The French snacks everyone asks about
Under our reel about the 4 pm snack rule, one name kept coming back: Paille d’Or. French followers listed it as the only real goûter, and two people asked where to buy it in America. So here is the answer, for it and for the rest of the French biscuit aisle.
These are not fancy pastries. They are the packaged biscuits French children find in their school bag or on the kitchen table at 4 pm, at the goûter. Most adults still have a favourite.
The French cookies everyone grew up on
- Paille d’Or (LU, 1905): thin golden wafers filled with raspberry. The name means golden straw.
- Petit Beurre (LU, 1886): the plain butter biscuit with the scalloped edge, and the one LU was built on.
- Prince (LU, 1950): two biscuits around a chocolate filling.
- Pim’s (LU): sponge, a layer of orange or raspberry jam, dark chocolate on top.
- Petit Écolier (LU): a butter biscuit with a slab of chocolate on it. The easiest one to find in America.
- BN: a sandwich biscuit with a smiling face cut into it. The initials stand for Biscuiterie Nantaise.
- Pépito and Granola (LU): biscuits under a layer of chocolate.
- Madeleines (St Michel and others): the small shell-shaped sponge cakes, eaten with a glass of milk.
Most of them come from Nantes, where LU started. LU now belongs to Mondelez, the same company as Oreo.
This or that
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| Snack | Where we found it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| LU Petit Écolier | Walmart, Giant and other grocers | Sold as LU Petit Ecolier, milk or dark chocolate |
| St Michel galettes | Costco | The big butter cookies, in multipacks |
| Bonne Maman cookies and tartlets | World Market, many grocers | Easier to find than the jam is |
| Kinder Bueno | Nationwide | Made in Bloomington, Illinois, for the US market |
| Paille d’Or, Pim’s, Prince, BN | Rarely | Order online |
Stock changes from store to store, so check the app before you drive anywhere.
Where to buy French snacks online
For the rest, Paille d’Or included, the reliable route is a French grocery that ships across the US. French Wink, run by two French women in New York, carries the LU classics and most of the goûter aisle.
LU Paille d’OrThe raspberry-filled wafers. The one everyone asked about.At French Wink →
LU Pim’sSponge, fruit jam and dark chocolate.At French Wink →
LU PrinceChocolate-filled sandwich biscuits.At French Wink →
LU Petit ÉcolierA butter biscuit with a chocolate bar on top.At French Wink →
BNThe sandwich biscuit with a smile.At French Wink →
LU PépitoBiscuit topped with milk or dark chocolate.At French Wink →
LU GranolaShortbread under a layer of milk chocolate.At French Wink →
St Michel MadeleinesThe shell-shaped sponge cakes.At French Wink →
Their French snacks and cookies page has the rest, from Carambar to calissons. The French candy side of the aisle is in French and European candy vs American candy.
How to do a French goûter in America
The biscuits are only half of it. A French goûter is one moment, around 4 pm, not a snack whenever: something sweet, a piece of fruit or bread, and a glass of milk or water. Then nothing until dinner.
You can build one from an ordinary American grocery store too. What passes and what fails inspection is in a French goûter with American groceries.
Are French snacks healthier?
Not really. A Paille d’Or is sugar, flour and raspberry filling, like any cookie. The difference is the habit around it: a set time, a small portion, and no grazing before dinner. More on that in what French people eat for snack time.
Sources
- La Bible des marques, LU: founded in Nantes in 1846; Petit Beurre 1886, Paille d’Or 1905, Prince 1950.
- Walmart: LU Petit Écolier European Dark Chocolate Biscuit Cookies.
- Giant Food Stores: LU Petit Écolier Dark Chocolate.
- Costco: St Michel La Grande Galette French butter cookies.
- World Market: Bonne Maman cookies.
- Confectionery News (June 2022): Ferrero’s Bloomington, Illinois plant for Kinder Bueno for the US market.
- French Wink, French snacks and cookies (checked 17 October 2026).
Questions, answered
What is Paille d’Or?
A French biscuit made by LU since 1905: thin golden wafers filled with raspberry. It is one of the classic goûter snacks in France.
Where can I buy Paille d’Or in the US?
It is rarely in American supermarkets. French groceries that ship nationwide, such as French Wink, carry it.
Can you buy LU cookies in the US?
Some. LU Petit Écolier is sold at Walmart and regional grocers such as Giant. Paille d’Or, Pim’s, Prince and BN are easiest to find online.
What are the most popular French cookies?
The classics are LU’s Petit Beurre, Paille d’Or, Prince, Pim’s, Petit Écolier, Pépito and Granola, BN, and madeleines.
What do French kids eat for goûter?
Something sweet and simple around 4 pm: a few biscuits, bread with chocolate, a madeleine or a piece of fruit, with a glass of milk or water.
Still wondering?
Ask my French husband.
A short ruling in a few seconds. Written by AI from our Journal, in his voice.
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