Glossaries
Regional Language Terms
Breton Terms:
- Breizh - Brittany in Breton language
- Fest-noz - Night festival featuring traditional music and dance
- Gwenn-ha-du - The Breton flag (white and black)
- Kouign-amann - Butter cake pastry
- Pardons - Religious processions honoring local saints
Alsatian Terms:
- Elsässerditsch - Alsatian dialect
- Flammekueche - Tarte flambée (thin pizza-like dish)
- Winstub - Traditional wine room/restaurant
- Bredele - Christmas cookies
- Géants processionnels - Giant puppets used in festivals
Occitan Terms:
- Lengo nostro - Our language
- Fin'amor - Refined/courtly love
- Calandretas - Occitan immersion schools
- Lo País - The country/region
Basque Terms:
- Euskera/Euskara - The Basque language
- Euskaldun - Basque speaker
- Zazpiak Bat - The seven (provinces) make one
- Ikastola - Basque language school
- Etxe - House (both building and family line)
- Fronton - Court for playing pelota
- Txoko - Gastronomic society
Corsican Terms:
- U Corsu - The Corsican language
- Riacquistu - Reacquisition (cultural revival movement)
- Maquis - Dense Mediterranean scrubland
- Vendetta - Blood feud
Ch'ti Terms:
- Drache - Heavy rain
- Ducasse - Village festival
- Estaminet - Traditional restaurant-bar
- Terril - Slag heap from mining
Savoyard Terms:
- Arpitan - Franco-Provençal language
- Montagnard - Mountain dweller
- Transhumance - Seasonal movement of livestock
Food and Drink Glossary
Brittany:
- Galette - Savory buckwheat crêpe
- Cidre - Apple cider
- Far Breton - Custard cake with prunes
- Cotriade - Fish stew
Alsace:
- Choucroute garnie - Sauerkraut with various meats
- Baeckeoffe - Meat and potato casserole
- Munster - Strong regional cheese
- Gewürztraminer - Aromatic white wine
Provence:
- Aïoli - Garlic mayonnaise
- Bouillabaisse - Fish stew from Marseille
- Pissaladière - Onion and anchovy tart
- Pastis - Anise-flavored spirit
- Tapenade - Olive and caper spread
Basque Country:
- Pintxos - Small snacks similar to tapas
- Txuleta - Thick ribeye steak
- Idiazábal - Smoked sheep's cheese
- Gâteau Basque - Cake filled with cream or cherry jam
- Piment d'Espelette - Local chili pepper
Nord-Pas-de-Calais:
- Carbonnade flamande - Beer-braised beef
- Potjevleesch - Four meats preserved in aspic
- Waterzoï - Cream-based stew
- Maroilles - Strong regional cheese
Normandy:
- Calvados - Apple brandy
- Camembert - Soft cheese
- Trou Normand - Mid-meal Calvados shot
- Pommeau - Aperitif mixing apple juice and Calvados
Burgundy:
- Boeuf Bourguignon - Beef stewed in wine
- Coq au vin - Chicken in wine sauce
- Escargots - Snails in garlic butter
- Époisses - Pungent washed-rind cheese
- Gougères - Cheese puffs
Languedoc:
- Cassoulet - Bean stew with meat
- Brandade - Salt cod purée
- Pélardon - Goat cheese
- Blanquette de Limoux - Sparkling wine
Savoy:
- Tartiflette - Potato, cheese, and bacon gratin
- Fondue Savoyarde - Melted cheese dish
- Reblochon - Soft washed-rind cheese
- Beaufort - Alpine cheese similar to Gruyère
- Génépi - Mountain herb liqueur
Cultural Terms
Climats - Precisely defined vineyard plots in Burgundy
Corons - Mining district housing in Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Bocage - Landscape of small fields enclosed by hedgerows
Terroir - Complete natural environment in which a product is produced
Négociant - Wine merchant who buys grapes/wine from growers
Transhumance - Seasonal movement of livestock to high pastures
Course Camarguaise - Bloodless bullfighting where ribbons are snatched from bulls' horns
Mistral - Strong northwesterly wind in Provence
Thalassocracy - Maritime empire (referring to Basque seafaring culture)
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