| French Word | English Translation |
|---|---|
| cabillaud | fresh (unsalted) cod |
| caillettes | speciality of N. Provence - round pork sausage with chopped spinach or chard, garlic, onion, parsley and wrapped in a specialty fat |
| calisson | Provence specialty candy made from glazed almond paste |
| cannellonis | Italian stuffed pasta |
| capuccino | a food preparation e.g. red-fruit capuccino, potato capuccino |
| capucine | nasturtium - edible flower used in salads |
| carambole | a juicy yellow fruit |
| carpaccio | raw meat (or fish) cut into slivers and dressed with olive oil and lemon juice |
| carrelet | plaice, the fish, or something served cut into small squares |
| casseron | cuttlefish |
| cassolette | a small terrine made for individual consumption |
| cassoulet | wine-based stew made using white beans and stewed goose, duck, sheep, or pork |
| cébettes | mild, leek-like vegetable sliced and eaten in salads |
| centre-ville | the part of town closest to shops and markets, sometimes very small, sometimes quite large |
| cèpes | a type of mushroom |
| chanterelles | a type of mushroom |
| charcuterie | a shop specializing in pork and its many preparations |
| châtaignes | small chestnut |
| châtaignes de mer | fruit of the water lilly |
| chevreuil | venison |
| chichi-fregi | sugar powdered, deep-fried dough spirals similar to churros |
| chinchard | fish akin to mackeral but with courser flesh |
| chorizo | Spanish sausage seasoned with red pepper |
| cigale | cicada - cricket |
| cigale de mer | sea-cricket, a tender crayfish-like rock lobster |
| civet | game marinated in red wine and stewed in a sauce thickened with blood |
| civet de cuisse | blood-thickened stew of venison shank |
| clafoutis | an oven-baked custard-cake mixed with cherries |
| clémentine | a special type of small orange renowned in France |
| cocotte | casserole |
| confit | anything preserved, often a meat kept in its own grease, or a fruit |
| coq au vin | chicken cooked a long time in red wine |
| coulis | any food put into a sauce and reduced to a puree (tomatoes, raspberries, etc) |
| coup de coeur | "heart-throb", here indicating special notice |
| couscous | granulated semolina basic to Moroccan and other arabic cuisines; a meal in which it is used along with meats, vegetables and seasonings. |
| couscous royal | a deluxe couscous with high quality ingredients |
| craquelin | a crunchy dry cake, most often made with biscuit flour or unleavened dough |
| cratons | shaped like a volcano |
| crème anglaise | cream thickened over a light heat and flavored with vanilla |
| crème brûlée | "custard" made with cream and eggs whose sugar coating is scorched |
| crème caramel | "custard" with caramel added |
| crème corail | a pink sauce derived from parts of scallops and other shellfish |
| crème fraîche | a milk product most well known in Normandy which could be called a distant cousin of sour cream |
| crème marscapone | sweet Italian cream used in tiramisu and other preparations |
| crème renversée | a custard-like dessert |
| crèpe | a thin "pancake" made from flour, milk, and eggs quickly fried on a large, round griddle |
| crépinette | a flat sausage patty wrapped in specialty fat |
| crespeou | cake made from crèpes |
| crosnes | a hardy plant of which the roots are eaten |
| croustade | a butter-rich bread dough stuffed with various edibles |
| croûton de rillettes | croutons fried in fat from pork, rabbit, goose, or poultry |
| cru | wine harvested from a specific and designated area |
| cuisine de femme | "woman's cooking" - distinction drawn by some culinary observers |
| cuisse | usually, leg; sometimes, thigh |