You have already read something about Provence and it is time to explore the essence of this wonderful region of France. The cuisine of Provence is one of the healthiest in the world and is closed in the rays of the sun, in which all the treasures of the earth ripen, with which pan masters deign people from all over the world. Everything smells of herbs, many juicy fruits, various fish and wonderful meats …
Basil, thyme, parsley …
The cuisine of Provence is primarily part of the tradition of Mediterranean flavors. It is considered one of the tastiest, and certainly healthy food geeks will have real use there. Look for artificial and chemical-pumped food with a candle. Everything is prepared only from fresh and natural ingredients that are delivered from local breeders. What, then, is the secret of this kitchen? Certainly part of the answer is contained in spices, and in particular in aromatic herbs. Rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil – these are just some of them. Of course, these are not dried versions of the package, it would be real barbarism. Provencal flavors are also tomatoes, eggplants and garlic – their fragrance spreads from the very morning when small stalls fill them up in the shadow of local markets.
Provence cuisine: you can’t do without olives
It can be safely said that olives and Provence are one thing (although some will certainly say so about lavender). This is where the real olive production center is located in France. It is the basis for most dishes of that region. The fruits of the olive tree are served there in many forms. Some will enjoy light aperitifs, others will enjoy tapenade. We can’t imagine life without mayonnaise, so they can’t live in Provence without anchovies . It’s a sauce typical of the south of France made from anchovies, oil, yolks and wine vinegar. The famous salade nicoise gains a great nutty flavor by adding shiny black Nicoise olives. Olives and olives are also a basic ingredient of the “Provencal pizza” – pissaladiere .
Lavender is not just perfumes
Lavender is another symbol of the south of France. We are curious how many of you know that it has applications not only in perfumery. It also makes extremely delicate and aromatic honey , which even amazes with its taste. It is rather light and in its color palette goes from ivory to straw yellow. It is harvested mainly in August and September, which is in full bloom of lavender flowering. It tastes great not only eaten solo, but also is an important ingredient in many dishes, such as fried figs or foie gras . Another specialty with its addition is the famous calisson d’Aix , i.e. almonds with fried melons in fruit syrup
Provence cuisine: the kingdom of vegetables, seafood and meats
Of the countless vegetable dishes, it’s worth mentioning the typical Provençal soupe au pistou , a summer soup made of eggplants, carrots, tomatoes, green string beans, dried white beans and vermicelli pasta. P gives it a regional specialty, i.e. the pistou sauce, which is prepared on the basis of basil, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan cheese and tomatoes. We won’t dwell much on the classic ratatouille . It consists of eggplants, onions, garlic, peppers, courgettes and tomatoes. They are served both cold and hot, usually as an addition to meat and fish dishes.
If you feel like a typical meat dish then you should try one of the dishes, the essence of which is stewed meat with vegetables or in herbs. In Provence, we will eat, among others, stewed beef with olives, chicken in a tarragon sauce, or classic French c assoulet , i.e. various types of meat baked with vegetables. The bouillabaisse is also a real hit, meaning fish stewed in Provence. At one time it was a modest dish of poor fishermen, but nowadays it reaches dizzying prices in luxury restaurants. A typical dish for Nice is the Norwegian stockfish ( estocaficada ), stewed in an iron saucepan with oil, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic and paprika.
These are just a few of the flavors tempted by the cuisine of Provence. Imagine now a tiny eatery in the quiet of a narrow street and the shadow of sandstone walls or a green hill, a white tablecloth on a table and a view of the endless sea and a light breeze blowing in the face of the sun … Yes, it’s Provence …
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