A Brief History Lesson on the Galette des Rois
The Gourmandise take on the Galette des Rois
It’s almost the first week of January — and that means delicious business for bakeries all over Europe producing the Galette des Rois.
Countries all over France and Europe are gearing up to close out the Christmas holiday and celebrate Epiphany on January 6 with the traditional Galette des Rois, or King Cake.
Galette des Rois: The History
Different than the colorful King Cake of Mardi Gras, this cake has been an Epiphany staple for hundreds of years and has deep Biblical roots. Our take on this delicacy is most like that of the Northern France tradition and can be found in any French boulangerie (bakery) or pâtisserie (pastry shop) starting mid-December. Delicious puff pastry filled with creamy frangipane — a blend of almond and puff pastry cream. Bon Appétit!
What exactly is Epiphany, you ask? Epiphany is a long-standing Christian holiday that celebrates God’s manifestation to the world in the form of Jesus. It is said to mark the day when the Magi, or Three Wise Men, visited the infant Jesus by following a star all the way to Bethlehem from their home in the east. Many also celebrate the baptism of Jesus during this time. Epiphany completes and marks an end to the Christmas celebrations (until December, of course!).
Galette des Rois: the Tradition
Not only is this cake delicious, but it’s also the life of the party! Traditionally, these cakes always come with a trinket or fève. These fèves were once fava beans or almonds, but have evolved over time to little charms or most common, a baby figurine. Ours come with a baby figurine baked inside the cake, and whoever finds the figurine is crowned king, le roi, or queen, la reine, for the day and gets to don the complimentary gold paper crown!
The anticipation during a galette cutting can stir quite the excitement and playful cheating accusations. Some traditions call for the youngest to slip under the table during the cake cutting and call out the names of the family members to step up and receive their slice of cake — in no particular order — to keep things fair!
Try it this year with your family or friends! Buy a Galette des Rois and partake in an age-old tradition. We guarantee you’ll have a blast!