A Galette des Rois, or King Cake, is a cake associated with the festival of Epiphany in many countries. In France, it is a very popular tradition. The cake gets its name from the three Biblical kings who traveled to Bethlehem to honor Jesus on Epiphany. Bakeries and grocery stores are filled with the Galette des Rois and bottles of sparkling cider (it is tradition to eat the two together). The cakes have a small figurine hidden inside. Whoever gets the piece with the figurine inside becomes the king or queen of the day. That person is also obligated to supply the next cake, or host the next party. To ensure a random distribution of the cake slices, the tradition is for the youngest person to go under the table and name the order in which the family is served.
Last week, Claire and Bertrand invited us to their apartment for a Galette des Rois. Claire baked the cake herself, and it was delicious. The taste is really hard to describe, because there is nothing in the US that I can compare it to. The crust (top and bottom) was just like a traditional apple pie, and the center had an almond taste. I have tried to come up with a description of the texture, but I can't! I will say that it is very different from the King Cake that is popular in New Orleans. I found the figurine in my slice of cake, but I have a feeling it was rigged...
No comments:
Post a Comment