Day 3379 (Wednesday) 9th September 2026

These photos of Villefranche railway station were taken a long time ago.

It was a bit overcast today so the passengers on this cruise ship didn’t have the best day to look at our lovely little town.   

The 6 French junk foods that you have to try

Despite its carefully-cultivated reputation as the home of haute cuisine, France's dirty little secret is that its population absolutely loves junk food - and has created some uniquely French junk offerings.

While international options like burgers, kebabs and pizza are popular in France, there are also some French creations that you really need to try.

We're not claiming that these are fine dining options - and we're certainly not claiming that they're good for your health - but they are a big part of the cultural landscape here. They're also completely delicious in that 'so wrong and yet so right' way of all good junk food.

French tacos

Mexican readers, look away now - this item bears absolutely no resemblance to a Mexican taco. Instead, a French tacos (always plural) consists of a soft, tortilla style wrap filled with meat/veggie alternative, cheese, sauce and French fries, and then grilled.

In most places you can customise exactly what you want inside, but the fries are a crucial element. Most French tacos are halal-certified to accommodate Muslim customers, so do not contain pork.

The story of how French tacos came into being is actually quite fascinating - they're generally thought to have originated in the Lyon suburbs, which have a large immigrant population and the earliest French tacos stall owners were Lyon locals of North African origin.

They're still a hugely popular snack in the French banlieues, but have long since made the leap into the wider population - by 2021, over 80 million French tacos were consumed each year in France, making it more popular than the hamburger and the kebab.

There are also several national chains, the largest being the strangely named O'Tacos, which is rapidly expanding through Europe.

An average French taco clocks in at about 1,348 calories (an XXL can run up to 2,300 calories) and costs around €6, so represents an exceptional calorie-to-euro ratio. As previously stated, these are not health foods.

Tasty Crousty/Crousty Poulet/Planète Crousty

France's second great love is the 'crousty' - a fried chicken on-the-go option usually consisting of rice, crispy fried chicken and sauce (usually spicy). The word comes from crousillant (crispy), and the dish itself is a version of Korean fried chicken.

Like the French tacos, this originated in the French banlieues and many of the crousty shop owners are French nationals of immigrant origin. Also like the French tacos, it spread rapidly and became wildly popular, aided by social media making it the on-trend foodstuff.

The largest chain is Tasty Crousty, with its distinctive pink paper takeout bags, but there are other smaller chains as well as thousands of independent operators.

Pâte à tartiner aux speculoos

The cinnamon-flavoured speculoos biscuit - often known by the brand name Biscoff - is having a bit of a moment in the anglo world, but these sweet treats have long been a favourite in France and the cookie's native Belgium.

But did you know that you can also get it as a spreadable paste to go on your baguette? Insanely sweet but absolutely delicious, this is virtually guaranteed to solve all of your life problems, if only for the roughly 30 seconds it takes to scoff it down.

As a sweet spread, it's similar to Nutella - which French people love with a passionate intensity that can be a little scary to the uninitiated (and certainly don't stand between a French person and a jar of discounted Nutella).

Saucisse-frites

If you're looking for match-day food in France you won't find pies and the hot dogs are best avoided - instead head to the saucisse-frites stand.

The classic food offering for watching sport is a sausage in a baguette, with frites (French fries) either as a side or in the baguette.

Sports events are not the only place you will see the sausage-and-fries combo - it's the local speciality of north-east France so features at virtually all community events or festivals in that region, and is a very popular street snack all over France.

The type of sausage might vary depending on where you are - in Paris and Marseille the spicy North African mergeuz sausage is popular, while in south-west France you might get a thick, meaty Toulouse sausage.

Some stands also offer fried onions or an onions-peppers-tomatoes combo to top your sausage, while a squirt of ketchup or mustard is virtually obligatory, plus mayonnaise for the fries.

A nice cold beer to wash it all down completes the joy (provided that you're not driving).

Cordon bleu

A cordon bleu is a meat cutlet, usually chicken, veal or pork, pounded thin and stuffed with ham and cheese, then breaded and fried or baked. You can buy these in supermarkets or even butcher shops, and they're considered in France to be an option for a quick meal if you're too lazy to cook.

It is also closely associated with children’s food, with some school canteens serving cordon bleu with French fries on certain days. During his 2017 presidential campaign, Emmanuel Macron once stopped at a roadside restaurant and asked for a cordon bleu, only to be told by the cook that it was on the children’s menu...

It's also an option for a meat to put in your French taco.

Raclette sandwich

If you don't want to wait until winter time to enjoy a raclette, you can always go for the sandwich version. The melted raclette cheese is served on fresh baguette on top of which you can add ham and even potatoes. 

Definitely delicious paired with a good glass of red wine.

While they are particularly popular at Christmas markets or certain food truck festivals, in Paris, you can find them year round. Especially in the more touristy areas where people can enjoy a truly French experience. No matter the season, the raclette sandwich is a very comforting (and caloric) meal.