PROVENCE
Rita Khayat, the CEO of Fleur de Luxe has travelled and lived throughout much of the world. Each month, she will share with us a region of Europe. To enjoy some of the beautiful wines and regional cuisines for which Europe is so well know, visit the Fleur de Luxe website at www.fleurdeluxe.com.
Click here to take advantage of monthly specials from Provence at Fleur de Luxe.
Provence is a region of southeastern France on the Mediterranean Sea adjacent to Italy . It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. The heart of Provence is in the hills that bind the sea to the Alps . These are the sloping vineyards, the cultivated lands and the colorful scenery that charmed Cezanne (Aix en Provence ), Van Gogh ( Arles ), Chagall or Giono. In Provence or the Midi the local people have a soft singing accent which evokes their whole relaxed lifestyle. They have no greater pleasure after a hard days work than to enjoy a delicious and hardy meal shared with friends….
To really know Provence , means one must really know the wealth of local products, craft, gastronomy through the markets, traditional village fairs, museums, wine cellars and mills.
Here is a short glimpse at some of these specialties. Read through this Newsletter to save on some of these authentic Provencal products that you can purchase directly from our website.
Wine- There are two main wine-growing regions in Provence :
- the vineyards of “Côtes-du-Rhône”: (Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape…)
- The wines from Provence : (Cassis, Bellet, Bandol, Côteaux Varoix…)
They can be tasted directly at the wine cellars or at local wine fêtes.
Olives and olive oil- The olive tree - symbol of the Mediterranean - was imported by the Greek some 2500 years ago. It can live for several centuries and starts to give fruit at the age of eight, reaching full maturity by the age of twenty. Olives are traditionally gathered by hand or combs from November to January. The largest are conserved for eating whilst the smallest are pressed at the mill to give “virgin olive oil”.
Aromatics Plants- Be it wild or cultivated, each plant has its own special use: gastronomic, herbal tea, perfume, medicine… They are widely used in Provencal cooking. Thyme accompanies meat dishes while fennel or sage are delicious with fish. There is also the rosemary, verbena, coriander, basil (pistou)… Anise and mint are also cultivated to make aperitif drinks.
Lavender- Every summer the plateaus and hills of Provence are colored in blue by fields of lavender. The cultivation of lavender dates from the last century but its properties have been known since antiquity, it has even been used during the middle-ages as a disinfectant. Collected by hand in the past, the harvest is now completely mechanized. Dried for a few days, the flowers then leave for the distillery where the essential oil is extracted. 120 kg (20 stone) of flowers makes 1 kg (2.2 Lb) of essential oil.
Nougat- This sweet with the perfume of Provence, a marriage of honey and almonds appeared for the first time in Montélimar at the end of the XVI century. Honey and sugar are melted and cooked in mixers then added to beaten egg whites. It is only at the end that the almonds are added and the mixture is then poured into moulds. Nougat must include at least 30% of almonds to merit the name “Nougat de Montélimar”.
Many of you are familiar with some recipes that have originated in Provence: here are the most famous ones: Aïoli, Anchoïade, Bouillabaisse, Caviar d’aubergines, Pipérade with peppers, Ratatouille, Rouille, Soupe au Pistou, Tapenade.
