French Food Recipeub December 18, 2025 0 Comments

Lamproie – Lamprey. The Lamprey on French Menus

from

Behind the French Menu

by

Bryan G. Newman

A member of the
Lamprey family.

Lamproie de Rivière Européene, the River
Lamprey and the Lamproie Marine or Lamproie de Mer – The Lamprey. The French name lamproie, like lamprey
in English, covers all members of the lamprey family and there are quite a
number of members. However, in France, one of the two noted above will be
on your menu. The lamprey is a strange and jawless fish, but not an eel. Lampreys are a unique and separate family of freshwater and
seawater fish.

Lamprey with lemon and
bacon

Lamproie à la Bordelaise – Lamprey prepared in the manner of Bordeaux; this is the most famous of all
French lamprey recipes, and its origins go back to the Middle Ages. The lamprey
is cooked with leeks, ham, onions, a red Bordeaux wine, and some of the
lamprey’s own blood. Lampreys were and are considered a delicacy, and depending on the area where this dish is served, Cognac or Armagnac will be added for flavor. This is a recipe that takes lots of preparation, and as so it is quite
an expensive dish.

Lamproie à la Bordelaise

The lamprey used in this
dish is the Lamproie de Rivière Européene also called the Lamproie Fluviatile,
Lamprillon or Flûte.

Lamproie à la Nantaise – Lamprey in the
manner of the city of Nantes. River Lamprey with red wine, button mushrooms and prunes. Nantes is the prefecture, the capital, of
the department of Loire-Atlantique and the region of the Pays de Loire. It is built on
both banks of the River Loire and while it is a large city it is regularly
voted the best city in France to live and work in.

Lamproie à la Nantaise

Lamproie au Vin Blanc – Lamprey and the Vouvray white wine made
with Chenin Blanc grapes that grow along the banks of the Loire River. In
this dish will be Armagnac, Bayonne ham, Lardons, and a touch of the Piment d’Espelette pepper.

Lamproie au Vin Blanc

Lamprey with white wine

The European river
lampreys are mostly caught when they reach 35 cm (14“) long. They are
found along the Atlantic coasts of Europe, including the UK and Ireland, as
well as the French and Italian Mediterranean coasts. The sea lamprey is larger,
reaching 60cm (28“) or more. Sea Lampreys are caught when they return to
the rivers to spawn.

The European River
Lamprey

The Lamprey Fete in Saint-Terre.

held in the village of Sainte-Terre close to the Dordogne River.
The Fete is usually held on the third weekend in April and organized
by the Confrérie de la Lamproie, Saint-Terre,
the Brother and Sisterhood of the Lamprey in Sainte-Terre. During
the fete, there are cookery workshops, a flea market, funfair, and sports, with
a dinner dance on Saturday evening and Sunday noon.

Members of the
Brotherhood of the Lamprey in Sainte-Terre.

Sainte-Terre is close to
the city of Libourne, the commercial hub of Bordeaux’s Right Bank wine
region. The Libournais wine region includes the appellations of Pomerol
and Saint Émilion.

Lamprey traditions in the UK

According to an article in The Guardian, it was traditional for Gloucester to send a Christmas lamprey
pie to the British monarch until 1836 when the practice was discontinued,
except for coronations and jubilees. In 2012 a pie was sent to Queen Elizabeth II to mark her Diamond Jubilee, but the numbers of UK lampreys were so low that they had to be imported from the Great Lakes of North America. Now, it seems the
river pollution in the UK has decreased, and the river lamprey is returning in
large numbers.

Eating too many lampreys
can be bad for your digestion. King Henry I of England, (c. 1068 – 1135), the fourth
son of William the Conqueror. Henry died in Normandy, according to legend, from
a surfeit of lampreys.

The lamprey in the
languages of France’s neighbors:

The European River Lamprey – Lamproie de Tivière Européene or
Lamproie Fluviatile:

(Catalan – llampresa de riu), (Dutch
– amproye),(German – lamprete, lamprida), (Italian
– lampreda di fiume), (Spanish – lamprea de río), (Latin – lampetra
fluviatilis).

The Sea Lamprey or Great Sea Lamprey – La Lamproie
Marine or Lamproie de Mer:

(Catalan –llampresa de mar), (Dutch -Zeeprik),
(German – grosse lamprete, seelamprete), (Italian – lampreda di mare),
(Spanish – lamprea de mar), (Latiin
– petromyzon marinus).

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