Provence Food & Drink
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Food & Drink in Provence
Welcome to our Food & Drink in Provence zone - the best part of living in Provence! Your guide to Provençal culinary traditions, local recipes and restaurant reviews. If you would like to contribute a recipe or write a review, please email us.Wines of Provence
To find a fine wine to accompany these specialites, visit our Wine Section!
Where you'll learn about:
An Intro to Wine
Evaluating Color
The Aromas in Wine
Describing the Taste
Matching Food & Wine
FrenchEntrée Provence Business Directory
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Bouillabaisse from Provence
A Marseille specialty
For those that think Marseille is a somewhat scruffy, unpleasant place, just sit down in one of the restaurants along the Vieux Port and order a bouillabaisse - the most famous local seafood dish in town. It will soon change your mind about Marseille.
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Olive Oil Production in Provence
A Mediterranean Staple
There would be no Mediterranean cuisine without olive oil. It was used on the island of Crete during the time of Minos, 2500AD and to this day olive oil is an integral part of any Mediterranean meal.
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Herbes de Provence
Rosemary, thym, basil, savory....
One would be hard pressed to find a kitchen in Provence that did not have a stash of Herbes de Provence by the stove. Native to Provence, this mixture of aromatic plants contain rosemary, marjoram, basil, savory and thyme. Many of these plants grow so abundantly in Provence ...
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Provençal Cuisine
A brief list of terminology
Mother Nature is abundantly generous in this part of the world, and Provençal cooking is naturally tasty and flavorsome due to the sun-kissed produce that is readily available in this region. Vegetables, sardines, anchovies, meat casseroles, ratatouille and pesto ...
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A Favorite Recipe for Mussles
A “Moules-y” Morning in Avignon.jpg)
When I head for Les Halles without a specific menu in mind, I often find I am influenced by the weather outside. This morning it was very overcast in Avignon, so when I went past my fishmonger, the tiny little moules looked just perfect. And at 4,80E/kilo, the price was right ...
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Matching Food & Wine
Bringing out the best of both worlds
The successful combination of food and wine at table brings out the best in both the meal and the wine. Rules about matching food and wine aim to provide guidance in this difficult art. They should not however be interpreted so rigidly that they ... more ...
Pastis, the national drink of Provence
Made from star anise
Pastis is an institution in the South of France. It goes hand in hand with a game of pétanque on the village square. Pastis, meaning 'mixture' in the Provençal dialect, is made from a blend of concentrated alcohol, star anise (an aniseed essence that comes from the distillation of the star anise plant), liquorice powder, water, sugar and an infusion of numerous Provençal plants such as thyme, rosemary, savory, sage and verbena. Pastis was developed in Marseille as a substitute for absinthe, which had been banned ...
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Paul Ricard's "Original Pastis of Marseille"
In 1932, an enterprising young man, Paul Ricard, developed the formula for a new aniseed-based aperitif, Ricard, also known as "pastis of Marseille". Six years later, this aperitif made its entrance on the Parisian scene. In 1962, the Ricard company went public. Sales of Ricard reached 40 million litres in 1968 and 68 million litres by 1974. Ten years later, Ricard had sold more than a billion bottles and in 2001 it was the fifth-ranking spirit brand worldwide. Ricard was also the first pastis to obtain the international ISO 9002 certification, issued by the French Quality Assurance Association in 1994 ...
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What is a Bordeaux Chateau's Second Wine?
"Deuxieme Vin" in French |
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Avignon Restaurant Review
New Rants and Raves in Avignon
Fine wine and good food is a Provençal tradition, and this tradition is certainly present here in Avignon. From four-star restaurants to bistro cafés, sushi bars to tapas bars, this town has something for every tastebud. Here is a selection of some of my favorites ...
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French Property Database Search
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French Food Tips for Travelers
Seafood Vocabulary
If you are bewildered by the range of seafood, the names, and the questions you are asked at the seafood counter, this should help!French Meat Cuts
It is not just a case of simple translation when buying meat in France, because the French cuts differ from those in the UK. Here are some explanations and vocabulary...Mysterious Veg
How to use the mysterious vegetables that you see in French markets.Flour in France
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Which flour to use for what; about the grades.Foie Gras Explained
Being unused to this product in the UK, the various forms of foie gras can be confusing at first...Market Tasters in France
How to deal with traders offering tasters at the markets of France.Market Manners in France
"How to deal with market stall pressure.Supermarket Vs Market
The differences between supermarket stock and that of the markets and individual shops. What do you get for your money?Ordering Steak
How to request the ‘doneness’ of a steak in French.Private chefs popular in France
A chef chez vous in Provence.jpg)
Gemma Driver caught up with Emmanuel Sofonéa, a private chef from Antibes, to find out why his service is becoming so popular...