The galette des rois is a pancake traditionally prepared and consumed on the occasion of the epiphany, celebrated on January 6, it is also now celebrated on the first Sunday in January. The galette des rois or king cake is a celebration eagerly awaited by all gourmands. With friends, at the office, with family, with the children, we enjoy savoring it throughout the month of January.
The king cake in Provence
In Provence, we love our king cake so much that often any opportunity is good to share it. And that's normal, the king cake is good. But he's beautiful too! Fleshy, soft, crown-shaped, scented with orange blossom, decorated with sugar and pretty candied fruits like precious stones, this crown of kings awakens all your senses. Inside are placed a bean and a santon, a ceramic figurine.
There is no tasting without respecting the few traditions. In Provence, once the cake is on the table, you have to share it. And this is where tradition and its few rules come into play.
Tradition dictates that it is the youngest of the guests (symbol of innocence) who distributes the shares. He hides under the table and allocates each share. Thus, the one who has the biggest share or falls on the bean/santon will be elected at random. In addition, it is customary to cut the cake, keeping a portion called the “poor man’s portion.” »
If you draw the bean, you become the king and must then pay for the next cake! Whoever gets the santon becomes its subject.
Frangipane or Parisian pancake
The traditional galette is made with puff pastry and filled with frangipane.
Frangipane is a mixture of almond cream and custard. This traditional pancake, also nicknamed “Parisienne”, is the favorite of a large majority of French people, undoubtedly for its taste qualities. It is possible today that you will find many variations of this pancake in certain bakeries, such as frangipane-chocolate, pear-chocolate, candied lemon and chestnuts, hazelnuts, apples or mirabelle plums.
When the pancake has its own name depending on the regions of France
- The Pithiviers in the Loiret.
- The king cake, pastis or brioche in the South of France.
- The galette comtoise (dry pancake made from choux pastry covered with sugar and butter, flavored with orange blossom) in Franche-Comté.
- Nourolle in Normandy.
- Tortell in Catalonia.
And in the rest of the world too:
- In Belgium, the practice is very widespread (it is called driekoningentaart in Dutch-speaking Belgium.
- The Roscòn in Spain.
- The King cake in the South of the United States.
- The Bolo rei in Portugal.
- La Rosca in Mexico.
- The Vassilopita in Greece.
So, what is your tradition for the start of the year?
And if you too immortalized your moments in holidays in Lavandou and share them with #Mylavandou
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