Thirteen desserts

The thirteen desserts (Occitan: lei tretze dessèrts) are the traditional dessert foods used in celebrating Christmas in the French region of Provence. The "big supper" (le gros souper) ends with a ritual 13 desserts, representing Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles. The desserts always number thirteen but the exact items vary by local or familial tradition.^[1] The food traditionally is set out Christmas Eve and remains on the table three days until December 27.^[2]

Dried fruit and nuts

Four beggars

The first four of these are known as the "four beggars" (les quatre mendiants), representing the four mendicant monastic orders: Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinian and Carmelites.^[3]

• Raisins (Dominicans)
• Walnuts or hazelnuts^[4] (Augustines)
• Dried figs (Franciscans)
• Almonds (Carmelites)
• Dates, representing the foods of the region where Christ lived and died^[5]
• Dried plums from Brignoles

Fresh fruit

• Apples
• Pears
• Oranges
• Winter melon
• Grapes
• Tangerines

Sweets

• Biscotins (biscuits) from Aix;
• Calissons d'Aix,^[6] a marzipan-like candy made from almond paste and candied melon.
• Candied citron
• Casse-dents of Allauch (biscuit)
• Cumin and fennel seed biscuits
• Fried bugnes
• Fruit tourtes^[6]
• Oreillettes, light thin waffles^[2]
• Pain d'epice
• Pompes à l'huile or fougasse à l'huile d'olive, a sweet cake or brioche made with orange flower water and olive oil^[5]
• Quince cheese/quince paste (Pâte de coing)^[6]
• Yule log

• Two kinds of nougat, symbolizing good and evil^[1]
  • Black nougat with honey (Nougat noir au miel), a hard candy made with honey and almonds
  • White nougat (Nougat blanc), a soft candy made with sugar, eggs, pistachios, honey, and almonds

French Wedding Foodways

Bayle St. John, writing in The Purple Tints of Paris (vol. 2) "The dishes are substantial; soup, boiled beef, veal, salad, cheese, apples, and what are called, for some mysterious reason, the four beggars — nuts, figs, almonds, and raisins, mixed together."

References

External links

The 13 desserts of Provence - by Notreprovence.fr (in English)