Tasting Provence

Lighter, fresher, simpler perhaps, and definitely healthierProvenal cuisine from the South of France seems fit for our modern lifestyle whereeating well means eating mindfully without sacrificing flavor.

- Anne Marie Ozaeta

More than 10 years ago, my family and I took a trip to the heart of Provence, that region in southeastern France that spans the Mediterranean coast to the majestic Alps. It was springtime when we rented a charming house in the tiny village of Rustrel, 10 kilometers from the town of Apt in the Luberon. We spent the next 10 days visiting cliffside medieval villages and the former papal center of Avignon, taking in the weekend flea market, passing vineyards and olive groves, and each day, sampling the glorious food and wine of the region. While that Provençal sojourn happened more than a decade ago, the good memories of the food and wine my family and I enjoyed continue to resonate.

I’ve traveled to other parts of France, reveling in its splendid culinary offerings— creamy sauces, buttery pastries, not to mention rich, decadent foie gras—but the food in Provence is decidedly different. Chef Anne-Cecile Degenne, executive chef of the Raffles and Fairmont Makati, explains, “Provençal cooking is lighter, more delicate, a bit more feminine. It’s a cuisine that you can eat every day without getting bored of it.” While Chef Anne-Cecile hails from Bordeaux, she has become just as familiar with Provence, thanks to her yearly visits to Nice, her husband’s hometown, located in the French Riviera.