Discover the french pottery
 Today
as in yesteryear, earthen crockey is a part of our daily
life, firstly in the kitchen. In a time when one had
to economize and preserve the provisions, there were
big earthenware jars for olive oil, dried fruits and
nuts. Who hasn't dreamt of having one of those beautiful
pieces of french pottery in their garden ? And those mortar
and pestles where garlic and basil are ground for the
pistou, to be added to soups and pastas ? They are at
the source of Provençale cuisine. Like the vessels
which collected the goat's milk to make cream and cheeses.
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The Provençal tian |
It
all started in the "tian", an untranslatable
Provençal word, unless we take a chance with
the word basin ; in it vegetables were washed, dishes
rinsed with the braising pot for the famous wine daube
or beef stew, or they were the round soup pots in which
bouillabaisse was made, on the beaches with water from
the Mediterranean Sea, the armies of casseroles, terrines
and pots, without forgetting the dishes for tomato or
courgette gratins, stuffed aubergines and chard : over
a hundred possible concoctions, even more delicious
in summer when left to cool and develop their flavour.
All sorts of pottery still made today for our culinary
pleasure by the potters of Provence. |
The household crockery |
To
enjoy these treats, Provençal potters offer multicoloured
dishes, making a suite with the bowls and the companions
to the water jugs. The last alone comprises a whole
population of pottery, because water is rare in Provence,
treated like a queen, as well she should be. There were
the huge jugs for going to the fountain or the spring,
with which the mule or donkey was ladened. Sometimes,
this jug, only smaller, was carried on the head of the
country home's daughter. On the table, it becomes a
pitcher with its handle and spout. The work is ancient,
continuing since the Middle Ages, these vessels for
serving water and also wine. Now, the older jugs, potbellied
and honey-couloured, ornament the country home's kitchen,
sitting on a table holding flowers.
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