La Fête des Rois

Known also as l'Épiphanie, La Fête des Rois is a Christian feast day that takes place on the 6th of January. It commemorates the visit of the three kings - the ‘Rois’ - to the baby Jesus, and is celebrated not only in France but all over the world, from eastern Europe to Latin America.

France, however, has a special custom when it comes to celebrating the Epiphany. Perhaps unsurprisingly for a nation famous for its patisseries, it revolves around a cake, known as la galette des rois - the cake of the kings. Other countries such as Portugal and Germany have their own version of the ‘king cake’, but the French variant is as unique as it is delicious.

The galette des rois is a type of pie filled with frangipane and encased in a flaky puffy pastry, often with tasteful designs engraved into the dough. These days you can often find other fillings besides frangipane, such as jam or chocolate spread. French bakers like to be creative, even with centuries-old traditions!

In the south of France, it’s more common to find a gateau des rois in place of a galette, which is a brioche version of the same cake, decorated with candied fruit. The galette is also popular in the French-speaking regions of Belgium and Switzerland.

Whether you’re celebrating in Bordeaux or Bruges, and whether it’s a galette or a gateau, the really special part of the cake is the bit you don’t eat. Called a fève, this is a little charm, often a bean or festive-themed figurine, hidden somewhere within the cake before it is baked. Whoever finds the fève in their slice is declared king or queen for the day, and gets to wear a special crown.

So if you decide to recreate this French tradition on the 6th of January this year, make sure to take a big slice of cake!