Galette des Rois - a French Tradition
If you happen to be in Paris this first week of January, don’t miss out on one of my favourite French traditions: eating a delicious galette des Rois or, as you may know it, a King cake in English. As much as France considers itself a secular country, every holiday is Catholic, including the Epiphany, a celebration of the three kings who visited the baby Jesus. Story aside, the celebration is centred on the galette, made of golden puff pastry and filled with a delicate almond paste. The fun happens when you find the “fève” (bean) inside your slice, designating you the King for the rest of the day. You might get a prize or a paper crown to wear, which is often included when purchasing your galette. It is said that the President of France does not get a feve in his galette as it’s unseemly for him to aspire to be a King in the wake of the revolution. Bien sûr!
You can buy an entire galette or get it as a slice at many locations around Paris, including some of my favourite fashion cafés, all of which you can visit on my next guided group trip to Paris!
The Café Kitsuné is an offshoot of the famous fox logoed clothing brand created in 2002 by Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki and has locations all across Paris. The largest one is near the Louvre, with a restaurant on the second floor, but my favourite is the tiny one under the arcades at the Palais Royal. Pop in to get their classic version or one with subtle notes of Yuzu as a nod to their Japan-meets-Paris roots.
The first and original location of the Maison Christian Dior on Avenue Montaigne was renovated in the last few years and now contains a fashionable restaurant on the store's second floor, designed by famed architect Peter Marino. There are many Dior-themed desserts, such as chocolates in the shape of the fabulous Junon gown or the “new look” Bar Suit. The galette here has frangipane flavoured with lemon zest and honey with 3-dimensional butterflies looking like they just landed on a flower in his childhood garden.
One of my new favourite pastry chefs is at the Ritz hotel, the location known as the home of Coco Chanel from 1937 until she died in 1971. The view of the historic Place Vendome out the window of her suite of rooms on the first floor (second floor in North America) gave her the inspiration for the shape of the bottle for her first fragrance, No. 5, and has also inspired chef Naraé Kim with her seasonal galette, shaped in the same elongated octagon as the Place Vendome itself. You’ll taste a classic frangipane laced with rum topped with a blood orange jelée studded with crystallized almonds, evoking the sparkling windows of the jewelry houses comprising the bulk of the shops in this famous square.
There are many local options for you to enjoy your galette des Rois even if you aren’t in France, but if there aren’t, here’s a recipe from David Lebovitz, an American pastry chef living in Paris. Catholic or not, it’s a fun tradition you can enjoy with your family while learning more about French culture.
Please click here or use the link below for more information on my upcoming May or October 2024 group trip! It’s a beautiful week featuring the best of French fashion, food, and culture. Let’s go to Paris!