14 Of Julia Child's All-Time Favorite Foods

If there's one name that needs no introduction, it's Julia Child. The renowned chef and television personality was well-loved not only for her expertise in the kitchen but also for her approachable cooking style that made culinary feats seem easily accessible to any home cook. The master of French cuisine is famous for simplifying complex dishes like boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin, and sole meunière, and there's little doubt she indulged in these every now and then. But when it comes to Child's favorite foods, it turns out her palate wasn't exclusive to haute cuisine.

Child was just as human as everyone else, with a fondness for the cheap and delicious that wasn't dampened by her knowledge of the culinary arts. It's always refreshing to hear of a foodie personality indulging in everyday fare — like, say, a fast food hamburger or some Chinese takeout — rather than eschewing what many would consider a satisfying meal. In fact, some of Child's favorite foods were utterly ordinary, and although there are certainly a few foods on this list that may be new to you, we're willing to bet you have a few others on a regular basis. 

Our first mention on this list of Julia Child's favorite dishes is vichyssoise — a cold leek and potato soup that we find to be a particularly apt metaphor for Child as a whole. The soup is simple, sophisticated, and flavorful, a testament to the simultaneously accessible and delicious dishes Child taught her audience to make from the comfort of their own kitchens. You don't need to be a professional cook to make soup that would look at home on even the most elegant dinner table. 

It's not hard to see why Child was a fan, but should you need convincing, take her own words from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking": "Leek and potato soup smells good, tastes good, and is simplicity itself to make. It is also versatile as a soup base; add watercress and you have a watercress soup, or stir in cream and chill it for a vichyssoise." It's a soup you can get creative with should you feel inspiration strike, but it also effortlessly holds its own. Child's own recipe isn't hard to find on the internet, and we recommend trying it the next time you're craving hot soup on a cold day. All you need are leeks, potatoes, heavy cream, chicken broth, salt, pepper, chives, and crème fraîche.

Have you ever wondered exactly what sparked Julia Child's passion for French cuisine? The answer to that question seems to lie in a relatively nondescript dish: sole meunière. It's reportedly the first dish Child ever had in France when she first visited in 1948. She wasn't yet a cook and called this dish — which she and her husband, Paul, ordered from Restaurant La Couronne in the Normandy region — life-changing. In fact, her particular words regarding the dish were as follows: "It was my first French food and I never got over it" (via CNN). 

Sole meunière may not seem much to look at, but its simplistic appearance is deceptive — the dish actually requires careful preparation and precise technique, which we bet fascinated Child in her early forays in the kitchen. The fish receives a gentle coating of flour, salt, and pepper, before being sautéed in butter until golden and served on top of a brown butter sauce. It's rich and complex in flavor, especially when you adopt the addition of capers, as Child liked to do. If you can find Dover sole and wish to pay homage to the late chef, this would be an accessible dish to try, though it is a step or two more advanced than easy home recipes.

Now for a swift departure from the stovetop — Julia Child, like the rest of us, was no stranger to the peculiar indulgences offered by the fast food industry. There was one chain in particular that she loved to stop at on West Coast road trips: In-N-Out. If you've ever had In-N-Out, it probably comes as no surprise that even foodies have a hankering for its burgers. 

Child's enjoyment of the chain's burgers even got mentioned in an interview the late chef did with Larry King in 2002. "Well, it's awfully good," she said of the chain. It seems her affinity for fast food wasn't exclusive to In-N-Out, though. In the same interview, she also shouted out McDonald's and Burger King. Although we aren't sure of Child's preferred In-N-Out order (or that of any other fast food chain she mentions), the mental image of the chef chowing down on a burger and fries while coasting through California is a comforting and relatable one. 

In need of a quick and easy lunch? One of your go-to recipes may have also been a favorite of Julia Child: Hellmann's mayonnaise and tuna salad. Indeed, the chef was known to have a particular affinity for the Hellmann's brand, even occasionally opting for the store-bought mayo rather than her homemade version. But why did Child so frequently indulge in the simple sandwich? "It set just the relaxed tone she liked ... Oh, that sandwich was pure comfort for her," Child's assistant, Stephanie Hersh, put it in a New York Times interview with cookbook author Dorie Greenspan.

Tuna salad sandwiches are endlessly customizable, and you're by no means under obligation to enjoy one in Child's preferred style. However, if you want to adopt her gourmet take on the food, you'll need a few extra ingredients: lemon juice, capers, cornichons, onion, celery, salt, pepper, lettuce, and tomatoes. Child's bread of choice was Pepperidge Farm's white bread, unless she was eating it as an open-faced meal, in which case she'd use a Bays English muffin.

