France is known for its incredible cuisine, and Cannes is no exception. While you can find most traditional French foods in the town, Cannes also has its own speciality dishes that you must try when you rent a boat in Cannes.
Bouillabaisse
Although Bouillabaisse is popular all along the French Riviera, particularly in Marseille where it originated, it is also a popular dish in Cannes. Due to the reliance on seafood being close to the Mediterranean, Bouillabaisse became a quick French staple and consists of a fish soup, accompanied by garlic croutons, and spread with rouille, pieces of fish and potatoes. In Cannes, often it will be accompanied by an Aioli sauce, which is popular in the town as it is in the whole Mediterranean.
Socca
Socca is a traditional French dish which you will find in most places in Cannes. Prepared in the form of a large, thick pancake and cooked and browned in a wood oven, it is a savoury round flatbread, made with just chickpea flour, olive oil and salt. It is eaten hot, straight out of the oven, and is sometimes seasoned with pepper.
Beignets des Fleurs de Courgettes
A traditional Mediterranean dish, the Beignets des fleurs de courgettes, otherwise known in English as courgette (zucchini) flower fritters, are a popular savoury aperitif served hot. They are made in a similar fashion to doughnuts, where the courgette flowers (or sometimes squash) are wrapped in batter and deep-fried.
Pissaladiere
While Cannes is a beautiful resort town close to Nice, it is also close to the border of Italy, and thus there is some Italian influence seen in the food and culture. One such influence is pissaladiere, also known as pizza all’Andrea, which originally came from Genoa, Italy. It is often mistaken for a pizza, however instead of a tomato base it has a fondue of onions that have simmered for at least two hours, and is topped usually with pissalat, anchovies and black olives.
Lerina
As for drinks, one of the staples in Cannes is the liqueur Lerina, which is created in the distillery of Lerins Abbey, the monastery on the Saint-Honorat Island in the Lerins Islands, which is a territory of Cannes. There is a range of liqueurs, including green, yellow, mandarin, lerincello (which is very popular among Italians) and Verbena. It is usually served straight at the end of a meal.
Pan Bagnat
The most popular sandwich in Cannes, which cannot be missed if you are visiting the beach, is the Pan Bagnat. Typically, it consists of small round bread, which is topped with olive oil, raw vegetables and anchovies, which are a very popular topping in Cannes, often being seen on other sandwiches and pizza. Some popular toppings put in a Pan bagnat include tuna, radishes, olives, egg, tomatoes, and celery. A popular picnic staple, spend a day at one of the most beautiful anchorages in France and enjoy a meal at sea.
Fougasse
Like the Italian focaccia, fougasse is a flat Provençal bread from the south and comes in many different shapes and forms. Unlike focaccia, fougasse is prepared differently and baked on a stone instead of an oiled pan, which makes it slightly crispier. Fougasse is often garnished or filled with onions, anchovies, bacon, cheese, herbs, or olives. As well, if you prefer something sweeter, the fougassette is the brioche version, which is one of the thirteen desserts of the Provencal tradition and is flavoured with orange blossom.
If you like the sound of any of these dishes, the French Riviera is full of food to try, so why not try a charter from Cannes around the French Riviera!
