Welcome back to The Velvet Runway and this feature where we are delving into the A to Z of French Food: Letter K – Kitchen Classics & Keeping Traditions.
The letter K is unusual in French, but it’s surprisingly common in the regional languages of Brittany and Alsace.
The letter K is strong looking, and therefore brings to mind strong dishes from northern regions. Enter Brittany. Indeed, K is a very common letter in the Breton language and many dishes have kept their original Breton names. Think salted butter, buckwheat crêpes, and food that sticks to your mouth and ribs.
Another regional language that uses K extensively is Alsatian, spoken in the Alsace region, so we’ll be travelling there too as we discover more dishes that make up French cuisine.
As we move further through the A to Z of French food, each new letter reveals a world of flavours, techniques and regional specialities. So whether you are a passionate foodie, a curious traveller exploring French gastronomy, or simply want to know what makes French cuisine so enduring, let’s continue our delicious journey through France, and explore French Food beginning with the letter K.
If you’re interested in discovering more about French food culture you might also enjoy our guide to French food and way of life.
A to Z of French Food: Letter K
This week we’re exploring seven iconic foods and two drinks that start with the letter “K” : Kouign-Amann, Kig ha Farz, Knack d’Alsace, Kiri, Kouglof /Kougloff / Kougelhopf, Knepfle / Knepfles, Knöpfle, Kir and Kirsch d’Alsace.
1. Kouign-Amann – A Classic French Patisserie is the first of our A to Z of French Food: Letter K
This may well be the most indulgent pastry in France and I have a friend who once told me that just by looking at it he gained 5 kilos. It is a spiral of bread dough layered with sugar and astonishing amounts of salted butter (this is Brittany after all, you wouldn’t expect anything less) and baked until deeply caramelised.
Like many dishes from the region (remember what we said about buckwheat crêpes), it was born from creativity in the face of scarcity: bakers used excess butter and sugar to enrich leftover dough.
Fun Fact: The name literally means “cake-butter” in Breton, and honestly, you can’t get a clearer warning about what to expect for your waistline.
2. Kig ha Farz– A Comforting Breton Stew
Another comforting Breton classic, kig ha farz is a robust meat-and-buckwheat stew. It combines simmered meats and vegetables with a dense buckwheat dumpling cooked in a cloth, then sliced or crumbled. Traditionally, it’s served on Sundays or feast days.
Fun Fact: The buckwheat pudding is often crumbled and fried in butter the next day, making leftovers almost better than the original dish (as is often the case).
3. Knack d’Alsace – Iconic Sausages from Alsace
We now head east to Alsace to sample one of its iconic sausages. As you may know, Alsatian cuisine blends French and German influences (and historically this makes a lot of sense). And knacks sausages reflect this perfectly as they are short, pale, and famously snappy (they pop when bitten).
They are the traditional, butcher version of the more industrialised and standardised knacki sausages found in the supermarket. But before Herta, Knacks beccame popular in the 19th century with the rise of charcuterie shops and beer halls.
Fun Fact: Their name comes from the sound they make when you bite into them: knack!
4. Kiri – A Creamy Processed Cheese, often used in cooking
Kiri is a processed cheese created in France in 1966 by the company Bel. Made from milk and cream, it’s a major part of modern French food culture, especially for children and everyday home cooking.
Fun Fact: It’s unexpectedly excellent melted into pasta (a fact many French students discover early on).
5. Kouglof / Kougloff / Kougelhopf– A Yeat-Risen Cake from Alsace
This Alsatian speciality is a yeast-risen cake or bread, studded with raisins and almonds, and baked in a distinctive fluted mould with a hole in the center (like a Bundt pan). The different spellings come from regional dialects and language shifts over centuries and the German name Gugelhupf refers to the same family of cakes. It’s served for breakfast, apéritifs, or special occasions.
Fun Fact: There’s also a savoury version of kouglof, often made with bacon and nuts (which in my opinion sounds even better).
6. Knepfle / Knepfles – Small Dumplings from Alsace
We are staying in Alsace for this one, knepfle are small dumplings similar to spaetzle.
