Marseille on the Mediterranean coast is the largest city in Provence - diverse, historic, the beating heart of the region and home to France's best fish soup.
Provence is like an artist’s palette, a kaleidoscope of colour and texture, a region awash with year round sunshine. You can relax on one of its many Mediterranean beaches or within an hour be climbing to over 4000 metres.
It has a landscape, rich in history and tradition, loved by Cezanne, Van Gogh and Chagall who painted in its perfect light. It has chic, elegant towns like Cannes and St Tropez , small historic towns and villages and it has Marseille the second largest and the oldest city in France.
While this busy port is very much part of the region, it has its own unique customs, and undeniably its own beating heart.
Bouillabaisse
From Marseille comes Bouillabaisse, one of a range of dishes that is special to the region.
Provencal cuisine has one thing in common, it uses fresh local ingredients: olives, fish, tomatoes, courgettes and lemons are an essential part of many dishes
Bouillabaisse is a prime example; it is a wonderful aromatic fish soup, a Marseille speciality and was originally a dish made by fisherman using locally caught fish from the Mediterranean.
Although the dish has evolved and changed the fishermen would have used fish that hadn’t sold at market. That may have included conger eel, crab and whatever white fish was left. In a restaurant today Bouillabaisse might include: red mullet, monkfish, sea bass, mussels and prawns. It would certainly include locally produced olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and an incredible blend of herbs: bay leaf, saffron, fennel.
For many, Bouillabaisse is quite simply food heaven. It should be accompanied by freshly baked bread spread with Rouille, a spicy garlic sauce.
It is difficult to choose a few from so many but listed below are a few other dishes you might try.
Ratatouille
A good time to make this vegetarian dish is in the autumn when vegetables are less expensive. It is simple, nourishing with a wonderful flavour. The main ingredients are aubergines, courgettes, onions, tomatoes and peppers. Add garlic, water and olive oil and you have a healthy dish that simply epitomises the Mediterranean lifestyle.
Tomatoes Provencale
Simple, fresh and healthy, Tomatoes Provencale uses plum tomatoes, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese with a touch of parsley and garlic.
Other specialities include Salade Nicoise and Boef en Daube, a beef stew made using red wine, onions, garlic and herbs.
Stuffed Turbot Provencale
A rustic fish dish produced using turbot, artichoke hearts, olive oil, shallots, lemon peel and served with a tomato- caper beurre blanc.
There are many local cheeses but Banon and Picodon are particularly popular and there are many wines to accompany them.
Provence offers a diverse, unique face to the visitor, and who can fail to be seduced by its wares. It is a lifetime’s work to sample them all.
Whatever your reason for coming to Provence — enjoy.
