French Festive Food

What do the French eat at Christmas? Turkey, yes, plenty of oysters, 19 thousand tonnes of foie gras, and a yule log or two. But no Christmas pudding, no trifle, and they pull no Christmas crackers. They also consume about 30 million ‘Galettes des Rois’ around the 6th January. It’s a puff pastry frangipane pie and is almost as good as a Bakewell pudding. There is always a ‘feve’ hidden inside the galette, and a cardboard crown is included to be worn by the lucky recipient of the special slice - they are king for a day. The ‘feve’ is a small porcelain figurine, the name dates back to the time when dried broad beans were used as tokens and could symbolise wealth or fertility. A satisfying 68% of French households admit to making sure the youngest child gets the feve and crown. And there are ‘Fabophiles’ in France, who have collections of tens of thousands of different feves, which can be traditional or trending, such as Johnny Hallyday, Francois Hollande on a scooter, etc. A predictable 95% of feves are made in China.

Do contact us to find out more about our holidays, or our food, which is inspired by French classics.