{"id":93536,"date":"2023-12-14T06:34:56","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T19:34:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/?p=93536"},"modified":"2023-12-20T14:58:25","modified_gmt":"2023-12-20T03:58:25","slug":"how-to-add-joie-de-vivre-to-your-holidays-provencal-tradition-13-desserts-nativity-scenes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/2023\/12\/14\/how-to-add-joie-de-vivre-to-your-holidays-provencal-tradition-13-desserts-nativity-scenes\/","title":{"rendered":"How to add Joie de Vivre to your Holidays: Provencal tradition, 13 desserts & nativity scenes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Each time I arrive in France, I feel like I am coming home.<\/strong> I didn\u2019t grow up there, and although I\u2019m half French, most of my ancestors left the Motherland during the reign of Louis XIV!\u00a0\u00a0 Yet France seems <\/strong>chez moi,<\/em><\/strong> so it is important to me to incorporate the culture during the holiday seasons.<\/strong>\u00a0 I miss everything about France when I\u2019m back home, so I try to ‘Frenchify’ my American life whenever I can.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Bastille Day, I proudly display my bleu, blanc et rouge,<\/em> and when Christmas rolls around, I dig deep into my heritage and share some of the lovely French traditions with my family and friends. Whether you have French blood coursing through your veins or simply adore the language, culture, and country, here are some ideas to bring joie de vivre<\/em> to your holidays.<\/p>\n

Les 13 Desserts – Is this the best holiday custom? Les treize desserts de No\u00ebl proven\u00e7aux<\/h2>\n

Why have one dessert when you can have THIRTEEN? \/ TREIZE ?\u00a0\u00a0 This beloved holiday custom is known throughout Provence<\/a>, although there are some variations between towns and families.\u00a0 (Each believing their way is correct, or the best, bien s\u00fbr)<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The tradition<\/a> is steeped in religious symbolism, the 13 desserts honoring the number of people around the table at the Last Supper – Jesus and his 12 Disciples.\u00a0\u00a0 These desserts, really small bites, are placed at the table on Christmas Eve and remain there for three days so guests have a chance to sample each one.<\/p>\n

On the practical side, it is quite handy to have a prepared buffet for all of the friends and extended family who pops by during the holidays. I start a few days before Christmas and keep the table replenished until the last visitors are gone. Before you panic about preparing more than a dozen lavish desserts during the busiest time of the year, take a look at the modest list\u2026<\/p>\n

Provencal tradition 13 desserts – What are they?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Here are the 13 desserts. The first four are known as the \u201cfour beggars\u201d (les quatre mendiants<\/em>), representing the four monastic orders.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Raisins (Dominicans)<\/li>\n
  2. Walnuts or Hazelnuts (Augustinians)<\/li>\n
  3. Dried Figs (Franciscans)<\/li>\n
  4. Almonds (Carmelites)<\/li>\n
  5. Dates (symbolizing the gifts offered by the three Wise Men coming from the Orient)<\/li>\n
  6. Calissons d\u2019Aix – <\/em>candy made with almond paste, melon, and candied orange peel<\/li>\n
  7. Nougat Blanc<\/em> (white nougat with pistachios, honey, almonds, and egg whites) representing \u201cgood\u201d<\/li>\n
  8. Nougat Noir<\/em> (black nougat, without egg whites) represents \u201cevil\u201d<\/li>\n
  9. Pompe \u00e0 l\u2019huile<\/em> – a brioche-like bread with orange water and olive oil representing the breaking of bread at the Last Supper<\/li>\n
  10. Oranges (clementines or tangerines)<\/li>\n
  11. Quince paste<\/li>\n
  12. Winter Melon (or other fruit)<\/li>\n
  13. B<\/em>\u00fbche de No<\/em>\u00eb<\/em>l <\/em>(Yule log) or Oreillettes<\/em> (thin, light waffles)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Specialties: Provencal tradition 13 desserts <\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Calissons d’Aix<\/em><\/h3>\n

    \"\"<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    This iconic confection from Aix-en-Provence is unique. The ground almonds, melon, and candied orange peel make a sweet almond paste, which is placed on the thinest sheet of potato\u00a0 ( I promise you, you don\u2019t taste the potato) and topped with a thin glaze of royal icing which gives it a pleasing crunch.<\/p>\n

    My passion for traditional regional specialties has led me to la Maison L\u00e9onard Parli<\/em> to discover the history and savoir-faire,<\/em> plus, I got to try icing a few myself!<\/p>\n

    La Maison L\u00e9onard Parli<\/strong><\/a> has a rich tradition, beginning in 1874, but the history of the calisson<\/em> in Aix dates back to 1457 when King Ren\u00e9 and his wife Jeanne de Laval moved to Provence.\u00a0 Only three years into their arranged marriage, the queen, 24 years younger than the King, always seemed sad, so the King asked his Italian chef to prepare a special dessert for his bride. He modified an Italian recipe to create this confection, which made the queen smile.\u00a0 She called them \u201clittle hugs\u201d or \u201cdi calin soun\u201d<\/em> in Proven\u00e7al. Pretty sweet!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Nougat<\/em><\/h3>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Growing up with American candy bars, I thought I knew what nougat was.\u00a0 I was wrong.\u00a0 Made with honey, almonds, pistachios, egg whites, and sugar, you simply have to try it.<\/p>\n

    Originally from Asia Minor, this sweet was brought to Marseille by the Greeks.\u00a0 The recipe traveled up the Rh\u00f4ne River to Mont\u00e9limar, where pastry chefs replaced the walnuts with almonds and added egg whites.<\/p>\n

