Quiche lorraine

Allergens at a glance

• UsuallyEggsThe filling is a custard of whole eggs and often extra yolks.
• UsuallyMilkCream or crème fraîche, butter in the pastry, and often Gruyère.
• UsuallyGlutenWheat shortcrust (pâte brisée) or puff pastry case.
• SometimesMustardSome cooks brush the pastry base with mustard.

Usually in the standard recipe. Often in many versions. Sometimes in some kitchens, or a cross-contact risk.

Diets

• Not vegetarian: smoked bacon lardons. Meat-free quiches go by other names.
• Not halal or kosher: pork, and meat with dairy.
• Not gluten-free unless made without pastry (quiche sans pâte).

Recipes change from kitchen to kitchen. If you have an allergy, confirm every ingredient with the restaurant before you order.

What is quiche lorraine?

Quiche lorraine is an open tart from the Lorraine region of north-east France, made from a pastry case filled with a set custard of eggs and cream studded with smoked bacon. It's served warm or at room temperature, by the slice, usually with a green salad. It's the original quiche; other fillings came later.

What's in it

• Pastry: shortcrust (pâte brisée) made with wheat flour and butter; some bakers use puff pastry.
• Lardons: smoked bacon cut into small strips and browned.
• Custard: eggs beaten with cream or crème fraîche, seasoned with salt, pepper and often nutmeg.
• Cheese: not in the strict Lorraine recipe, but most bakeries and cafés add Gruyère or Emmental.

Some cooks add onion, which purists say turns it into a different tart. Other quiches swap the bacon: quiche aux poireaux (leek), quiche saumon épinards (salmon and spinach), quiche au chèvre (goat's cheese).

Allergens and diets

Assume egg, milk and gluten. The filling is egg custard, the cream is dairy, and the pastry is wheat and butter. Even a quiche sold without cheese still has cream and butter.

Mustard is "sometimes". Some bakers brush a little Dijon over the pastry base before filling it, where it disappears completely. Ask if mustard is a problem for you.

The bacon makes it unsuitable for vegetarians, and pork with dairy rules it out for halal and kosher diets. Vegetarian quiches are common in French bakeries, but they share trays, slicing knives and display cases with the lorraine. Gluten-free pastry is uncommon; quiche sans pâte (crustless quiche) is the usual workaround and is sold in some places.

On the menu

In a bakery (boulangerie) or deli (traiteur) you'll see quiche lorraine sold by the slice or as an individual tart, and it's a staple of café lunch menus, often as quiche salade (quiche with a side salad). Ask for it réchauffée if you want it warmed.

Last checked 1 November 2026. Spotted something wrong? Email support@inventum.com.au.