(ETX Daily Up) – More than 6 in 10 French people (64%) who eat galette des rois on the occasion of Epiphany are not content to indulge in this little sweet pleasure just once. It remains to be seen whether in reality consumers are really giving in again given the surge in prices of the raw materials that make up the dessert of kings.
It is the first flagship dessert of the year, which is traditionally enjoyed every first Sunday of January (otherwise January 6, according to the Catholic calendar). Each year, around 60 million king cakes are sold. And this time again, it is its price which attracts many eyes. Because due to the surge in the cost of butter but also eggs, the cost of a galette des rois should in turn increase again this year.
Remember that traditional puff pastry recipes essentially consist of butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs. So many ingredients that we also find in the traditional frangipane which garnishes the interior. According to 60 million consumers, we would not have to break the bank. In its latest issue, the magazine named a galette des rois at 6.99 euros as the best. This is the frozen almond frangipane pancake from Picard stores.
Good news for the 34% of French people who obtain a pancake via supermarkets, as revealed by an Ifop* study for the Federation of Bakery Entrepreneurs, published by LSA magazine. In half of the cases (51%), gourmets still go to a baker while 14% prefer to make it themselves. So many ways to anticipate the preparation for Epiphany, proving above all that a majority of French people, namely 92%, enjoy a galette des rois on this occasion. A pleasure that doesn't taste like just once. 64% of fans say they eat pancakes several times a month. The survey does not, however, say whether or not this includes fans of the brioche de rois, in accordance with traditions maintained more in the south of France.
* This Ifop survey for the Federation of Bakery Entrepreneurs was conducted online on June 4 and 5, 2024.
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