They are made from flour, eggs, water (or milk), and salt and then the dough is simply dropped or cut into irregular little pieces and boiled. They’re usually served with butter, cream, cheese, or alongside meats and stews.
Fun Fact: The spelling changes from village to village, proof that dialect matters just as much as recipes.
7. Knöpfle – Another Variation of the Alsation Dumpling, Shaped like Little Buttons
Knöpfle are another variation of the same Alsatian dumpling family, commonly listed on restaurant menus throughout the region. Slightly thicker than knepfle, they’re especially popular with creamy sauces. The name comes from the German Knopf (“button”), because they’re typically shorter and rounder, like little buttons.
Fun Fact: Alsatians can argue for hours about which version is superior, knepfle or knöpfle, and both sides will insist they’re right.
8. Kir – A Classic French Aperitif
Kir is a classic French drink: fresh, lightly sweet, and perfect for summer evenings. It blends dry white wine with crème de cassis (or with peach or rasberry liqueur instead).
Over time, more variations appeared such as the the kir royal (white wine replaced with Champagne), the kir breton or kir normand (let’s not get into that debate) made with cider, the kir savoyard using Savoy wine and local liqueurs like blueberry or génépi, and even kir à la châtaigne, made with chestnut liqueur instead of cassis.
Fun Fact: The drink was originally called blanc-cassis. It was later named after Félix Kir and became popular in Burgundy (more specifically Dijon) after World War II as a symbol of regional pride.
9. Kirsch d’Alsace – An Eau-de-Vie distilled from Cherries
We return to Alsace one last time for kirsch. This clear eau-de-vie distilled from cherries has been produced in the region for centuries. It’s enjoyed as a digestif and widely used in French pâtisserie (yes, including forêt-noire à la française).
While kirsch exists in neighbouring regions, kirsch d’Alsace is recognised for its distinct production traditions and long-documented history in France.
Fun Fact: A splash of kirsch is the secret ingredient in many classic French desserts, adding a subtle cherry flavour to favourites such as Black Forest gâteau, cherry clafoutis, and chocolate truffles.
FAQs: A to Z of French Food: Letter K
Q: Why is the letter K so unusual in French cuisine?
A: The letter K is relatively rare in standard French, but it’s much more common in regional languages such as Breton and Alsatian. That’s why many French foods beginning with K come from Brittany and Alsace, where traditional names have been preserved for centuries.
Q: What are some traditional French foods beginning with K?
A: Although K is an uncommon letter in French, there are several well-known dishes and products that begin with it, including kouign-amann, kig ha farz, kir, kirsch d’Alsace, kiri, knack d’Alsace, kougelhopf, and knepfle.es
Q: Is Kiri cheese popular in France?
A: Yes. Kiri has been a popular processed cheese in France since the 1960s. It’s especially loved by children, often found in lunchboxes, and commonly used in simple everyday cooking.
Q: What is Kouign-amann?
A: Kouign-amann is a traditional Breton pastry made by folding bread dough with generous amounts of salted butter and sugar before baking it until crisp and caramelised. It’s often considered one of France’s richest pastries.
Q: What is the difference between kir and kir royale?
A: A classic kir is made with dry white wine and crème de cassis, while a kir royale replaces the white wine with Champagne, creating a more festive version of the drink.
Q: What is kirsch used for in French cooking?
A: Kirsch is a clear cherry brandy enjoyed as a digestif, but it’s also widely used in French pâtisserie to flavour cakes, chocolate desserts, fruit dishes, and traditional recipes such as Black Forest gâteau.
Final words about A to Z of French Food: Letter K
The letter K proves that French cuisine is deeply rooted in regional pride from Breton butter cakes to Alsatian sausages, and that regional languages continue to flavour French food just as much as salt or spice.
If you are interested in discovering more about French Gastronomy, you might also enjoy our curated selection of wine and cook books.
I hope you enjoyed this feature about the A to Z of French Food : Letter K and we will be back soon with more French Food and Drink inspiration.
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