La Glace: ordering and enjoying ice cream in France

Food is a huge part of the tourist industry in France, and critics come from around the world to put chefs to the test and write reviews for high-end magazine. You don’t have to be a foodie, however, to enjoy well-made French food, and you don’t have to be wildly adventurous to sample some of the best that France has to offer.

The Ice Cream Shop • Ice Cream Flavors • Making Your Order

Ice cream is something that the French simply got right. Italian-style gelato was introduced in France by Catherine de Medici (as the legend goes) in the late 16th century, when she was married into the French royal family.

Most ice cream shops in France still serve ice cream that more closely resembles gelato (yum!) than the ice cream we are more familiar with Stateside.

Whether you’re in the city or on the beach, eating it out of a cone, a dish, or on a crêpe, ice cream is the perfect dish to accompany any summer vacation in France.

Glace means ‘ice cream,’ but it also means plain old ice. (Technically, the literal term for ‘ice cream’ is crème glacée, but no one uses that term.)

A sign indicating a Palais de Glace means ‘Ice Palace,’ not (unfortunately) ‘Ice Cream Palace.’ If you see a shop marked Glace à l’Italienne, don’t expect Italian ice cream; instead, you’ll find what we call ‘Italian Ice’ — a drink made with flavored syrup or fruit puree.

Le glacier - The Ice Cream Shop
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Glacier, like glace has multiple meanings. In the geological sense, it has the same meaning in French as in English. Context, though, is everything, and in this case it means ice cream maker or shop.

Here are the key words you’ll need to know when stepping into an ice cream shop:

La Glace	Ice Cream
la glace Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	ice cream
le sorbet Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	sorbet
une boule Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	one scoop
deux boules Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	two scoops
trois boules Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	three scoops
un cornet (de glace) Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	a(n ice cream) cone
une coupe Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	a dish

Parfums de glace - Ice cream flavors
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Okay, now on to the myriad flavors!

Because French ice cream and sorbet is available is so many flavors — shops in beach towns like Nice have the widest selection — I have divided my lists by category: Classic (although perhaps not so typical in the U.S.), Fruit, and Unusual flavors.

Classiques Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	Classic
arlequin Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	sprinkles (lit. “harlequin,” the clown)
canelle Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	cinnamon
caramel Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	caramel
chewing gum Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	bubble gum
chocolat (noir) Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	(dark) chocolate
guimauve Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	marshmallow
menthe Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	mint
meringue Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	meringue
nougat Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	nougat
pistache Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	pistachio
vanille Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	vanilla

All Flavors

Fruit flavors are more often than not indicative of a sorbet, but classic gelato is also made with fruit. There will usually be a separate area for sorbets, but when in doubt, you can always ask.

Fruits	Fruits
ananas Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	pineapple
banane Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	banana
cassis Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	black current
citron Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	lemon
citron vert Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	lime
fraise Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	strawbeery
framboise Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	raspberry
litchie or lychee Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	lychee
mandarine Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	mandarin
mangue Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	mango
myrtille Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	blueberry
orange Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	orange
pamplemousse Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	grapefruit
pêche Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	peach
poire Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	pear
pomme verte Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	green apple
rhubarbe Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	rhubarb

All Flavors

The South of France is home to some very unusual ice cream. Traditional flavors include herbs and savory ingredients not usually seen in a sweet desert. If you’re feeling adventurous about ice cream, the French Riviera is the place to be!

Exceptionnel	Unusual
figue Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	fig
fleur d’oranger Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	orange blossom
lavande Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	lavender
olive noire Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	back olive
romarin Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	rosemary
rose Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	rose
thym Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	thyme
tomate basilic Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	tomato basil
vanille et poivre rose Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	vanilla and pink peppercorn

As hard as it may be to believe, there are probably a couple of flavors I forgot to mention (or have never come across myself). Not to worry, though, the aesthetically pleasing displays (like the ones pictured in this section) make it easy to identify flavors visually. Read on to practice placing an order.

Au Comptoir - At the Counter
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Now you have all the necessary vocabulary for understand an ice cream menu! If you’d like to do better than gesturing wildly and speaking in slow, loud English (as though that makes it easier to understand a new language), familiarize yourself with a few of the following phrases so you can be prepared when stepping up to the counter.

Phrases Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	Sentences
Une boule (deux boules, trois boules) dans une coupe, s’il vous plaît. Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	One scoop (two scoops, three scoops) in a cone, please.
Un cornet à deux boules, s’il vous plaît. Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	Two scoops in a cone, please.
Je voudrais trois boules, s’il vous plaît, dans un cornet. Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	I would like three scoops please, in a cone.
Deux boules au chocolat et une au fraise. Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.	Two scoops of chocolate and one scoop of strawberry.

Once you’ve indicated how many scoops you want and whether you’d like a cone or a dish, you can simply point to or name the flavors you want (using the table above).

The more glaciers you visit, the more parfums you’ll be able to try, and the more practice you’ll get with your French phrases. Get out there and eat some ice cream!