Today is Three Kings Day. In France, it's traditional to buy (or bake) a 'galette des rois', which is a puff pastry tart with a fragipane (almond cream) and a 'fève' inside. The féve is a small ceramic figurine placed in the tart, and whoever gets the part with the fève inside, is the king (or queen).So today my neighbor Patricia invited my daughter and I to her house for the galette. We were 7, so cutting the tart was tricky. You have to give out all the pieces, because you don't want the fève to be left in the last piece! The youngest child hides under the table and says who each piece is for as it's cut.
And you can't peek to see if you have the fève, it brings bad luck.
Once you find the fève, you choose someone to be your king or queen, and give them a gold crown (cardboard - very silly looking) to wear. You also get to keep the fève. Today Patricia got the fève, so she gave the crown to her husband to wear.
Afterwards we sat around talking politics (the French Love talking politics) and I tried to explain the primaries and why Obama wasn't president yet. Explaining politics is hard. Explaining the US voting system is nearly impossible.
Side note: In France, Huckabee is pronounced 'Yuck-abee' and Obama 'Ho-bama'.
4 comments:
Aside from looking for the feve how does the pastry taste or do you not eat it?
Hi Rosie -
The pastry is very yummy - it's puff pastry and there is a sweet almond paste in the middle.
It's also made with apple filling, or chocolate inside. Yesterday our was pear and chocolate, although that is not traditional. Traditionally it's prepared with the almond paste. It's a bit dry sometimes - if it's not made right - but when it's done right it's delicious!
So that tradition is still alive in France, how fun. We have the Bohnenkönig, but I don't think many people still remember, let alone celebrate it.
Well what a lovely tradition. And it looks quite yummy!
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