What Are Your Favourite French Products?

[Bathsheba]

When my DH was organising my 40th b'day recently several people asked him what kind of gift I might like and he thoughtfully said "Anything French". So as a result of this I have an array of new French made pressies! Ooh la la! Which has made me wonder what other "Made In France" products are loved by other people?

Amongst my gifts were:

Le Creuset (bakeware)
L'Occitane (skin care)
A book on the art and pop culture of France
Champagne

But I also like:

Yves Saint Laurent perfume "Baby Doll"
Guerlain perfume "Shalimar"

I like movies with the actress Audrey Tautou (eg Amelie)
French music by Ariane Moffat and StereoLab


What are your favourites?

[Ginger]

oohhhhh what about berets?
and brie cheese....
and tops with blue and white horizontal stripes on them LoL

[Pandora]

cheese and wine

[Bathsheba]

Yep, Roquefort cheese is especially good. I find Australia's Jindi cheeses are the most similar to the French Bries and Camemberts.

[Ginger]

ooohhh and i can't go past the bakery without grabbing a french stick!

[Rouge]

Maxims de Paris Chocolate
Daphonoise Cheese
Foie Gras
Truffle Oil
Ruinart Champagne
Le Creuset and Le Chasseur
Erte (Whilst Russian born still considered French)
Fabien Del Sol - Most people know her version of "Laisse tomber les filles"
Guerlain Liquid Eye Liner
My gorgeous handbag that my GF got in Paris for me by a designer who worked for Dior making bags before starting his own company (I never remember the name will have to go find it and post back).
Jacques Raymond he's a product of france, no?
L'Occitane Rose Water Linen Spray
Many Many other things but I can't for the life of me remember... So I'll come back if I remember...

ETA:
My small but growing collection of Absinthe Spoons.
My Marie Antoinette Magnet that my GF got me at Versailles

[Bathsheba]

Liste magnifique (magnificent list) Cai!

I asked about lavender Linen Spray at L'Occitane recently and they said they didn't make it anymore I really liked the bottles they came in... should have bought one when they were available... and yes, the Rose would have been lovely too. Don't you just hate it when you miss the boat???

I found a tub of Creme Fraiche d'Isigny in our fridge tonight... DH had bought it for the party but forgot about it... so I added it to the potato gratin i cooked in my new Le Creuset baking dish tonight... just a little bit more authentic

Oh and I made a Kir apertif for my Mother's Helper tonight: traditional with young chardonnay and Cassis.

I really need to learn the character accent keys on my keyboard so I can type French words correctly!

[AngelPunks]

Chanel - yes I'm a Chanel freak I've even got a Chanel tattoo

[fionas]

Moi? Je suis un petit peu partial to Pernod.

And pate. I should hunt out an authentic French one.

Ooooh, I once had a Pernod creme brulee in Carcasonne - that was quite magnifique.

And am adoring my Simone Perele bras because they fit wonderfully BUT, they don't feel that glamorous.

I did like Air and have been playing Nouvelle Vague recently.

Oh, and I used to love, love, love the Eurovision Song Contest when the French judge would announce the vote for the UK, usually along the lines of "Royaume Unix ... null points" - kinda had to be there moment.

[Rouge]

I forgot one!

My "The Concise Larousse Gastronomique"

I thought the Linen Spray had been discontinued... its so precious to me, but I love to spray my bed before I make it. And who knows when its all gone I might find a recipe to make my own.

[Bathsheba]

Ooooh great list too Fiona! I don't think I have tried Pernod yet... but I have seen it at Dan Murphies (a good place to buy lesser known French wines and spirits) and will buy some next time.

Linen Spray: yes! If only I had bought it for the bottle... I could have easily replaced the contents with my own substitute. I remember going to a L'Occitane shop in an alley on the Left Bank in Paris... standing in the doorway was a very attractive French man holding a platter of preserved (candied) fruits. I sampled some... mmm.... will never forget that moment. The store there had lots of food items... local olive products and honies I seem to recall... about half the store looked like a grocery. I bought a few items thinking they weren't available in Australia but now they are... i don't think we will ever get the foods though. Love their Vervaine range and their Miel & Citron (honey and lemon) Eau de Toilette... that is what I put on most Saturday mornings as I prepare to escape.. I mean, leave for my "me time" in the city

[allycat06]

love listening to Camille, Emilie Simon, Francois Hardy and the wonderful SoKo
the "So Frenchy, So Chic" compilations are great too

my le Chasseur pots...lifting them in and out of low cupboards is a great way to tone your arms

movies with Charlotte Gainsbourg

Lancome lipgloss...juicy tubes!

coq au vin

Arrogant Frog wines...delicious and tres reasonable, love the Ribbet White
and veuve clicquot for very special occasions!

[Curly]

Dom Perignon.

When DH and I went out for dinner to celebrate our engagement, we had Dom Perignon for the first time. We even had a French waiter who made such a fuss of us. It was lovely.