having an epiphany

The celebration of Epiphany is celebrated in many countries across Europe and around the world; however, France has their own unique traditions in the celebration of Epiphany.
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Epiphany is the time in early January (exact date varies depending on the country) when the arrival of the three magi is celebrated. The real epiphany comes from the magi's (and the world's) realization that the Lord was in human form.

I've been gearing up for this one–it was part of the Advent excitement. According to the same site, "Epiphany has been celebrated through much of the world since the 4th century."* But for the main part of the celebration, the "galette des rois" (similar King cake).

In the King cake version, eaten on Mardi Gras, a naked baby statue is hidden inside (creep town), tying the cakes together, back to the same tradition: a celebration of the Lord taking human form (only to be eaten by a child that then wears a paper crown & "rules" for the year).

Joe & I have been cheating. We've mentioned our favorite pastry here in France, pithivier (puff pastry filled with frangipane). We've eaten a good amount of them. In the south of France, the cake takes on a more brioche texture and is filled with... some sort of fruit filling? Not clear on this. Not yet sad to say that I'm missing it. Luckily for us, the King cake common in northern France is very similar–flaky pastry with frangipane filling. The only difference? The shape... and one special ingredient. A small, ceramic figure.

Though originally a broad bean was hidden inside*, France has upped the ante. Now, all the pastry shops you pass have "Collect them ALL!" signs. Every cake has a ceramic figure inside (multicolored cats, Tour de France bikers, fish of all kinds). Every cake ranges from seven to 15 euros. Collecting them all, for a set of 8 and assuming you get a different surprise in each cake, could cost 120 euros, roughly $160.

We won't be collecting. We will be satisfied with our two free slices, courtesy of a teacher Joe works with. And, surprise surprise, Joe found a small, ceramic penguin in his slice that reminds him, "Partégeons la Planète!" (Let's protect the planet!)  I had the chance to meet the teacher at a Christmas open house at the school, where Joe spent an hour surrounded by students excited to shout in English. (I got their approval, so the night was a success.) Included with our two slices was her recipe for the cake.

Hopefully, I'll try that this week. More hopefully, it will be a bigger success than the naan I tried to make that turned out like breadsticks. (We ate baguette with our cauliflower curry tonight.) We washed the cake down with some chai, made with this (never home)maker chai recipe. I strongly recommend it. I also strongly recommend adding a teaspoon of cocoa, but let it steep a looong time.

You can learn more about the celebration & symbols of Epiphany here. Or even if you don't want to celebrate and just want some cake, check out this link for recipes from several cultures.

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