After the end-of-year holidays, the Yule log gives way to the galette des rois. A legendary heritage from ancient Rome and revisited many times, it still stands out today as the “queen” of pastries at the beginning of the year.
Many were waiting for it, it is here: the galette des rois season is officially open. Even before the official date of Epiphany, Monday January 6, 2025, the French and gourmands from all over the world are tasting it and trying, for a few hours, to be the best sovereigns possible.
A tradition dear to the hearts of Catholic Christians, on the occasion of Epiphany (feast of the visit of the wise men to the child Jesus), but not only that, since we now share the king cake in privacy families, friendly and professional circles.
On the other hand, and contrary to popular belief, the galette des rois is not a religious tradition, and it in no way comes from Roman festivals dating from Antiquity.
A History constantly rewritten
Loïc Bienassis, historian at the European Institute of Food History and Cultures (IEHCE) at the University of Tours (Indre-et-Loire) and author of The Great History of Gastronomy (Larousse), states: far from the myth, the galette des rois would in reality have been created in the Middle Ages by subjects amused by the idea of ”pulling the kings” and sitting in turn on a fictional throne.
“It was the religious moralists of the 17th century who discredited the galette des rois for fear of pagan practices and who appropriated it,” confides the historian.
These are the same moralists who, again according to Loïc Bienassis, would have transformed History to link the pancake to Roman festivals considered immodest and against the grain of Catholic religious principles.
The first clear, handwritten mentions of the galette des rois thus date back to the end of this historical period, although in the 13th century, in Besançon, canons addressed the subject in several documents. The pagan kings become wise men, echoing the birth of Christ, Balthazar, Melchior and Gaspard.
At that time, the galette was not yet called a “galette” and mainly resembled a large bread enriched with fruit. In 1653, in the work entitled The French Pastry Chef (whose author is anonymous), the first real recipe for the galette des rois mentions several ingredients including “fine flour”, eggs and, of course, butter. For Loïc Bienassis, this is the procedure to follow to obtain a particularly thick and perfectly leavened brioche.
It was not until the 17th century that puff pastry appeared. “This is another French invention,” adds Loïc Bienassis. The standardization of the recipe for the galette des rois did not take place until the 1930s, in Paris, where the key ingredient was the almond (making its appearance around the 19th century). The frangipane pancake as we know it today actually dates from yesterday.
French delicacy
“I remind you that there are no beans here,” Emmanuel Macron told journalists in January 2024 during the annual tasting of the galette des rois at the Élysée. Indeed, in the filling of the “Galette de l’Egalité” served to the president, there is nothing other than almond. No gold coin or small porcelain statuette, this being associated with the Christian bean from the 17th century.
According to the principles of the Republic, foremost of which is secularism, no religious reference can be made during an official celebration. “In 2025, what is most important is above all being able to share a friendly moment around a gourmet creation,” confides Loïc Bienassis.
Gluttony, a “noble fault” agrees the historian and Douglas Oberson, executive pastry chef in charge of Alain Ducasse’s 36 locations around the world. Certainly the common point of all French people whose gastronomy is an integral part of the national culture.
“The recipe ultimately doesn't matter. Whether it's a galette or a king cake, what explains the success of this product is a perfect balance between good ingredients that immerse consumers in childhood and a precise sleight of hand”, describes the chef. “What is also interesting is the curiosity of the artisans and their desire either to put their heart and soul into making a traditional pancake, or to introduce new flavors to others.”
Tradition, a question of representation
Are we talking about pain au chocolat or chocolatine? Are we talking about frangipane pancakes or king cake? Here again it seems that we are facing yet another lively culinary debate: while in the north of the Loire we enjoy the puff pastry pancake, in the south we prefer brioche bread with candied fruit. “We have as many pancakes as there are representations. The pastry will not be the same depending on the region, its origins, its tastes,” confides Loïc Bienassis.
Today, there are a multitude of different pancakes that suit all palates: with frangipane, applesauce, chocolate, pistachio, apricot jam, candied fruit or even a “version” Hollandaise” with puff pastry made from a macaroon dough base. But what, then, is the recipe corresponding to tradition?
And if in the collective imagination, tradition rhymes with seniority, for Loïc Bienassis, this is not the case. “A tradition must be part of a time to come which begins in the present,” he explains. Which does not mean that the recent addition of frangipane in the galette recipe is not synonymous with tradition. The current diversification of the recipe is the ultimate proof of this since there is “undermining of a type of pancake that has recently been established. Finally, the Provençal king cake corresponds more to the original recipe for the famous 'enriched bread' of the Ancien Régime”, concludes the historian.
The consumer solution: How to pay less for the galette des rois? – 03/01
There is therefore no “real” traditional galette des rois and all recipes, southern, northern and Parisian, are equal. Now it's up to you to choose and the hardest part will surely be tasting just one.
