La Galette des Rois
Well here we are at the beginning of another year in the wonderful Haute Savoie region and it is a year since I started blogging my culinary adventures in the region in which I live and a few other parts of France that I have visited during the year. Thank you to everyone for your support in my first year. I had thought that La Galette des Rois would be my first post last year and although I have been meaning to, I didn’t get time to make my own again this year (the call of the snow and skiing was just too great!) I felt I must share with you a very big French tradition: La Galette des Rois – The King cake. A celebration for Epiphany- commemorating The Three Kings visit to The Baby Jesus on the twelfth night – January 6th.
These lovely galettes, which are light shiny puff pastry round cakes encasing a delicious almond paste/frangipane filling, adorn the windows of bakers/boulangeries in France from the New Year for a few weeks, normally until Mardi Gras.
The Tradition of La Galette des Rois
Traditionally this cake contains a ‘feve’ a bean, but now is a small trinket originally of The Baby Jesus. When the cake is cut, the youngest child of the family gets to decide who has which piece and the person who gets the ‘feve’ in their piece of cake gets to be crowned King or Queen with the gold cardboard crown that is provided with the cake and is in charge for the day!
As I haven’t tried making my own yet, I’ll share with you a few links to my favourite recipes and interesting posts about this delicious cake, best enjoyed with a glass of champagne – and pourquoi pas!! well this would obviously depend on one’s indulgence during the festivities! Next January I’ll have a go at making my own and report back (better make a note of that now)…in the meantime enjoy these posts from fellow bloggers…
So now I have made my own Galette des Rois
you can try it here
Gerard from Many Eats has posted an interesting history of The Galette des Rois around the World
Chocolate and Zucchini – recipe from a 2010 post
Chocolate and Zucchini – post from 2005 with an interesting history and the tradition
All photos ©Copyright Caro Blackwell
I’d love to get your feedback and comments and if anyone has any ideas of recipes they’d like me to try or if you know any restaurants in the Haute Savoie and the surrounding area that need checking out do let me know
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fab!
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One of my favourite French sweet treats, and I’ve sampled quite a few.
What a gorgeous blog you have, it’s making me hungry just looking at the beautiful photos… The words “delicious almond paste/frangipane filling” are enough for me: it’s my favourite flavour in the world I think. I’d eat an envelope if you filled it with almond paste. I love culinary traditions like this one.
I’m going to have a good rummage around. Compliments on your lovely site #AllAboutFrance
Thank you so much!
It took me years to try making my own galette and finally last year I did, and it’s so damn easy! I was amazed and haven’t looked back!!! As this post was originally written in 2014 I wonder if you’ve given it a go yet? Thanks for linking up with #AllAboutFrance
Making my own galette is something I promise to do every year and once again this festival came around so quickly again. I will endeavour to make one before next January 6th! maybe even a savoury version too!