Head to the South with a Provençal aperitif

Whether or not you are on vacation in the South, there is nothing like an aperitif with Provençal flavors for a taste journey. Unsurprisingly, regional specialties based on sunny vegetables, olives, and fish will be in order.

What do we eat in Provence for an aperitif?

Let’s start with the spreads. No hummus or guacamole for a Provencal aperitif worthy of the name, but rather tapenade. Whether you prefer it black or green, the recipe is extremely simple. Simply crush olives, capers, anchovy fillets, garlic and Provence herbs in a mortar until you obtain a paste, then serve with croutons and raw vegetables.
Note that tapenade often forms a trio of spread with anchoïade (the same recipe, but without olives), and aioli, a sauce made from garlic and olive oil.

Then come the donuts of all kinds renowned in the region. Breaded eggplants, sage fritters, Marseille panisses… Boudi*, it smells good of Provence! Moreover, speaking of specialties made with chickpea flour, socca Niçoise and cade Toulonnaise are also worth the detour.

Finally, we couldn’t offer you a typical southern aperitif, without telling you about fougasse and pissaladière. Certainly, we admit that the latter is more Ligurian than Provençal. However, the geographical proximity between the two regions means that the recipe has spread widely across the Italian border. We also notice that the Pissaladière Niçoise contains olives (Niçoises, obviously) in addition to anchovies and onions. Focaccia, for its part, is a bread dough, quite similar to focaccia, another Italian specialty. It can be offered plain, filled with cheese, vegetables, or bacon depending on taste.

What do you drink with a Provençal aperitif?

Wine lovers, choose a rosé Côtes-de-Provence, to be served very chilled, or a red Bandol, whose power goes well with the olives. As for an aperitif, we honor the city of Marseille with a carefully dosed pastis (five to seven volumes of water for one volume of pastis).
Finally, for those who prefer to stay alcohol-free, iced water infused with thyme and lavender will be perfect to refresh you.

Right away: we’re taking you to Provence with 17 aperitif recipes from the South.

*Good God !