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<\/p>\nFrom pioneers like Auguste Escoffier, the \u201cKing of Chefs and Chef of Kings,\u201d to modern-day masters like Paul Bocuse and Alain Ducasse, the French aren\u2019t only revered for gastronomy, they practically invented it. On a first-time trip to Paris, biting into the city\u2019s best baguettes and croissants is as much on the bucket list for many as a visit to the Eiffel Tower or Louvre.<\/p>\n
When asked what is the No. 1 dish to try in France, it\u2019s hard to narrow down the list in a country that is responsible for so many culinary greats. Each region champions its own famed specialties: the Languedoc claims cassoulet, the slow-cooked sausage, duck, and white bean stew; Burgundy is the birthplace of escargot and beef bourguignon; and saffron-infused bouillabaisse seafood stew is a signature of Provence\u2014namely Marseille.<\/p>\n
After more than a decade living in France, I\u2019ve sampled my fair share of classics, but the most surprising\u2014and undervalued\u2014is also among the country\u2019s most historically significant: the savory souffl\u00e9. One of the culinary world\u2019s finest examples of molecular gastronomy, the souffl\u00e9 was invented long before Ferran Adri\u00e0 popularized the chemistry-inspired style of cuisine at his now-closed El Bulli in Catalonia.<\/p>\n
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Tatyana Berkovich\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
French baked cheese souffl\u00e9s.<\/p>\n
Taking its name from the French word \u201csouffler,\u201d or \u201cto blow\u201d or \u201cpuff up,\u201d the light-as-air dish dates back to the 18th century\u2014and the original version was savory, stuffed with cheese or meat. Sweet souffl\u00e9s dominate dessert menus today at Parisian institutions like Le R\u00e9camier by G\u00e9rard Idoux<\/a>, where the Grand Marnier version is the star, or Le Grill at H\u00f4tel de Paris Monte-Carlo<\/a> in Monaco, whose Alain Ducasse chocolate-infused souffl\u00e9 is a modernized signature that\u2019s been on the menu since opening in 1898.<\/p>\n But my advice for the one must-try dish while visiting France? Go savory.<\/p>\n This requires more effort to seek out than classics like steak frites, but you\u2019ll quickly understand why it\u2019s considered something of a delicacy. At aptly named Le Souffl\u00e9<\/a> in the first arrondissement, near Place de la Concorde and the Tuileries, you\u2019ll find the perfect compromise.<\/p>\n Savory souffl\u00e9s here shift with the seasons, so in fall, they may be stuffed with caramelized pears and blue cheese, or you can combine two French classics with the beef bourguignon souffl\u00e9. A dish this decadent doesn\u2019t need more than simple French fromage to be a success, so I\u2019d recommend sticking with the original, pared-down version. But, for research purposes, you might as well save space for dessert and sample a sweet souffl\u00e9, too.<\/p>\n