Provencal Cooking – Provençal Cuisine

The city of Avignon and the surrounding area are the centre of very rich Provençal cooking and classic gastronomic traditions.

Avignon has the greatest number of starred restaurants of any city in France. Typical local cuisine is characterised by garlic, olive oil, onions, tomato sauce and above all aromatic herbs like thyme, rosemary and basil.

The region is rich in fresh vegetables which play a great part in the local cuisine. Typical examples of Provencal food include pistou soup, ratatouille, aïoli, the various “tians” casseroles made with zucchini, eggplant, cardoons, “ragouts” (stews) of asparagus, artichokes. Vegetables of all sorts are used and there are countless seasonal salad variations.

Discover regional products

Les Halles: Covered market, Tuesday to Friday 6am-1:30pm. Saturday and Sunday 6am-2pm.

This big covered market has 40 food merchants selling local food, giving advice and sharing their expertise and knowledge of products. The market has been held here daily for 200 years and there is a vibrant atmosphere, the scents and colours are amazing.

Cooking at les Halles – Every Saturday morning from 11am to 12pm

Don’t miss this fabulous opportunity to see Avignon chefs at work preparing their specialties and demonstrating their talents, featuring recipes and a menu with products from Les Halles.

Epicurium is a living museum of fruit and vegetables where visitors can explore the fascinating world of fruit and vegetable varieties, from seed to the plate. 8000 m2 of space housing an orchard, vegetable garden and a sensorial exhibit on man’s use of fruits and vegetables in agriculture, industry and food. A programme of workshops has been planned for all ages where you can learn about cooking and gardening.

Avignon is of course famous for its wines, established as a major wine producing region by the Popes of the 14^th Century who made this city their home for several decades before returning to Rome (see Palace of the Popes).