Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
»Starters are often vegetarian so order two or three starters in-
stead of the usual starter and main.
»Dishes that can easily be customised include pasta, pizza and
salads, all very common across Provence-Côte d'Azur.
»Small restaurants serving just a few daily specials will find it
harder to accommodate dietary requirements so opt for larger
establishments instead.
Strict vegetarians should note that most cheeses in France are
made with
lactosérum
(rennet), an enzyme derived from the
stomach of a calf or young goat.
Best Food &
Wine Pairing
»L'Atelier, Arles
»Le Mas Tourteron, Gordes
»La Cave de l'Origine, Nice
»Le Negresco, Nice
»Le Petit Verdot, Aix-en-
Provence
»La Chassagnette, Le Sambuc
Garlicky Goodness
Garlic gives Provençal cuisine its kick, letting rip in a clutch of fantastic sauces, tradition-
ally served to complement
crudités
(raw vegetables), soups and fish dishes.
»
Anchoïade
is a strong anchovy paste laced with garlic and olive oil and delicious served
with
bagna cauda
(raw mixed vegetables).
»
Tapenade
is a sharp, black-olive-based dip seasoned with garlic, capers, anchovies and
olive oil.
»
Aïoli
, a kind of garlic mayonnaise, is an essential component of
aïoli Provençal complet
- a mountain of vegetables, boiled potatoes, a boiled egg and
coquillages
(small shell-
fish), all of which are dunked into the pot of
aïoli
.
»Fiery pink
rouille
, a saffron-flavoured
aïoli
, is served with
soupe de poisson
(fish soup),
bite-sized toasts - and a garlic clove. Rub the garlic over the toast, spread the
rouille
on
top, bite it and breathe fire.
Sweets & Treats
There is plenty to keep sweet-tooths happy. Anise and orange blossoms give
navettes
(canoe-shaped biscuits from Marseille) and
fougassettes
(sweet bread) their distinctive
flavours. Almonds are turned into
gâteaux secs aux amandes
(snappy almond biscuits)
around Nîmes, and black honey nougat everywhere.
Nice and Apt excel at
fruits confits
(glazed fruits); more decadent is St-Tropez's
tarte
Tropézienne
, a cream-filled sandwich cake christened by Brigitte Bardot. A popular
dessert in the Vaucluse is cantaloupe melon doused in Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, a
local dessert wine.