If you've ever wondered whether legendary chef Julia Child has anything in common with your favorite preschooler, the answer is a resounding yes — they probably share the same favorite snack. Child, like many of us, young and old, was a huge fan of Goldfish crackers. Honestly, we can hardly blame her. The salty, cheesy snack is effortlessly comforting and satisfying to munch on whenever you need a little pick-me-up. 

Are you trying to style your Thanksgiving dinner à la Julia Child? Then you'll need to stock up on some bags of Goldfish. The chef was well-known for serving them as an appetizer on the holiday alongside an unexpected accompaniment: an upside-down martini, which swaps the proportions of the vodka (or gin) and vermouth used in a typical martini. It makes sense that Child would pair the salty snack with a briny beverage, and while we may never have come up with the pairing ourselves, we aren't surprised that Julia's palate matched the duo together.

Gateau Reine de Saba (aka Queen of Sheba cake) is one of Julia Child's favorite desserts; upon trying it, it won't be hard to see why. In an episode of "The French Chef," Child demonstrates how to make the cake, which she calls "the best chocolate cake you ever put in your mouth." The cake showcases chocolate, almonds, rum, and butter for a rich, decadent flavor profile that definitely earns its "Queen of Sheba" moniker. 

Bakers shouldn't find it too difficult to make this cake in Child's preferred style. The biggest learning curves for novice bakers will be melting the chocolate without it seizing, along with whipping and folding in the egg white mixture. Find a clip of Child making the cake (easily accessible on the internet) if any of the technique makes you hesitant to try this cake for yourself. They're not very difficult techniques to master, and once you do, you'll have a go-to recipe for whenever you need to impress dinner party guests or potluck attendees. 

Here's a lesser-known tidbit about the famous chef: Julia Child was deeply enamored with Costco hot dogs. That's right — the chef's palate for common fare extended beyond In-N-Out burgers to include a fan favorite of any member of the beloved wholesaler. Personally, we don't blame her. The always budget-friendly Costco hot dog is a consumer staple because it's reliably consistent and inexpensive. So, of course, Child indulged on occasion. 

In fact, her affinity for Costco's hot dogs went beyond the passing fancy. Biographer Bob Spitz even wrote that Child "loved Costco hot dogs as much as a fine French meal" (via The New York Times). In addition to the hot dogs, it's said that Child had a general appreciation for the store. She particularly lauded its meat selection, and former "Bon Appetit" editor-in-chief Barbara Fairchild said that Child "was particularly enthusiastic about the steaks — they were the ones she would always use if she was entertaining." Costco shoppers, rest assured that you probably have more in common with Child than you think, and remember the late chef next time you chow down on a Costco hot dog.

It stands to reason that Julia Child would have some go-to meal choices for special occasions. On Valentine's Day, for instance, her preferred food was duck. In fact, Child and husband Paul had a pretty consistent tradition for their Valentine's Day practices. Paul would make and send out valentines to the couple's circle of friends, and Child, true to her nature, would prepare some type of duck for dinner.

Fortunately for the culinarily adventurous, it doesn't seem like Julia prepared her duck the same way every year, lending you some ample leeway should you want to consume the bird for your next Valentine's Day celebration. However, the chef does have her own recipes for those in need of inspiration. You can try making her famous duck à l'orange if you want a dish with a rich, succulent sauce. Conversely, if you want to challenge yourself, try her canard en croûte, or deboned duck in a delicate pastry crust. Whichever you go for, you're sure to impress whomever you may be cooking for. 

Julia Child's favorite chocolate brand isn't exactly the most well-known in the U.S., but it definitely deserves a shout-out. The West Coast-based chocolate company Scharffen Berger was founded by John Scharffenberger in 1996 and is renowned for its artisan chocolate making. The company treats its cacao much like coffee companies treat their beans, recognizing that origin plays a significant role in flavor profiles and working to enhance the cacao's natural characteristics. 

It comes as no surprise that Julia Child was an early and ardent supporter of Scharffen Berger, likely significantly contributing to its growing customer base. The company shared on Facebook that upon tasting Scharffen Berger's chocolate for the first time, back in the 1990s, Child called it "the best American chocolate she'd ever tasted." Should you happen upon Scharffen Berger's chocolate, it's worth grabbing an assortment of bars for your own enjoyment. A bar of its dark or milk chocolate will make for an indulgent snack, and you can also use its semisweet or bittersweet bars in baking endeavors. 

