Will you be king for the day?

TODAY is La Fête des Rois (the Kings’ Festival) – time to buy your galette des rois to mark Epiphany.

Though France is a largely secular country these days, the tradition of marking the visit of the Wise Men to the infant Jesus is still strong.

In any case, it is a good excuse to prolong the Christmas period with more sweet foods – either a disc-shaped cake made from flaky puff-pastry with frangipane inside or a doughnut-shaped brioche with candied fruits.

There is a small figurine inside, known as the fève, and whoever gets in in their piece of cake is “king” for the day. The galettes, on sale in boulangeries and pâtisseries, usually come with a cardboard crown.

The one served to President Sarkozy at the Elysée Palace has no fève as, by tradition, it is inappropriate for the president to be designated “king”.