Christmas in Provence! ✨

You don't know what menu to offer for the Christmas holidays? Take a look at Provençal recipes, which have been around for years. We are going to offer you recipes from the south, to honor our beautiful region in order to delight your taste buds. 

Let's start by making a little point ✨

Provencal cuisine is considered rural cuisine. Farmers used to use their crops for food. They hunted, fished and gathered aromatic herbs. Asparagus, potatoes, pine nuts were among the foods on the plates.

The appearance of the tomato in dishes was a revelation for Provençal cuisine, it was consumed in the form of coulis mixed with olive oil. The Provencals also ate a lot of aioli with raw vegetables, and were fond of small birds. We can also mention bouillabaisse, fougasse, tapenade, tourtons and so on… specialties known in the south. 

Provencal traditions ✨ 

In Provence, many traditions have been established during the Christmas celebrations. The table is supposed to be set with three overlapping tablecloths. A tablecloth for the meal of December 24, the second tablecloth for the lunch of December 25 and finally that of the 25 in the evening. This tradition refers to the Holy Trinity of Christians: the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit.

You must then drop a candlestick with three candles that signify the past, the present and the future. Cups of wheat, lentils and holly are placed on the table to bring good luck. 

Do not forget to add a cutlery for "the poor", intended for the deceased or beggars. 

Let's get to the meal ✨

Traditionally consisting of seven courses, it is done on December 24. These dishes are composed of fish and vegetables. The meat is absent on the evening of the 24th, it is eaten the next day.

Generally, snails, cod and shad are served with vegetables such as potatoes, spinach, or cardoons. 

You can opt for a typical dish: "aigo boulido", a soup of thyme, garlic and bay leaf. You will accompany this dish with pieces of bread with garlic and olive oil.

Very well known, the essential 13 desserts, present on the Christmas tables. 

You can serve dried figs, hazelnuts, walnuts, dried fruits that correspond to the four beggars. Then you have the essential oil pump, then nougats, dates, different fruit jellies, seasonal fruits, and calissons from Aix. 

With this good meal, serve a good wine, and a cooked wine for desserts! 🎄