Not just anyone can be from Lyon. In addition to a local vocabulary if you haven’t passed the test of fire by tasting each of these 10 typical Lyonnais specialties at least once in your life, you’re not legally entitled to the Lyonnais origin. To get it, we’ve put together a list of must-try dishes and (above all) where to find them.
1. Lyon’s top speciality: the praline tart
The brainchild of Lyonnais chef Alain Chapel, the praline tart was invented with the aim of adding a dessert to the menus of Lyon’s bouchons. Its pink color makes it unique, and it has become one of the city’s must-try pastries. Beware: you’d better love sugar!
Where to find them?
In Pralus boutiques (Saint-Jean, Croix-Rousse, Presqu’île and Monplaisir)
In Lyon’s bakeries
2. Brioche sausage
Emblematic of family meals à la Lyonnaise, brioche sausages can be eaten as a complete dish, sliced and even accompanied by salad leaves. Whether homemade or eaten in a bouchon, the combination of hot sausage and soft brioche won over the Lyon crowd.
Where to find them?
In most of Lyon’s delicatessens
In traffic jams (the one at Les Lyonnais is excellent)
3. The quenelle
In the 19th century, when the Saône River was plagued by a pike invasion and the authorities were struggling to decide what to do with the fish, pastry chef Charles Morateur decided to mix pike meat with choux pastry, and invented lyon’s first quenelle. Its light, fluffy texture has earned it its reputation and it has become an integral part of Lyon’s gastronomy.
Where to find them?
In many of Lyon’s bouchons and restaurants
(we recommend Café du Soleil, Giraudet, or Le Poêlon d’Or)
4. Canut brains
Although its name is unappetizing, it’s simply a kind of traditional fromage blanc and typical of Lyon! Its origins remain unclear, but it may have been invented by the canuts(Lyon’s former silk weavers) in the 19th century… In any case, the freshness of fromage blanc mixed with garlic, butter and small onions is sure to delight us.
Where to find them?
In selected Lyon cheese dairies and bouchons lyonnais
(Chez Grand-Mère, Le Bouchon des Filles, Maître Boeuf, Chez Paul)
5. The sapper’s apron
This dish, typical of Lyonnais cuisine, is made up of beef gras-double marinated in white wine, breaded and served in sauce with potatoes. It’s named after a former military governor of Lyon, who wore a leather apron and loved meat…
Where to find them?
In several Lyon restaurants
(we recommend Le Morgon, La Meunière, Bouchon Comptoir Brunet)
6. Bugnes
The word bugne is a French adaptation of the Lyonnais term bugni, which designates a doughnut. Sometimes crunchy, sometimes soft, this little Lyonnais dessert has its origins in the Middle Ages (some even speak of ancient Rome!). This little slipper is so simple, yet so delicious that it’s hard to stop eating it!
Where to find them?
Several bakeries in Lyon
(we recommend Boulangerie du Palais, Maison Tourtiller, À la Marquise, Sève)
7. The cushions
Created by Lyon-based chocolatier Voisin, the cushions(made from marzipan and chocolate ganache) take up to 4 days to make! In 1643, during the plague epidemic in Lyon, the aldermen placed a gold shield on a silk cushion on the Fourvière hill to ask the Virgin Mary to spare the city. Every year since, the ritual has been repeated, inspiring the famous Lyon cushion, a confection born in 1960, symbolizing tradition and delicacy.
Where to find them?
Chocolats Voisin (several stores in Lyon)
8. Lyonnaise salad
Can it be said that every major city in France has its own typical salad? The Lyon salad consists of green salad leaves (frisée or dents de lion), smoked bacon, bread croutons, poached egg and vinaigrette sauce. And it’s not just a tasteless diet dish!
Where to find them?
In several restaurants in Lyon : Le Moulin, Les Pavés de Saint-Jean, Le Bistrot de Lyon, Le Petit Glouton
9. Grattons
Grattons(also spelled gratons) are also a typical Lyonnais speciality, consisting of animal fat or pork residues that have been melted, sautéed and seasoned with salt and pepper. They are served as an aperitif, as a main course with a salad, as a side dish, or used in tarts, pies and other culinary specialties.
Where to find them?
In Lyon’s ready-to-eat charcuterie (Charcuterie Sibilia, Charcuterie Bobosse)
10. Cardoons
Cardoon is an ancient vegetable belonging to the same family as artichokes. Cardoon is in season from August to October, and is mainly used in Mediterranean cuisine. A traditional Lyonnais dish, cardoon gratin is a pure delight and one of our gastronomic specialties.
Where to find them?
In Lyon, we recommend Le Jardin Gourmand, in the 1st arrondissement
11. Saint-Marcellin
So yes, you have to like strong cheeses. But still: Saint-Marcellin, which comes from the village of the same name near Lyon, is quite something. A small, soft cheese with a bloomy rind, made from cow’s milk, it’s perfect in a potato gratin, with roast duck or simply on toast. One of Lyon’s best specialities, to be devoured without moderation!
Where to find them?
At many cheese shops, of course, but we recommend Les Halles de Lyon!