La Gastronomie du Monde Francophone

In the spirit of March Madness, we’ve created this fun and simple class activity for your students to learn about gastronomy from the “monde francophone” (French-speaking world), while engaging in a friendly class competition!

March Madness Tournament

1. Assign each student (or group of students) to a French-speaking country or region.
2. Students will research the region/country’s gastronomy and choose a dish to represent the region/country in a single-elimination tournament where the class will vote for which dish they like best. Use this worksheet in French for your students to conduct their research.
3. Each student (or group) will present their research to the class and explain why their dish is the best as they face off against each other.
4. After each dish is presented, have the class vote on which dish they think should continue on to the next round. Students can fill out the “Tournoi de la gastronomie de la francophonie” bracket before the competition to predict the winner.
5. If you span this activity over multiple classes, you can have students research another dish for each round all the way to the final round (i.e., each round is a new dish from the winning countries). However, if you don’t have much time, you can have students present only once, then have the class vote on the original dishes all the way to the finals.

Round 1: Tarte Normande vs. Beignets de bananes

In the first match of Round 1, we have “Tarte Normande” from Normandy, France vs. “Beignets de Bananes” from la Réunion, France.

The “Tarte Normande” is a classic French dessert featuring a buttery, flaky pastry crust filled with a creamy apple and almond mixture, often topped with sliced apples and baked until golden and crisp.

“Beignets de bananes” are a delicious treat made by frying bananas in a sweet batter — offering a perfect balance of soft, sweet fruit and crunchy texture. On La Réunion Island, “beignets de bananes” are often made during Carnival and to celebrate Mardi Gras.

Activity Variations for French Class

Use the blank bracket below to create your own class tournament on whatever topic you choose, i.e. music, cultural landmarks, or your next travel destination.

Video Tutorial

After choosing a dish, your students can record their own cooking demonstration at home or find a video online. In the example below, Curtis and Julia, our student interns from La Réunion, show you how to make “beignets de bananes” for Mardi Gras.

Take it a step further…

Take your students to try French cuisine in Paris and Normandy next spring — check out our special offer for French teachers: