LA GALETTE DES ROIS: DO YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND IT THIS YEAR?
To get the year off to a good start, the traditional Epiphany once again brings together family and loved ones around the same table.
The tradition of the galette des Rois dates back to the 13th century.
We found there the first traces of the sharing of this cake during the Epiphany.
A galette, cut into as many portions as there are guests plus one: the “poor man’s slice”, that is to say intended for the first needy who presented themselves.
Precise date, recipe and history of the galette des Rois, origin of la fève and the Epiphany: read the article below so that you can shine with your knowledge about this Kings cake, and tell us where you live in the comments, and we’ll tell you what is the pâtisserie that makes the best galette in your town!
What is the date of Epiphany?
When are you going to eat galette des Rois this yearƒ?
It all depends on whether you decide to strictly adhere to the custom or not. Epiphany is traditionally fixed in the Christian calendar for January 6, that is, twelve days after the birth of Jesus according to the Roman liturgy.
As January 6 falls regularly in the middle of the week after the Happy New Year greetings, a reform has however transferred the date to the second Sunday following Christmas, i.e., almost systematically, to the first Sunday after January 1.
The galette des Rois could therefore be cut on this date, at least in countries which do not have a public holiday dedicated to Epiphany.
But rest assured, the bakeries and pastry shops won’t stop anytime soon, and you can enjoy the galette des Rois at least until mid-January!
What is the history of the galette des Rois de l’Epiphanie?
In the Christian imagination, the galette des Rois refers to the three wise men who, guided by a star, went to Bethlehem, to meditate in front of the manger where Jesus was born, offering the child precious gifts. But we quickly learn that Epiphany (or its equivalent) was already celebrated long before the advent of the Christian religion.
We first speak of a golden cake in a round shape, a description that can recall the sun and therefore the cult of the Saturnalia, also linked to the solstice, both winter and summer. During these 7-day festivities, excesses were allowed and it was customary to offer cakes to those around them. A tradition which, in the Middle Ages, became that of the “cake of kings”. For some, the name comes from the royalty that had to be paid to his lord at the same time. Royalty generally accompanied by a cake.
As for “la fève”, it would have preceded the cake since it also dates from the Roman Empire. It was in fact customary in ancient Rome to draw lots for the king of a feast using a black or white token. It is also said that a king was appointed by this means among the soldiers of a garrison or in a family during the Saturnalia and that he could thus, for a day, fulfill all his desires and command whatever he wanted. pleased.
A legend also relates another origin of the bean: the legend of Donkey skin, inspired by the tale of Charles Perrault. It is thus by forgetting her ring in a cake intended for the prince that Donkey Skin would have inspired this strange custom.
Finally, the tradition of sending the youngest of the guests under the table to designate who owns each piece of the cake would have arrived at the same time.
During Saturnalia always, the master of the house indeed asked the youngest of the family, supposed to be the most innocent, to designate to which guest he should distribute the portion he was holding.
What is the origin of Epiphany?
Epiphany is the result of a long tradition, going back very far before the birth of Jesus and resulting from a mixture of pagan and Christian traditions. Originally, in antiquity, it was a question of celebrating the god Dionysus. The feast given in his honor in the middle of winter, and concomitant with the winter solstice, would symbolize his resurrection, the return of light and therefore the rebirth of this vegetation.
January 6, 12 days after Christmas, thus becomes the very first sacred feast of the liturgical calendar. In the West, Epiphany will gradually absorb the ancient Roman and pagan traditions, and we will gradually gather around a cake to celebrate it.
“La fève” of the galette des Rois de l’Epiphanie
Last element of the galette des Rois, the bean is the final touch of a successful Epiphany. Originally, it was a food bean, that is to say a grain vegetable that was the most consumed in Europe.
From the 18th century, the first porcelain beans appeared. They first represent the infant Jesus, to use the Christian tradition of Epiphany.
What is the recipe?
There are many recipes, and here you’ll find a few of them, along with tips you’ll need once you created this culinary work of art on this page:
Where can you find it?
We listed below a few cities and the bakeries that make the best galette des Rois:
Chicago: Vanille Patisserie
Huston: Pâtisserie Paris Je T’aime
London: Balthazar Restaurant
New Orleans: Croissant D’Or Patisserie
New York: Cuis’in
Paris: Atelier P1
Toronto – Douce France
NOW IT IS YOUR TURN!
Tell us in the comments below where do you live? Tell us in the comments below, and we’ll find the best place for a Galette in your town. 🙂
Let me guess.
Do you constantly have the feeling that you can’t hear what the French say and you don’t know how to read all the French words because they are written so much differently than they sound?
Learn 3 secrets that will help you be self sufficient in the way you pronounce French words – even if you don’t know what they mean – so that you can read that sophisticated menu in your favorite French restaurant.
Immerse yourself as you FINALLY reach your dream of becoming bilingual, learn to speak Parisian French on Skype and BREAK your language barrier!
…and now, please SHARE this article with your friends. They’ll love you for it! : )
Always in your corner,
Llyane
Photo credit: Alamy, Message d’amour
