These 6 culinary specialities from Marseille have conquered the world

This fish soup, emblematic of Provence, was originally a dish eaten by the most modest fishermen. They used rock fish, which were difficult to sell and remained at the bottom of their baskets when they returned from the market.

The recipe has changed little over the centuries, and the authentic bouillabaisseis still prepared using rock fish freshly caught in the calanques, around the Frioul islands and along the Côte Bleue coastline. Red scorpion fish, red mullet, barbel, conger eel, sea bream, whiting, monkfish and gurnards are cooked in a court-bouillon of water or white wine and seasoned with garlic, olive oil and spices. Discover our selection of restaurants where you can enjoy a real bouillabaisse in Marseille!

Sometimes the best recipes are the simplest. Panisses are made with chickpea flour, water, salt and pepper for seasoning. Traditionally fried, they can be prepared at home by baking them in the oven and browning them with a drizzle of olive oil. This recipe of Italian origin harks back to the history of Marseille, when workers from Liguria and Piedmont crossed the Alps to find work in France.

You can try genuine Marseille’s panisses in the chichis barracks of l’Estaque, a tourist district in the north of the city popular with painters in the early 20th century.

Aïoli can be found on Mediterranean tables from Andalusia to the Côte d’Azur, and has been delighting the palates of gourmets for centuries: some Provençal texts dating back to the Middle Ages even mention it! It goes very well with fish, but also with snails, ratatouille or potatoes.

Traditionally made with garlic and olive oil, this sauce is available in several variations: some cooks add egg yolk, lemon juice or mustard. This timeless sauce invites the most talented chefs to be daring! Provençal restaurants in Marseille often include aïoli-based dishes on their menus.

This hearty dish of lamb or mutton offal, simmered in a white wine and tomato sauce, is a typical Marseille’s speciality. Born in Marseille in the 19th century, pieds paquets were traditionally eaten by workers in autumn and winter. They are still a staple of Provençal Christmas dinners, usually served with potatoes, rice or pasta.

Several Marseille’s restaurants still cook pieds paquets, including Le Cigalon in the La Treille district and Chez Nous on Place Notre-Dame du Mont.

Some people confuse chichis with churros. But we wouldn’t recommend committing such a sacrilege! The chichi is thicker and longer, and has blisters instead of the twists of its Spanish counterpart. The dough, made from wheat flour, chickpea flour and orange blossom water, is fried in oil. The chichi is then rolled in sugar, and can be filled with hazelnut paste or topped with whipped cream for a sweet treat.

You can try authentic chichis in the Estaque district, where several chichis bars invite you to enjoy this pure moment of delight.

These orange blossom-flavoured biscuits were invented in Marseille in 1781. Their distinctive shape evokes the boat that, according to Provençal Christian tradition, brought the Saintes-Maries to the coasts of Provence.

In Marseille, navettes replace crêpes at Candlemas. On 2 February, the statue of the Black Madonna from the Abbey of Saint-Victor is led in procession to the Four des Navettes, the former abbey bakery, which is blessed by the Archbishop of Marseille.

Les navettes can be enjoyed at the Four des Navettes, just a stone’s throw from Saint-Victor Abbey, or at the Navettes des Accoules in the historic Panier district.