Provence Cooking South Of France

Provence is a region in southeast France bound by the Alps and Italy to the east and the Rhone River to the west, with the Mediterranean Sea lying at its feet and providing its southern border. It has a vastly diverse topography, ranging from fertile planes in the Rhone valley to mountains in the east (the Mont Ventoux, the Luberon range and the Alpilles), to swamps in the south (the Camargue). Provence acquired its name and distinction because it was one of the first provinces outside of Roman Italy.

Due to its temperate and stable Mediterranean climate, the Provence region is richly abundant in fine quality citrus orchards, as well as a wealth of luscious vegetables, fruits and herbs, and is the largest supplier of these superior quality ingredients in all of France for export and domestic use. Provence also cultivates the largest olive groves in France and therefore creates superb, internationally recognized olive oil, and, of course, uses it bigheartedly.

The local Provence cuisine exploits the profusion of regional herbs such as lavender, thyme, sage, rosemary, basil, savory, fennel, marjoram, tarragon, oregano, and bay leaf and they are included generously in all the dishes in one combination or another.

Herbes de Provence (Provençal herbs) is a mixture of dried herbs gathered in the Provence countryside invented in the 1970s to meet the ever rising public interest outside of the region. The mixture typically contains rosemary, marjoram, basil, bay leaf, thyme, and sometimes lavender flowers and other herbs. The proportions vary by manufacturer but thyme usually dominates the taste produced by the herb mixture. These mixtures are predominantly used to flavor grilled foods such as fish and meat, as well as vegetable stews. The mixture can be mixed with olive oil and added to foods before cooking to infuse the flavor into the cooked food, or during cooking, but they are rarely added after the cooking is complete.
Locally grown garlic and regionally harvested anchovies are used in many of the well known and recognized Provence sauces, and pastis, an anise-flavored liqueur, can be found in many of the bistros of the area.

The regional bees are hard at work among the sumptuous native flowering plants to gather their nectars to produce honey, and honey is another prized ingredient in Provence. And with the calm, blue Mediterranean Sea at its disposal and the hordes of sea life flourishing and readily available, seafood is gathered and adds richly to the Provence cuisine. Goat cheeses, air-dried sausage, lamb, and beef are also very popular and frequently served dishes in Provence.

Cooking in Provence, this southeastern part of France, is splendidly herb scented and naturally aromatic with its native products saturated with the Mediterranean sun. And the following is a list of dishes unique to Provence:

• Bouillabaisse: (a stew of mixed Mediterranean fish, tomatoes, and herbs).
• Ratatouille: (a vegetable stew with olive oil, aubergine, courgette, bell pepper, tomato, onion and garlic).
• Pieds paquets: (Lambs feet and tripe ‘parcels’ in a savory sauce).
• Soupe au pistou: (bean soup served with a pistou, cognate with Italian pesto, of finely chopped basil, garlic and Parmesan).
• Salade Niçoise: (varied ingredients, but always black olives and tuna).
• Socca:  (chickpea flour and olive oil).

Restaurants in Provence, on the French Riviera, in the southeast of France are committed and undertake to give you every possible satisfaction in the place of your dreams where world-class chefs all have a passion for gastronomy and the art of good living.

“A man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and be merry.” (Ecclesiastes 8: 15).

Posted in France Vacation Guide