The Provençal King Cake, also called brioche des Rois , decorated with candied fruits When people talk about galette des Rois  in France, many immediately think of the puff pastry galette filled with almond cream, known as frangipane . This is indeed the most common version across the country. In Provence, however, the tradition is a little different. Here, we eat much less puff pastry galette and instead share a Provençal galette, also called brioche des Rois . The Provençal

Candlemas in Provence: traditions, crêpes and shared moments Like many families in Provence and across France, we celebrate La Chandeleur . It is an excellent (and official) excuse to eat crêpes. Where does La Chandeleur come from? On Monday, February 2nd, it will be time to make crêpes. Young and old alike know La Chandeleur, also known as Candlemas . But do you really know its origins?   Two stories about its origin Candlemas, an ancient celebration linked to light and popu

Christmas log cake in Provence, a traditional holiday dessert The Christmas log cake is traditionally enjoyed on December 24th, during Christmas Eve dinner. This dessert is believed to have appeared around 1870, and several pastry chefs claim its origin. It seems, however, that many of them had the same idea at the same time: creating a rolled cake that resembles a log. Before the Christmas log cake existed, holiday desserts were often very rich and dense, such as mince pies

Hello everyone. My name is Julia. I come from England. Today I'm taking you with me to share my first experience in Cassis, a beautiful Provençal village. Accompanied by Virginie, we followed the coastal roads offering breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea, to reach this little piece of paradise nestled between the green hills and the sparkling waters. Virginie and I in the boat in Cassis in Provence 1/ First visit to Cassis, a lovely village in Provence As I was say

Kathleen and Virginie In Provence in Rousset Virginie and her family live 25 minutes from Aix-en-Provence. They are living in Rousset, a small village of 5000 inhabitants where you can find everything you need: a hairdresser, bakery, post office, and some very nice restaurants. Among the many possible restaurants on the list, it's the bistro-restaurant Grand Boise that left the strongest impression on us.   Grand Boise in Provence with our first immersion teacher. The storef

The "51" - Pastis The Provençal drink called Pastis When you come to Provence, a whole universe of new horizons and new flavors is available to you. Among these flavors, I will invite you to discover the calisson, the tarte tropézienne and “Pastis”. Pastis is the undisputed drink of the South of France. What is Pastis, THE Provençal drink? Liquor produced in Provence, Pastis is THE drink to discover when you come for an immersion stay in Provence. Pastis is born from the mace

Virginie In Provence My children love garlic confit and olives or fish soup. This often surprises my students when they come home. We often laugh together. So we love to eat bouillabaisse from time to time. I do not cook it but my cousin, who lives in Marseille, cooks it very well. She entrusted me with her recipe and agreed that I share it with you. I will also take this opportunity to share with you the origin of this emblematic dish of Provence. La Bouillabaisse in Proven

Very famous for its «good food», the restaurant called L’Éveil du goût is often full. It has happened several times that my students cannot eat there because of the lack of places. So feel free to book at the beginning of your immersion at home or your stay in Provence. The restaurant is located in the village square of Rousset. It is possible to have lunch indoors or outdoors depending on the seasons. In summer, you can book a table near the fountain. I love fountains! There

My name is Marcia. I spent a wonderful week of immersion with Virginie. I want to share a trip that left a big impression on me. That day, after breakfast and the morning lesson on the conditional, we left for Aix-en-Provence. We took gas on the road, which was not easy. The refineries were on strike at the time. After a visit to the beautiful city of Aix-en-Provence, we went to lunch at the Hotel Caumont. Marcia and Virginie In Provence in Aix en Provence I. Hotel Caumont

Virginie In Provence and Erika Hello everyone. Today I'm talking to you about one of the most typical dishes of Provence. Here, everyone knows this specialty. That doesn't mean everyone likes it. My children, for example, don't like meat very much. So stew is not their favorite dish. I usually cook a stew when I have good eaters at home (particularly meat lovers). I would be delighted to introduce you to this recipe during your immersion in Provence if you feel like it. In

Provencal cake from Weibel by Pierre Mahieu When I was pregnant (which happened three times in my life!), I cooked a lot and especially pastries. For my first pregnancy, I wanted to create a food truck and go sell pancakes in Australia. At 8 months pregnant, I went to Brittany to take a course to learn how to make pancakes. During my second pregnancy, I wanted to pass my pastry diploma. I remember once when I made a “fraisier”. The pastry cream flowed into the dish… There wer

Macaroons My last student in immersion course wanted to learn how to cook macarons. This is what we did. We took the opportunity to work on questions, tenses, etc. Cooking is a very nice way to improve its French. We had a lot of pleasure to do the macarons and the "interview" We hope we will enjoy it. What is a macaroon? Its shape and texture have evolved over the centuries. Today, the macaroon is a small round cake, soft, fragrant, with a slightly cracked surface, made of m

Virginie In Provence eating Calissons Hi. My name is Virginie and I’m a French immersion teacher near Aix-en-Provence. Today, I’ll try, for the first time, to bake a typical Provence sweet: le calisson. I searched around for recipes, so I’ll jump right in! The Legend of the Calisson d’Aix-en-Provence In a few words, what is a « Calisson » ? Legend tells that King René married Jeanne de Laval in the 15th century. At the end of a meal the candy maker gave a treat to the queen

“Les petits farcis” are a typical vegetable recipe from Provence. I’ll share with you my family’s favorite with a vegetarian stuffing. "Les petits farcis" “Les petits farcis” [lit: the little stuffed ones] is a typical dish from Provence that you will love. There are hundreds of different stuffings for this very dish. In fact, almost every provençal family has its own recipe… I’m going to share with you my family’s favorite one. It’s a very simple version, healthy, and veget

Anchovy Pissaladière, a Traditional Provençal Specialty How did it begin? My friend Cécile was born in Malaussène, a small village near Mont Ventoux. She knows Provence inside out and, above all, she is an excellent cook. Whenever I feel like learning how to prepare a new Provençal dish, she gladly opens the doors of her kitchen to me. It was in this spirit of sharing and passing things on that I discovered (or rediscovered) anchovy pissaladière. A bit of history Pissaladière

Virginie in Provence enjoying a madeleine A passion for baking, passed down through the family I love cooking, and I especially love baking. At one point in my life, I even considered earning a pastry chef diploma. Since my first pregnancy, my love for cakes has only grown… and today, it’s a passion I share with my children, who love getting involved in the kitchen. Today, I’d like to share with you a recipe for honey and lavender madeleines, inspired by Provence—simple to ma