La Galette des Rois is here!

January is the month of the Galette des Rois or Kings’ Cake in France. What is the Galette des Rois?

The Galette des Rois is one of France’s favorite desserts. Deeply rooted in French tradition, in the northern half of France the galette is a puff pastry filled with frangipane, a delicious cream made of custard and almond creams while in the southern part it is a gateau made of brioche and candied fruits. A little bean was traditionally hidden in it. Today the bean has been replaced by a fève, which can represent anything from a car to a cartoon character and have become popular collectibles.

The galette is originally eaten on January 6th for the epiphany to celebrate the Three Magi’s’ visit to baby Jesus. Nowadays people eat the Galette des Rois during the whole month of January just because it is a very tasty dessert and a fun tradition.            

During a galette party we not only eat a delicious slice of cake, but we also “tirer les rois” (meaning draw the king). To ensure a random distribution of the cake shares, it is traditional for the youngest person to place themselves under the table and name the recipient of the share, which is indicated by the person in charge of the service. The person who finds the trinket in their slice becomes king for the day and chooses his/her queen /king. This person will also have to offer the next cake.

At La Petite France we bring you a complete French experience and offer a crown, a traditional paper galette bag and a fève that represents France or Paris; try to get them all!

We will host a special Galette des Rois celebration weekend on January 11th – 12th where you can come in and sample a piece of our large galette and whoever finds the charm will receive a $30 gift card.