High prices for haute cuisine

Snails with garlic butter are likely to cost 10 percent more this Christmas, says Yann Berson, managing director of gourmet food wholesaler Dispere.

Rising prices for butter and eggs－which have been affected by a supply squeeze after a chemical contamination scare－could also push up the bill for festive desserts like the French Christmas log or "galette des Rois" cake.

French foodies may have to swallow higher prices too to enjoy black truffles, another holiday season speciality, after a drought hit the harvest in southern France.

But an abundance of seafood should bring some relief.

Salmon, the focus of supply concerns a year ago after disease ravaged production in Chile, should see prices stabilize, while oysters have also been spared supply snags.

Scallops, meanwhile, could be a bargain after a record catch this year along the northwest coast of France.

The haul is four times larger than the average of the past decade, according to marine research agency Ifremer.

REUTERS