Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In summer the tomato is king. There are
more than 2500 known varieties in the region
and they come in all shapes, sizes and colours.
They are outstanding in salads (with chunks of
goat's cheese, basil leaves and drizzled with
olive oil) or
farcies
(stuffed).
Other seasonal wonders include asparagus
and artichokes (spring) and courgette flowers
(summer). But the culinary highlight of Provence's veggie calendar is the truffle. Dubbed
diamants noirs
(black diamonds) for their value (€500 to €1000 per kilogram), the black
truffle (
tuber melanosporum
, a fungi) is found in the Vaucluse and the Var from Novem-
ber to March. Traditionally snouted out by pigs, truffles these days are hunted by dogs.
They are trained to sniff out both the black winter truffle and the cheaper, lesser-known
white truffle - or summer truffle - between May and August.
Provence also produces marvellous fruit: sun-ripened strawberries, cantaloupe melons,
apricots, peaches and nectarines, plums and cherries all grow in abundance and are a riot
of flavour (not to mention of colours on the market stands).
Authentic
Herbes de Provence
mixes (they are pro-
tected by a label) contain 26% rosemary, 26% sa-
vory, 26% oregano, 19% thyme and 3% basil. They
tend to be used on grilled meat and fish in
Provençal cooking.
CHRISTMAS'S 13 DESSERTS
December in Provence sees families rush home after Mass on Christmas Eve for
Caleno vo Careno
, a traditional
feast of 13 desserts - symbolising Jesus and the 12 apostles - at least one bite of each to avoid back luck for the
coming year. Among the culinary delights are
pompe à huile
(leavened cake baked in olive oil and flavoured with
orange blossom), sweet black and white nougats (made from honey and almonds), dried figs, almonds, walnuts,
raisins, pears, apples, oranges or mandarins, dates, quince jam or paste and
calissons d'Aix
(marzipan-like
sweets).
Vegetarians & Vegans
In a country where
viande
(meat) once meant 'food' too, it comes as no surprise that ve-
getarians and vegans are not catered for well. Restaurants that buck the trend are marked
with the following icon .
Otherwise, here are some useful tips to help you make the
best of Provençal cuisine:
