Provence

Candied Fruit - A truly Provencal speciality

From Apt to Carpentras, candied fruit fruit and confectionery are at the heart of the region’s traditions. A local speciality, which probably evolved from the need to preserve the region’s abundant fruit harvests, candied fruit are made using techniques developed from earlier practices whereby the juice of the fruit is gradually replaced by sugar. Today, you can buy both the hand-made and the manufactured product.

The story goes that Mrs de Sévigné, a 17th century marchioness of Paris and famous woman of letters, fell in love with Provence and baptised Apt the Chaudron à Confiture (jam cauldron). Whether there is any truth to the story or not, the undeniable fact is that the Apt basin has been renowned for its candied fruit for centuries. Cherries, apricots, strawberries, and peaches are all candied in the same way: the fruits are plunged some ten times in boiling syrup for anything from one to several months. The end product is a Provencal fruit gorged with sugar that is ready to be dispatched to eager consumers all over the world.

The market leader in Apt is a company called Aptunion, which is open to visitors and sells candied fruit in its on-site shop.

Richaud and Le Coulon are confectioneries situated in Apt town. Both specialise in the hand-made product and have recently broadened their range to include more exotic fruits such as pineapple and oranges.

Sugar also plays a leading role in Carpentras. Ever since the papacy of Clément V, fruit humbugs have been the town’s culinary symbol. A combination of sugar and natural fruit flavouring, these hard, pointy sweets are immediately recognisable by their white stripes. The colour of each sweet depends on its fruit flavour: green for apple, red for cherry, orange for mandarine, and yellow for lemon. You simply cannot fail to spot them wherever you go in the town’s bakeries or sweet shops.

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