13 Items Every French Woman Has in Her Pantry

I’ve been obsessed with all things French since I was 9—maybe 8. Every year my grandparents would spend a chunk of their summer in Provence, and all I got were the anecdotes about how nice it had been. It kicked off an obsession, culminating in one study abroad, a year and a half living in Paris post-grad and nearly 15 years of French language learning.

From French girl makeup to wardrobe essentials, I’m in relentless pursuit of the lifestyle I find so balanced, fun and stylish. That includes food, because the year and a half I spent living in France was the best gastronomic experience of my life. Below are 13 items French women are sure to keep in their pantries, based on my observations living with a French family as their au pair, snooping my friends’ cupboards and grilling a New York City-based French friend. Bon appétit.

They might have a rival with the Italians, but the French eat a lot of pasta. When I was an au pair, my host family was incredibly fond of pasta salad come springtime. The mother was very inventive, and two of my favorites were pasta with melon, prosciutto and mozzarella, and duck pasta salad. A friend of mine who lived in Italy for 15 years before moving to Paris only stocks Dececco in her pantry.

I’m 100 percent addicted to the way French people consume honey. Instead of a squeeze bottle, what you’ll often find on French grocery store shelves are literal tubs of creamed honey. The texture is akin to mildly cold butter in spreadability and is great on warm toast with butter. I beeline for this every time I see it in someone’s pantry (and everyone has it) or I’m doing my own grocery shopping during a sojourn in Paris.

While France has an incredible café culture, they also cater to the non-coffee drinkers. In a similar way that you can order an espresso or café crème on the terrace, you can do so with tea. And, sorry, mainline American brands…French people know good tea, even on the grocery store shelf. My host family kept Mariage Frères in their pantry, but I’ve also bought and loved tea from Kusumi and Palais des Thés. Based on my observations, French women have a penchant for detox teas, but I personally always stock up on Earl Grey and anything floral. (You can do no wrong with Mariage Frères’s Casablanca.)

While Nestlé might be a beloved American brand, its Nesquik chocolate powder is popular in French mothers’ pantries, served at breakfast and snack time. While my French friend maintains that this is for children…I’m very guilty of having bought many boxes while I lived in France, to drink for myself before bed.

Do *not* squirt American neon yellow mustard in a French person or they will faint. More accurately, they will “tomber dans les pommes,” an expression translated to “falling in the apples” that means to faint. Instead, you’ll typically find a good grainy mustard from Dijon, a city in Burgundy famous for the eponymous condiment. I’ve most often seen it deployed (and used it myself) in simple vinaigrettes to dress salads—my favorite greens are endives and corn salad, or what the French call “la mâche.”

Confession: I hate pickles…but I’m overruled here. (They’re also a top 2025 food trend, per PureWow Vice President of Editorial Candace Davison.) When it comes to French pantry staples, it doesn’t get more French than cornichons, aka baby pickles. They’re an absolute staple in the fall and winter when a traditional cheese dish, raclette, is served in abundance. But they go well on sandwiches and charcuterie boards, too…not that you’ll find me adding any.

You can’t be French and not have wine stored somewhere, whether that’s the bar, pantry or fridge. After all, the country is famous for its wine producing regions—Burgundy, Loire, Bordeaux, Charente and Languedoc are just a few. Wine is served at lunch and dinner, and the best part is that you never need an occasion to open a bottle. One of my French friends, an ex-Parisian who now lives near Giverny (Monet’s home), professes undying love for Chablis, a dry white wine produced in Burgundy, while I’ll always be partial to a rosé from Provence.

Like Nesquik, this is a kiddie pick, but I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t buy several bottles during my time in France to drink myself. One of the most popular brands I’d see on the shelf (and in pantries) was Teisseire. Not into Grenadine? They make a million other flavors kids and adults will enjoy, including strawberry, mint, raspberry and peach.

One of my host family’s regular orders at their local bakery was “pain brioché”—a small, tight but airy loaf of bread so buttery all it needed was jam. I dream about it still. However, you can also pick up pre-packaged brioche at the grocery store. Its most popular iteration has chocolate chips, endearingly known as “pépites de chocolat.” The bread is so soft, I was gleefully snacking along with my charge and sadder than he was that “le goûter” was over.

The last thing on my French friend’s list of pantry staples? The humble madeleine. It’s definitely reserved for “le goûter,” but again, it’s a cookie that I’ve never turned down. (Sensing a theme here?) One of my favorite food duos, Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini behind The Cook’s Atelier school in Burgundy (and eponymous cookbook), also teach this recipe regularly in their cooking school and have a recipe for it in their book, proving that it’s grown-up sanctioned, too.