Thirteen desserts
The thirteen desserts (
Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles. The desserts always number thirteen but the exact items vary by local or familial tradition.[1] The food traditionally is set out Christmas Eve and remains on the table three days until December 27.[2]
Dried fruit and nuts
The first four of these are known as the "four beggars" (les quatre mendiants), representing the four mendicant monastic orders: Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians and Carmelites.[3]
- Raisins (Dominicans)
- Walnuts or hazelnuts[4] (Augustinians)
- Dried figs(Franciscans)
- Almonds (Carmelites)
- Dates, representing the foods of the region where Christ lived and died[5]
- Dried plums from Brignoles
Fresh fruit
- Apples
- Pears
- Oranges
- Winter melon
- Grapes
- Tangerines
Sweets
- Biscotins (biscuits) from Aix;
- Calissons d'Aix,[6] a marzipan-like candy made from almond paste and candied melon.
- Candied citron
- Casse-dents of Allauch (biscuit)
- fennel seedbiscuits
- Fried bugnes
- Fruit tourtes[6]
- Oreillettes, light thin waffles[2]
- Pain d'epices
- Quince cheese/quince paste (Pâte de coing)[6]
- Yule log
- Two kinds of nougat, symbolizing good and evil[1]
- Black nougat with honey (Nougat noir au miel), a hard candy made with honey and almonds
- White nougat (Nougat blanc), a soft candy made with eggs, pistachios, honey, and almonds
French wedding foodways
Bayle St. John, writing in The Purple Tints of Paris (vol. 2) "The dishes are substantial; soup, boiled beef, veal, salad, cheese, apples, and what are called, for some mysterious reason, the four beggars — nuts, figs, almonds, and raisins, mixed together."
See also
References
- ^ a b "The Thirteen Desserts of Christmas - Les Treize Desser". Mama Lisa's World of Children and International Culture.
- ^ a b "Christmas Traditions in Provence". www.provenceweb.fr.
- ^ "The Thirteen Christmas Desserts". www2.culture.gouv.fr.
- ^ "Aroma Tours of Spain, Provence, Tuscany, Italy and Bali". aroma-tours.com.
- ^ a b "Provençal Desserts | Avignon et Provence". www.avignon-et-provence.com.
- ^ a b c about.com, Noël in Provence Christmas traditions and recipes from Provence. Retrieved Aug. 30, 2007.
External links
Media related to Treize desserts de Provence at Wikimedia Commons
- The 13 desserts of Provence - by Notreprovence.fr (in English)