Local Specialties you must try when in Lille

If the first thing you think of is snails and frog legs when someone mentions French food then its time to take a trip to Lille. Discover real traditional French food as well as dishes specific to the north of France resulting from its French and Flemish history.

A few specialties you should look out for include:

* Waterzoî au poisson – creamy sole and vegetables.

* Potjevlessch – a cold dish of veal, rabbit and ham.

* Carbonade Flamande – a beer-based beef stew.

For those with a sweet tooth the legendary waffles ‘gaufres’ are a must but there’s also a range of dessert that are made from dark sugar such as Tarte à cassonade, as well as crème caramel and toffees locally known as babeluttes de Lille.

When it comes to cheese a taste of the Vieux Lille (more commonly known as the Lille stinker) is a must. Other cheese from the North of France which we’d also suggest are the Hollande and the Mimolette.

Once you’ve finished your meal you should try the ‘genievre’ a liqueur made from grains and flavoured with juniper berries. Created in the 17th Century the liqueur is made from oats, barley, wheat and rye which are fermented with the juniper berries added afterwards for taste.

The local specialties of Lille don’t just lie within food. Due to its close proximity with Belgium and its shared Flemish history, the north of France also a good reputation for producing great local beers that are typically strong-tasting and have a high alcohol content. We recommend La Blanche de Lille, Le genièvre de Wambrechies and the La Mandarine Napoléon in Seclin.