Published on May 9, 2024 at 11:02 a.m.
Bakery cakes – © serts/iStock
These traditional cakes known as corniottes delight the taste buds for Ascension.
Ascension is a Christian holiday celebrated on the fortieth day after Easter. And like all holidays, this day is an opportunity to get together around a good meal and emblematic dishes of French cuisine. If Easter rhymes with chocolate, Ascension also has typical dishes. According to regional traditions and customs, there are indeed a variety of specific dishes associated with Ascension, notably, in Saône-et-Loire, where we eat small cakes called corniottes.
Traditional delicacies
These delicious little cakes in the shape of a tricorn, traditional for the Feast of the Ascension, come from Louhans, in the Bresse plain in Saône-et-Loire. They are made from a combination of shortcrust pastry, choux pastry, butter. In sweet or savory versions, suffice to say they are delicious. The tradition dates back to the 17th century, when they were invented by the hospital sisters of the Hôtel-Dieu de Louhans. The sisters made the corniottes to sell on Ascension Day, with the aim of raising money to finance their hospice. The name “corniotte” is probably derived from the word “cornette”, which designated the tricorn headdress worn by nursing nuns. The characteristic triangular shape of the corniottes is directly inspired by this characteristic headdress of the sisters, but also by the priest’s hat.
Even today, every year, during the Feast of the Ascension, these cakes are made with care and shared with friends or family. They symbolize not only the local culinary tradition, but also the spirit of generosity and sharing associated with this celebration.
