unlike most of the dishes from the south of France, this is an intense dish, but it is worth a try. This is a tart filled with these ingredients. It is the anchovies that make the tart get a rich flavor.

This flatbread from Nice is an amazing recipe idea for summer picnics. It makes a great meal as it can be eaten hot or cold but not lukewarm.

5. Les Petits Farcis Niçoise

This is a true Nice specialty that has everyone hooked. It consists of Provencal stuffed vegetables. It originated when local farmers stuffed fresh vegetables with some leftover meat. As the name suggests, it’s small and stuffed.

The stuffed vegetables can be served at room temperature or hot but never cold. They are normally very small in size, and each one is simply a bite or two at most. Stuffing can be made with salted snacks, sausage, anchovies, ham, or breadcrumbs. You can also use different vegetables for the filling, such as onions, peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes. If you’re a vegetarian in Nice, you can get one made for you but make sure to specify before you order.

6. La Daube Niçoise

The Daube Niçoise is a perfect meal in Nice, France for those of us who love meat. This well-cooked beef stew contains cuts of bacon, beef, onions, carrots, local herbs, celery, tomatoes, and spices. The beef is soft and cut into small chunks, then marinated overnight in red wine. This differentiates the stew from beef bourguignon, a famous French dish.

This dish also includes porcini mushrooms and a local brandy called branda. The stew is cooked slowly and in large quantities. It is ideal for special occasions and group dinners. It is served alongside good-quality red wine and with tagliatelle, polenta, or gnocchi.

7. Ratatouille

Ever watched the animation, Ratatouille? It is an animation about the dish and a pretty interesting one telling a good story about the food. It is a mix of cooked vegetables that appeared in Nice in the 18th century. The dish became world-famous after the 2007 Disney-Pixar movie Ratatouille. This vegetable stew combines fresh Provencal vegetables like onions, eggplants, onions, tomatoes, green peppers, and zucchini with olive oil, garlic, and other local herbs.

Ratatouille is a simple and healthy dish enjoyed as a side or main dish with meat, fish, and rice. It is served as an appetizer with crusty bread and can be served cold

8. Ravioli Niçoise

This is a fluffy, dairy-rich bun famous among the French. For people who love ravioli like me, you wouldn’t miss a chance to have it in Nice. It comes with a delicious filling of daube de boeuf or braised beef, dry mountain cow cheese like parmesan, and chopped chard, making it a fantastic dish.

The fillings in the ravioli can be ricotta, ground meat, herbs, spinach, mushrooms or even lobster. Made from scratch, it can come out in different versions. With homemade sauces combinations, you can create flavorful combinations.

9. Soupe au Pistou

Have you ever had a dish enriched with some pistou? If not, then you’re in for a treat. This is a famous Provencal dish that consists of bean soup with pistou. The pistou for the dish is made with fresh basil, garlic cloves, and olive oil. It is in a way similar to pesto but without pine nuts. This is a versatile Nicoise specialty you wouldn’t want to miss.

Of all the food I ate in Nice, this is the one I expected to least like but to my surprise, it was amazing. The pistou balances the taste giving the bean soup a well-deserved flavor.

10. Rosé Wine

Can you confidently say you’ve been to France without having some good-quality wine? Well, in Nice, rosé wine is a staple, especially if you visit Nice during the summer. The richly flavored wine is a classic accompaniment to all summer meals in Nice. The good thing with rosé wine is you don’t have to go over your budget or overspend to get quality wine. It is a local rosé, and it’s inexpensive. It is best served dry according to my throat and taste, but we all have different ones, right?

If you’re visiting Nice, take a food tour. This list is a guide to help you with some of the best foods you wouldn’t want to miss here. Try authentic French food in Nice and create memories.

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