What to Eat in Reims

Reims sits in the Marne plain, surrounded by vineyards and cereal fields shaped by a cool, oceanic climate. Winters can be brisk and damp, encouraging slow-cooked meats, sturdy vegetables, and preserved foods. The city’s culinary identity blends Champagne’s wine culture with a deep charcuterie tradition and bakery craft.

Local cooks lean on wine vinegar from Champagne, mustard made with brown seeds, and butter rather than olive oil. Meals often start with cold cuts or pastry-enclosed terrines, followed by hearty plates suited to the region’s chill. Sweets, especially dry biscuits and gingerbread-style bakes, pair naturally with sparkling wine.

Jambon de Reims is a rustic ham terrine built from pork shoulder, ham, and rind simmered in a fragrant court-bouillon with bay, thyme, and pepper. The meat is coarsely chopped, seasoned—often with garlic or allspice—then packed into a mold and pressed as it cools, the natural gelatin from the rind binding it. Slices show a mosaic of rosy meat and transparent jelly, sometimes finished with a thin breadcrumb coating. The taste is savory and aromatic, with a firm yet yielding bite and the clean tang of accompanying pickles or mustard. Historically tied to the city’s charcutiers, it reflects preservation know-how in a cool climate where cured, cooked pork thrived. Today it’s eaten cold as a starter, at buffet tables, or in sandwiches, commonly with cornichons and a spoon of Reims mustard or Champagne wine vinegar to brighten the richness.

Pâté en croûte de Reims showcases the meeting of butchery and baking: a seasoned forcemeat of pork (often shoulder and belly), sometimes veal and liver, enriched with lard and pistachios, encased in a shortcrust or puff pastry. The filling is spiced with pepper, nutmeg, and quatre-épices, baked with small chimneys to vent steam, then finished with clarified aspic poured into the cavity to set. Once chilled, neat slices reveal alternating layers of meat and jelly inside a crisp, golden crust. The texture contrasts are central—buttery pastry, dense, gently coarse pâté, and cool gelatin—while the flavor skews peppery, meaty, and subtly sweet. Reims pâtés earned a reputation at regional fairs and family feasts, where portability and keeping qualities mattered. Served cold, it anchors weekend lunches and holiday spreads, often with a simple green salad dressed in Reims vinegar and a dab of mustard to cut through the richness.

Biscuits roses de Reims are crisp, dry sponge biscuits developed by local bakers in the late 17th century to use residual oven heat. Made from wheat flour, sugar, and eggs—lightly scented with vanilla—and traditionally tinted pink with cochineal, they’re baked twice to drive out moisture. A dusting of fine sugar gives a delicate crust that shatters cleanly. These biscuits are intentionally sturdy so they can be dipped into Champagne without crumbling immediately, a practice that became a hallmark of celebrations in the region. The flavor is lightly sweet, with a vanilla note and a pleasant dryness that highlights sparkling wine’s acidity. Beyond toasting with fizz, locals enjoy them as a snack, crumbled into charlottes and trifles, or served with coffee. Their longevity and portability made them festive gifts and travel provisions, and they remain a fixture at weddings, baptisms, and end‑of‑year gatherings.

A specialty from Sainte‑Menehould, east of Reims, these pig’s feet are simmered for hours in an aromatic broth with onions, bay, and cloves until the collagen turns silky and the meat loosens from the bones. After cooling, they’re carefully handled—often left largely intact—coated in breadcrumbs, and browned under a grill or in a pan to crisp the exterior. The result is a contrast between a crunchy crust and richly gelatinous, tender meat that melts as you eat. The taste is savory and mildly spiced, traditionally brightened with a sharp mustard made with Champagne vinegar. The dish’s reputation grew along historical travel routes through the Marne, where cooks prized long, gentle cooking that suited regional pork. Today it’s eaten hot at lunch or dinner, paired with simple potatoes or a vinegared salad, and it remains a touchstone of local technique that values patience and texture.

Lentillons de Champagne are small, salmon‑pink lentils cultivated in the chalky soils of the Champagne plain around Reims. They hold their shape when cooked, making them ideal for salads. For this dish, the lentils are rinsed and gently simmered until tender but intact, then dressed warm with a vinaigrette of Reims wine vinegar, brown mustard, and neutral oil. Additions vary—diced carrots, shallots, parsley, and sometimes lardons or a soft‑boiled egg—yielding a nutty, slightly earthy flavor profile with pleasant bite. The texture is firm yet creamy within, with acidity from the vinegar lifting the lentils’ sweetness. This salad reflects the region’s grain‑and‑pulse agriculture and offers a lighter counterpoint to charcuterie. It’s common at weekday lunches, picnics, and as a side at room temperature, especially in spring and summer when markets brim with herbs and young vegetables.

Reims cuisine balances hearty charcuterie, bakery craftsmanship, and vineyard‑driven acidity from Champagne vinegar and mustard. Cool, damp seasons underpin slow‑cooked meats, while dry biscuits and bright salads provide contrast. Explore more food stories and climate‑savvy travel ideas on Sunheron.com, and use them to plan a delicious, well‑timed trip.