Dish guides
What is andouillette?
Andouillette is a coarse French sausage usually made from pork intestines (chitterlings) and stomach, seasoned with onion, pepper, wine and mustard. It has a strong, farmyard smell that some people love and many visitors don't expect. On menus it's a main course, usually grilled and served with mustard sauce and fries.
- At a glance
- Andouillette
- Strong-smelling French sausage of pork intestines, grilled with mustard sauce.
- Pronunciation
- Say it like ahn-doo-YET · IPA /ɑ̃dujɛt/
- Also written as
- andouillette grillée, andouillette AAAAA, andouillette 5A, andouillette de Troyes, andouillette sauce moutarde, andouillette lyonnaise
What’s in it
Core ingredients
- pork intestines (chitterlings) and stomach
- onion or shallot
- salt and pepper
- white wine
- mustard
Often added
- mustard and cream sauce (sauce moutarde à l'ancienne)
- fries, mash or lentils on the side
- calf's mesentery (fraise de veau) in some Lyon-style andouillettes
Allergens
| Allergen | How likely |
|---|---|
| Mustard | Typically contains |
| Sulphites | Often contains |
| Dairy | Often contains |
| Gluten | Sometimes contains |
| Celery | Sometimes contains |
| Eggs | Rarely contains |
| Peanuts | Rarely contains |
| Tree nuts | Rarely contains |
| Shellfish | Rarely contains |
| Fish | Rarely contains |
| Soy | Rarely contains |
| Sesame | Rarely contains |
| Diet | Suitable? |
|---|---|
| Vegetarian | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Pescatarian | No |
| Halal | No |
| Kosher | No |
| Gluten-free | Depends — Many andouillettes contain no gluten, but recipes vary and the sauce or sides may; ask the staff to check. |
Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
What you're ordering
An andouillette is made by cutting pork intestines, often with stomach, into strips, seasoning them with onion, pepper, wine and mustard, and stuffing them into a casing. It's then cooked, so the restaurant only needs to grill or pan-fry it. The texture is coarse and chewy, and when you cut it open you'll see the strips of tripe.
The smell is the thing to know about. It comes from the intestines and is strong and earthy; even fans admit it's an acquired taste. If you were expecting an ordinary pork sausage, this isn't it. It usually comes with a creamy mustard sauce, fries or mash, and sometimes a green salad.
What "AAAAA" or "5A" means
Some menus print AAAAA (or "5A") after the name. It refers to the Association amicale des amateurs d'andouillette authentique, a club of food writers, restaurateurs and charcuterie lovers that tastes andouillettes and awards its seal to producers it judges authentic. On a menu, it signals a carefully made, traditional sausage. It doesn't mean a milder one.
Where it's eaten
Andouillette is a bistro and bouchon classic, especially in Lyon and in Troyes, whose all-pork version is the best known across France. It's a plat (main course), often at lunch. For other bistro dishes, see the France menu guide, or choose something milder such as steak tartare or magret de canard.
How to order it
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Je vais prendre l'andouillette, s'il vous plaît. | I'll have the andouillette, please. |
| Elle est forte en goût ? | Does it have a strong flavour? |
| Est-ce que la sauce contient de la moutarde et de la crème ? | Does the sauce contain mustard and cream? |
Not to be confused with
- Andouille — A larger, usually smoked sausage from Brittany or Normandy (Vire, Guémené), eaten cold in thin slices.
- Andouille (Cajun) — The American smoked pork sausage of Louisiana cooking: spicy, made from pork meat, not tripe.
- Saucisse de Toulouse — A plain pork-meat sausage, grilled or used in cassoulet, without the offal flavour.
Frequently asked questions
What is andouillette made of?
Andouillette is made mainly from pork intestines (chitterlings) and often pork stomach, cut into strips and seasoned with onion, pepper, white wine and mustard before being stuffed into a casing. It's offal, not minced pork meat. Most andouillettes, including the well-known one from Troyes, are all pork, but some Lyon-style ones are made with calf's mesentery, allowed again in France since 2015.
Why does andouillette smell so strong?
The smell comes from the pork intestines it's made from. Even when they're cleaned and cooked, they keep an earthy, farmyard aroma that gets stronger when the sausage is grilled. Fans see it as the point of the dish; many first-timers find it hard to finish. If you're curious, try a bite from someone else's plate first.
What's the difference between andouille and andouillette?
Both are French tripe sausages, but they're eaten differently. Andouillette is smaller and is grilled and served hot as a main course. Andouille is larger, usually smoked, and eaten cold in thin slices as a starter, with famous versions from Vire and Guémené. Cajun andouille in the US is a different, smoked pork-meat sausage.
How do you pronounce andouillette?
Say ahn-doo-YET: in IPA, [ɑ̃dujɛt]. The first syllable is a nasal "ahn", with the n not fully pronounced; the "ill" sounds like a y; and the stress falls lightly on the last syllable. Andouille, the bigger sausage, is ahn-DOOY. The final e is silent in both words.