Ever a lover of soup, Julia Child's palate didn't cater exclusively to vichyssoise, and she could be found enjoying another unsurprising French classic unscrupulously. Child, like many of us, was a fan of French onion soup; if you've ever had it, it's not hard to see why. The decadent, cheesy, aromatic soup is a no-brainer choice when you need some comfort food or a dish to warm you up on a cold day, and Child would have agreed. 

In fact, Child's affinity for French onion soup ends in a somewhat bittersweet conclusion, as the dish was reportedly her last meal, a fact which we think is a lovely tribute to the chef's simple, elegant, and worry-free temperament. Should you find yourself wanting to host a celebration of her life, French onion soup simply must be on the menu. Bonus points if you follow Child's own recipe when making it, which requires a few extra steps.

Believe it or not, Chinese food played a key role in Julia Child's love for cooking. Something you probably didn't know about Child is that she and her husband, Paul, were stationed in China for a period of time during World War II — here, she found a fondness for the cuisine, though it admittedly didn't quite measure up to her love of French food. Upon returning to the U.S., she often indulged in Cantonese food on nights out. 

So, why isn't Child as well-known for making Chinese cuisine? Well, simply put, she didn't really cook it. Child maintained a streamlined focus on perfecting French cuisine, which she said was intricate enough to dominate a lifetime's worth of learning. To satiate her appetite for Chinese, she preferred to rely on restaurants already well-versed in the craft. While Child didn't reveal her go-to spot, one of the eateries she did enjoy was Kan's Restaurant in San Francisco, where she let the owners choose her dishes for her and delighted in taking a tour of the kitchen, per a 1974 article written for the The New Yorker.

Given that Julia Child loved sautéed mushrooms, it comes as no surprise that the earthy fungi would be a key ingredient in one of her favorite dishes. Moreover, risotto with mushrooms didn't even come from Child's kitchen — instead, it's the brainchild of Italian chef Lidia Bastianich, who says the dish paved the way toward her and Child's eventual friendship. "Julia came to my restaurant, and she says, 'Lydia, can you teach me how to make risotto?'" Bastianich told Women's World in 2025.

That simple question instigated a cooking lesson with Child, who took on the role of a student; eventually, Child would bring Bastianich onto her show to teach viewers how to cook the risotto. Should you want to try your hand at the risotto, Bastianich also included her recipe in the interview with Women's World. It's a creamy, earthy risotto that utilizes leeks, shallots, mixed mushrooms, and Grana Padano as its featured ingredients, so it's not hard to see why Child was such a fan. 

Should you find yourself venturing through Santa Barbara (and if you are particularly fond of Mexican fare), add a stop at La Super-Rica Taqueria to your itinerary. The restaurant is in an unassuming blue and white building on Santa Barbara's North Milpas Street, and unless you know it's there, it would be easy to drive right by. No big sign boasts its existence, and nothing showy beckons in passers-by. Why? To be honest, La Super-Rica probably doesn't need it — Julia Child's acclaim has given the restaurant enough fame to last a lifetime.

It's worth waiting in line for one of the eatery's tacos, and you'll probably have to given the La Super Rica's popularity. Ever since Child praised it on "Good Morning America" in the mid-'80s, it's been a mainstay for Santa Barbara residents and tourists alike; in fact, we wouldn't be surprised if we found out it's never had to do much of its own marketing. Drop in any day of the week (except Tuesdays and Wednesdays) to pick up a couple of the tacos Child so loved, but come ready with cash — the spot is currently cash-only. 

Finally, our last of Julia Child's favorite recipes comes from the kitchen of Steve DiFillippo, dear friend and mentee of Child. It's a simple dish that you've likely had in some form as a child, and it's a fitting bookend for this roundup: angel hair pomodoro. This is a classic meal that Child enjoyed and it didn't even come from her own kitchen, which is a testament to the late chef's humble roots. Good food doesn't need to require hours in the kitchen, gourmet presentation, or a sophisticated palate; instead, sourcing good ingredients and bringing out their best qualities can lead to the most satisfying meals. 

DiFillippo's dish is simple and inviting, and it can be prepared both on a budget and in a time crunch — the recipe (pun intended) for an easy, satisfying, and timeless dinner. This dish is made with olive oil, garlic, San Marzano tomatoes, basil, oregano, butter, salt, pepper, and angel hair pasta. Since there are so few ingredients, hopefully your budget has space to get the best quality available — splurge on good angel hair pasta and opt for fresh herbs and garlic cloves rather than dried or pre-minced versions. Use the finished dish to top off a pounded, breaded chicken breast, and you're well on your way to a delicious dinner.