Montpellier is rich in culture, language food and style. For me, while I have been here for my nine months for a French immersion language stay, I have lived majority of the time in student residences, that being said cooking for myself while living and studying French here in Montpellier has not been my forte. So, I have done my due diligence in exploring Montpellier for its iconic foods here during my French immersion stay that you much try while you are also staying and learning French here in France.
Of course, we all know the iconic French pastries, but I have to mention them here again. This might seem a little crazy but I highly recommend trying all the different types of French pastries you can while you are here. They are all so delicious it is insane, and each boulangerie has a variety of different ones to try. The iconic pain au chocolate, or butter croissant are among my favourites. Speaking of sweet things, an unlikely pair that goes together perfectly is fruits and cheese. Here in France there are so many different varieties of cheese to choose from, a discovery of mine since I have been here being goat cheese which they call Chevre here in France, which goes so well with a delicious baguette and a drizzle of honey on top. So, while you are studying in France make sure to try some cheeses as well!
Another specialty France I highly recommend you try is the wine. The wine here is amazing and there are many opportunities even with the school where you can go to do a wine tasting. I myself am not a huge wine fan, but since I have been here I have noticed I have developed quite a taste for the delicious wines that France has to offer. Another alcoholic drink for those who many not be a fan of drinking a strong liqueur or a dry beer, is called a Monaco. This is definitely my preferred drink on a night out with my friends at a bar. It is light and sweet and perfectly refreshing, its made up of beer, bubbly water or sprite, and grenadine to give it sweetness and a bright red colour. Close to the Monaco, is another drink that I have not heard of before I came to France which is called a Panache Another drink playing off of beer that consists of just beer and sprite. So, if you are like me, who is neither fan or beer or wine, these drinks are perfect for you.
If you happen to be here during Christmas time and are lucky enough to attend the Christmas market there is another speciality that comes from the Mediterranean Sea which is also delicious if you are fan of sea food. Oysters! Personally, I was never a huge fan of sea food, and was very skeptical of trying it, especially oysters, but I was assured that they are amazing so I did give them a try. Let me tell you, these were truly delicious, they crumble bread crumbs on top then put them in a little oven for a couple minutes to give them a crispy layer on top and this is what really puts them over the edge. Montpellier has many sea food restaurants if you take yourself to Palavas, the area near the beach. They offer massive shrimps, fish and other delicious sea food platters which if you like sea food to begin with you will love.
So, as you can see just from the few options I can give you, while you are here learning French in Montpellier, you should also make sure to not only learn French but learn about the French culture as cuisine is one of the things that France is known far. During your French language stay make sure to check out as many ILA events to try wine, or cheese with all the friends you meet in your French courses because these activities are so fun and very educational!