The Gifts of the Magi: the Galette des Rois and Epiphanie

Christmas only comes once a year, but when does it ever end? The answer changes from country to country. In America it ends when the tree is down and the wrapping paper has been thrown away, but in France, the final hurrah of the Christmas season comes with the Epiphany on January 6th (the twelfth day of Christmas). L’Epiphanie, or le jour des Rois, is the feast day celebrating the newborn Christ being visited by the Magi, and since the Middles Ages, the French have fêted Twelfth Night with the galette des rois, the King’s Cake. The traditional galette des rois is a round flaky cake filled with delicious frangipane (an almond-flavored paste), and has a figurine, charm or bean hidden inside, referred to in French as la fève. The youngest person in the room gets the high honor of announcing which person gets which tranche (slice) of cake, and the lucky person to bite into her slice and discover la fève is made king, or queen, for the day, and wears a gold paper crown. Lording over all the others, le Roi chooses a royal mate by dropping that fève into the wine glass of a beloved.

Want to try a piece of a galette des rois yourself this January? You’re in luck. We’ve found the best places to score a traditional French king cake in America. But act now—these royal desserts are flying out of stores faster than you can say Epiphanie.

Mount Kisco (NY)

L’Anjou
130 North Bedford Road, Mt Kisco
(914) 242-492

New York City

Gavroche
212 W. 14th St.7th Ave 
(212) 647-8553

Payard Patisserie & Bistro
714 Madison Ave. Between 63rd & 64rd (inside the Mauboussin boutique). 
(212) 717-5252
Between $36 and $60
website

Ceci-Cela
55 Spring St., nr. Lafayette St.
(212) 274-9179
website

Patisserie Cannelle
75-59 31st Ave. Jackson Heights
(718) 565 6200
$ 20
website

San Francisco

Bay Bread
2325 Pine Street
(415) 440-0356?
$24

Chloé’s cafe
3883 Airway Drive, Suite 145
Santa Rosa CA 95403, (707) 528-3095
$28.50 
website

Washington, DC

Pâtisserie Poupon
1645 Wisconsin Ave NW, (between Q and Reservoir)
(202) 342-3248
Small (6 servings) $19.50
Medium (8-10 servings) $29.50
Large (12-14 servings) $37.50
website

New Orleans

Maurice French Pastries
1114 South Carrollton Avenue 
(504) 866-7052?
$18.50