French word of the day: Le Roi
Published: 17 January 2025
So who has gotten used to writing 2025 yet? I know, right!?? It has been a surprisingly few non-rainy days in Paris this start of January, which would make anybody’s mood look up. (Although it is back to being grey today.)
I should add that the temperatures have been hovering around 0°C (32°F) for the past few days. As someone who grew up in Canada, I’m trying to convince my little Frenchies this is better than the rainy mess that is the usual weather in la région parisienne. (The Provençal husband has also yet to be convinced that frost on the ground is not so bad.)
Either way, it’s a new year but with the same old problems. Yes, the French government is still teetering on the brink.
All this arguing reminds me of little children yelling over each other and fighting over the best piece of cake. So it is just as well January in France is galette de roi month, and we can all let them squabble over that gold paper crown.
If you are not sure what is a galette de roi, it is a type of layered pastry filled with frangipane. All January long, if you are doing any socializing in France you will likely be sampling a galette de roi.
It is actually a Christian celebration, meant to celebrate 3 Kings’ Day, but it has become so mainstream here, you will find it everywhere from schools to workplaces.
As far as cakes go, I will say the galette de roi is not my favorite. There is a brioche version of the galette de roi from the south of France which I think tastes better than the pastry one.
But anyway one cannot fight the galette de roi. I’ve already has a couple, with a couple more scheduled over the rest of the month. (Someone keep a chocolate eclair on standby.)
Unfortunately the kids love galette de roi because they are all looking for a little icon hidden inside it. Whoever finds the icon gets a gold paper crown and gets to declare themselves “King” or “Queen” for the day. Or this year, “President”.
If you are a French citizen, better make sure your electoral card is up to date!
In other news:
- The house of American singer and French resistance fighter Josephine Baker is up for sale for a cool €20m. It isn’t her house in Nouvelle Aquitaine, but rather her pied-a-terre just outside Paris in Le Vesinet (about 20 minutes by train). You can check it out here.
- Over 100 medals from the Paris Olympics have already been sent back for costly repairs because the varnish is coming off. The reason? Apparently there was a new European directive just before the medals were made that banned a particular substance, and so the company making the medals experimented with an unproven substance to varnish the medals. Which obviously has been a failure. Ah EU regulations!
- On the exciting front if you are an employee in France, 2025 is the year where 7 vacation days taken at strategic moments will give you 34 days of holidays. A combo of long weekends and public holidays for the win!
And in the blog:
Why you shouldn’t move to France
I got tired of reading all the newsletters about how romantic it is to move to France, so I wrote a counterpoint with facts and figures.
24 Classic French cakes to love
Exploring the best French cakes so you can pick your favorite. From their flavor, shape, origin, and the delicious occasions when they are served.
This baked brie in puff pastry that makes for a lovely appetizer to be served as finger food or an appetizer for any occasion. And why not add some sweet or savory ingredients for even more flavor.