    For over 200 years Arnaud Soubeyran<\/a><\/strong> has been making this confection in copper cauldrons over a bain-marie<\/em>.\u00a0 Although you can find nougat throughout Provence, it is worth a trip to Arnaud Soubeyran, as they have a museum, shop, and tea room.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    La Pompe \u00e0 l\u2019huile<\/em><\/h3>\n

    \"Pompe<\/p>\n

    While it is possible to find calisson<\/em>s and nougats<\/em> from specialty shops or online, it is harder to find Pompe \u00e0 l\u2019huile, so you may need to make this yourself. For multi-taskers like me, make the dough, then plan a six-hour gift-wrapping marathon while it rises!<\/p>\n

    Recipe<\/a>
    \n<\/strong>500 g flour
    \n30g yeast
    \n100g sugar
    \n\u00bd tsp salt
    \n3 tbsp orange flower water (use more or less depending on your taste)
    \n125ml olive oil
    \n1 lemon zest
    \n1 orange zest<\/p>\n

    Prepare the leaven and dough<\/strong>
    \nDilute the yeast in warm water with \u00bd tsp sugar and let stand for 15 minutes.
    \nPut the flour and sugar in another bowl.
    \nAdd oil, orange flower water, and the zest and mix.
    \nAdd the yeast. Knead well.
    \nRoll the dough into a ball, put it into a bowl covered by a dishcloth, and let it rise for 6 hours in a warm place.<\/p>\n

    Preheat the oven to 180\u00b0C, 550\u00b0F.
    \nDivide the pastry into two parts and roll each out into two discs 1 cm thick.
    \nUsing a knife, make incisions on the surface of the pastry disk.
    \nBrush with egg yolk.
    \nBake for 15 minutes or until golden and the size has increased.<\/p>\n

    Makes 2 cakes<\/p>\n

    B\u00fbche de No\u00ebl<\/em><\/h3>\n

    \"Buche<\/p>\n

    The tradition of the yule log dates back to medieval France, when peasants had to bring a large piece of wood to the feudal lord\u2019s manor house as a sort of tax.<\/p>\n

    Later, they began bringing the wood to their own houses to light the dark winter solstice.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s a bit fuzzy how it evolved into a cake, but I\u2019m not upset about the change! If you crumble at the thought of rolling a genoise cake, fear not, most cities have bakeries that will prepare one for you. Let\u2019s make baking next year\u2019s goal!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    La Cr\u00e8che<\/em><\/h3>\n

    I am constantly trying to wrap up France and bring it home with me in a suitcase. About 15 years ago, while in the heart of Provence, where santonniers<\/a> handcraft miniatures of each townsperson and animal to bear witness at the birth of baby Jesus in the cr\u00e8che (nativity scene), I decided to start a collection of my own.<\/p>\n

    Proven\u00e7aux, faisons donc la cr\u00e8che: c\u2019est la plus belle de nos traditions proven\u00e7ales\u201d – R. P. Vial<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    \u00a0<\/em>The tradition of la cr\u00e8che in Provence, and particularly in Marseille, dates back to the 17th century. There are \u201cchurch\u201d nativity scenes featuring larger figures, as well as the ones made up of smaller figurines that families put in their homes.<\/p>\n

    Santons: starting your collection<\/h2>\n

     <\/p>\n

    If you do start your santon<\/a> collection in France, be sure to note the size of your figurines. They can vary from 4-5 cm to 10-12 cm! Your 8cm baker may feel a bit sheepish around a 12 cm farmer! My santons measure 7 cm.<\/p>\n

    I started my collection in the small village of S\u00e9guret, near Vaison-la-Romaine.<\/p>\n

    I agonized over which pieces to get, but decided to start with the Sainte Famille and stable.\u00a0 Every year I add on – a few more villagers, (there is everything from the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker!), a few animals (I can\u2019t get enough sheep and goats!) And some buildings and landscape pieces – a fountain, a bridge \u2026 even a p\u00e9tanque court!<\/p>\n

    I love everything about this tradition, and it gives me such joy to unwrap each tiny treasure and reassemble the scene for the season.<\/p>\n

    The Christmas markets in Provence<\/a> have an overwhelming amount of santons to choose from, but even if you are not there during December you can still find shops that sell them.<\/p>\n

    Not sure how to set it up?\u00a0 There are no hard and fast rules – just let your creativity flow!\u00a0\u00a0 You can also find inspiration at one of the santon museums in Les Baux-de-Provence, Fontaine de Vaucluse, or Marseille.<\/p>\n

    Wishing you and yours un tr\u00e8s Joyeux No\u00ebl<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n

    \u00a0Are you familiar with the Provencal tradition of 13 desserts?<\/strong>\u00a0 Please share your experiences below.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \n
    Image credits:
    \n1. 13 desserts via     Vanessa Cuisine Website<\/a>
    \n2. Calisson d’Aix via l    a Maison L\u00e9onard Parli<\/a><\/em> website
    \n3. Nougat via     Arnaud<\/a> Soubeyran<\/a> website
    \n4. Pompe \u00e0 l\u2019huile by Rosa Jackson via     The guardian.com<\/a>
    \n5. B\u00fbche de No\u00ebl <\/em>by Traci Parent
    \n6. Santons via     Pickpic.com<\/a>
    \n7. 13 Desserts via     Venessa Cuisine website<\/a><\/h5>\n

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