After the rich celebrations of the Réveillon de Noël, Noël, Réveillon du Jour de l'an, and the Jour de l'an... we're ready for the delicious Galette des rois !
We celebrated with great French food, but it's not Christmas or New Year's day that make France's holidays stand out as culturally unique. Sure, there was plenty of foie gras, champagne, farce, raw oysters--which I love--but the rest of the holiday meals is nothing incredibly different from what we eat in the States. The Galette des rois, however, is a tradition that I am not aware of in the US.
Essentially, the Galette des rois is a crispy, frangipane-filled cake that is baked with a small figuring hidden inside. The "frangipane" is a delicious, sweetened almond filling. It's a unique flavor during the holiday season, and a tradition that is celebrated on the 12th day of Christmas, known as the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6th) in order to celebrate the biblical three kings. In honor of these kings, the person who discovers the figurine in his cake is crowned the "king" for the day.
It's a fun, traditionally French holiday and the final one of the season. In Paris, most people will simply buy the cake from a local patisserie, but if you're not in Paris and you would still like to celebrate this holiday, please click this link for a recipe.
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