King Cake

January is drawing to an end... Last chance to enjoy the French "Galette des Rois" - and that's what we did yesterday! This "King Cake" is a cake celebrating Epiphany but can be baked and enjoyed until the end of January. There are two versions of this delicious pastry: the Galette, made with puff pastry layers with a dense center of almond filling called "frangipane", and, in the South of France, the "Gâteau des rois", a crown-shaped brioche filled with candied fruits, which originates in Provence.

Tradition holds that the cake is “to draw the kings” to the Epiphany. A small porcelain favor, la fève, is hidden in the cake and the person who finds it in their slice becomes king for the day and is given a golden paper crown!

Maison & Objets Show in Paris

Just back from an exciting - and exhausting! - day in Paris, at the famous Maison & Objets Show, where we found many new ideas and inspiration. With a nice lunch break at the gourmet Oliviers & Co Boutique!

We have sourced for you lots of unique French items that we are looking forward to present you on Saveur du Jour... Stay tuned!

Provence Olive Oil

I had the great chance this year to take part in an olive picking party, which is a tradition in Provence: people who own olive tree fields gather their family and friends for an olive picking time, followed by a party. Olives are hand picked and sent to a local mill to be grinded and turned into olive oil.

That's how we got the idea to source a fine Gourmet Olive Oil, traditionally processed and really tasty. After tasting several olive oils, we came accross one of those amazing authentic shops, that can only be found in traditional areas of France. The "Maison Auffan" was founded near Marseille, in Provence, in 1875. 

Over the years, Auffan has developed an incredible expertise in traditional Provence products such as specialty olive oils, tapenade and Marseille soap. They have a great selection of high quality Gourmet Olive Oils.

Check it out! - And you'll get a 10% special discount on our selection of Olive Oils by entering the coupon code OLIVE in the coupon field when checking out! For our readers and subscribers only...

French Valentine

Valentine's Day is coming up! Treat your sweetheart to some French sweets... 6 milk Suchard Rochers in a nice heart-shaped ceramic dish are ready to be sent directly to your Valentine. Those delicious Suchard Rochers are made of milk chocolate praline and covered with milk chocolate and crushed hazelnuts.

The ceramic dish is red outside and white inside and reads "Bon Appetit" on the bottom, for a romantic french touch. And we've thrown in a nice complimentary card in a Paris envelope, so you can write a few love words of your own!

A glimpse of Marseille

From our French location in Aix en Provence, near Marseille, we came accross this video, which will give you an insight of this colorful and typical French Mediterranean city. Located on the southeast coast of France, Marseille is France's largest city on the Mediterranean coast and the second largest city after Paris. It is the capital of the Provence region, and has been designated as European Capital of Culture in 2013.

Best wishes from Marseille video / CLICK HERE

 

The "Marseillais" -the Marseille inhabitants- are know to be particularly proud of their city, and have developed over the years many specificities, like their language and accent, which are sometimes hard to understand, even for a French native!

Marseille is famous for its traditional soap, which has been made from vegetable oil for about 600 years!

It is also know for its gastronomy, like Fougasse, typical Provençal bread made with olive oil, Tapenade, an olive spread made from capers, chopped olives and olive oil, or Navette, a delicious hard biscuit in the shape of a boat, flavoured with orange blossom.

The traditional drink in the Marseille region is Pastis, a refreshing alcoholic beverage made with anise and spices. And if you want to serve Pastis the French way, we have sourced for you this vintage Pitcher and a wonderful set of Pastis glasses!

 Tchin Tchin! / Cheers!

Happy New Year from Saveur du Jour!