Meals in Ancient Provence

What time did people of Provence used to eat ? What did their meals taste like?

When the sun rises, the country man wakes up.

He takes his breakfast (déjeûner) at 8 AM. This meal is made up of plain milk, though from the end of the 15th century, they blended their milk with a sage infusion.

They also put cocoa or coffee in the milk. Coffee was mixed with grinded roasted rye.

The lunch (dîner) starts at noon. Dishes are simple and plentiful : soup (such as fish soup), boiled mutton and vegetables. On Sunday, they added a starter or a pie. Dessert is made up of cheese, fruits and jams.

The snack (goûter) is only for kids and is given by the mother at 4 PM.

At 8 PM, they take a dinner (souper): roasted meat (carbonade) in the holidays, roasted fish in the other days, with salad. They ate fish more often when they lived near the seashore. On the inland, people ate more salted meat (e.g. bacon soup - brigadèou).

What about the drinks?

Water for women and wine for men. A boy was admitted to wine after his first Communion.

Quan manjo tout a soun dina
Noun a plus rèn per soun soupa
(“When you eat everything for your lunch,
You have nothing left for your dinner.”)

Picture: Jean-Baptiste Greuze, Le Gâteau des Rois, 1774, musée Fabre.

Bibliography: Comte de Villeneuve, Statistique du département des Bouches-du-Rhône, t. V, p. 276, 1829.