{"id":8710,"date":"2026-10-27T13:27:31","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T04:27:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parade.kyoto\/?post_type=sweetlore&p=8710"},"modified":"2026-10-31T18:52:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T09:52:14","slug":"pompe-a-lhuile","status":"publish","type":"sweetlore","link":"https:\/\/parade.kyoto\/en\/sweetlore\/pompe-a-lhuile\/","title":{"rendered":"Pompe \u00e0 l\u2019huile"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Pompe \u00e0 l\u2019huile is a sweet, yeast-leavened Proven\u00e7al bake made with olive oil worked into the dough. The dough is rolled out flat, slashed and baked, and it is flavored with ingredients such as orange blossom and citrus zest. It is known as one of the \u201c13 desserts\u201d served at the Christmas table.<\/p>\n

\n\"Pompe\n
An example of pompe \u00e0 l\u2019huile with slashes. Photographed in 2019; location unknown. Photo: Thierry Tamisier \/ Source<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a> \/ Reduced-size version, not cropped<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

A Dough Made with Olive Oil<\/h2>\n

In a method compiled by farm women in the Var, flour, baker\u2019s yeast, olive oil and sugar are combined with aniseed, orange flower water and orange zest. The dough is kneaded, covered with a cloth and left to rest in a warm place. Once it has risen well, it is rolled out flat, left to rest again and slashed before baking. Olive oil rather than butter is used as the fat, and its aroma permeates the dough.<\/p>\n

In the method presented by the Aix-en-Provence tourist office, the yeast and part of the flour are mixed with lukewarm water and left to ferment first, and then the remaining flour, the oil, and lemon and orange zest are added. Olive oil is also brushed on after baking. Some versions use orange blossom or anise, while others use citrus zest, so there is no single fixed flavoring.<\/p>\n

Resting the dough and letting it rise gives the baked interior its softness. Even with the same olive oil, flour and sugar, the result has a bread-like texture, unlike baked goods that are crisp and crumbly.<\/p>\n

The Confection Called Gibassier<\/h2>\n

Provence also has an olive oil confection called gibassier (gibassi\u00e9). An introduction from the Aubagne area distinguishes the pompe, a soft yeast-leavened dough, from the gibassier, a drier dough that crumbles easily. Some gibassiers are flavored with anise, fennel and candied orange peel.<\/p>\n

However, the boundary between the names is not consistent across places and shops. France\u2019s national tourism guide also presents a yeast-free gibassier by Pierre Piantino, a pastry chef in Aix, in connection with pompe \u00e0 l\u2019huile. Both are flat confections containing oil, but differences by place and maker extend beyond the names to whether the dough is leavened and to its texture.<\/p>\n

Shared at the Christmas Table<\/h2>\n

On Christmas Eve in Provence, a meal called the \u201cGros Souper\u201d is prepared, and sweets and fruit are set out on the table. Besides the pompe, the assortment includes dried fruit, nuts, winter fruit, nougat<\/a> and more. The number 13 is associated with Christ and the twelve apostles. Not every household chooses the same 13 items.<\/p>\n

According to an account of Christmas in the Aubagne area, the pompe is eaten with a sweet wine called vin cuit. In Aubagne there is also a tradition of tearing it apart by hand to share rather than cutting it with a knife. Some households also eat the confection shared on Christmas night at breakfast the next morning. Its large, flat shape is also well suited to being shared among those at the table.<\/p>\n

\n\"A\n
A display of the \u201c13 desserts\u201d at Avignon City Hall. Year unknown. Photo: jean-louis zimmermann \/ Source<\/a> \/ CC BY 2.0<\/a> \/ Reduced-size version, not cropped<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

Older Tables and the Number \u201c13\u201d<\/h2>\n

The custom of setting out many sweets at Christmas and the custom of fixing their number at 13 do not share the same history. France\u2019s intangible cultural heritage inventory dates the appearance of writings that emphasize the number 13 to around the 1920s. As an example, it cites Joseph Fallen, a physician who also wrote regional literature, who in 1925 urged in the newspaper La Pignato that 13 items be set out.<\/p>\n

In the time of the poet Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Mistral, pompe and nougat were already important Christmas foods. The number 13 and the combination of items, on the other hand, spread over the course of the 20th century, with variations among regions and households. Confections made since long ago were joined by the later-spreading practice of \u201csetting out 13 items,\u201d and both have been handed down to today\u2019s tables.<\/p>\n

\n\"A\n
The \u201c13 desserts\u201d displayed at an event of santon figurine makers in Caderousse. Year unknown. Photo: jean-louis zimmermann \/ Source<\/a> \/ CC BY 2.0<\/a> \/ Reduced-size version, not cropped<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

Glossary<\/h2>\n

Pierre Piantino<\/strong>: A pastry chef in Aix. He makes a yeast-free gibassier.<\/p>

13 desserts<\/strong>: An assortment of sweets and fruit set out at Christmas in Provence. The items vary by region and household.<\/p>

Gibassier<\/strong>: A Proven\u00e7al confection made with olive oil. Some versions have a dry, crumbly dough, but the name and method vary.<\/p>

Gros Souper<\/strong>: The name for the Christmas Eve meal in Provence.<\/p>

Vin cuit<\/strong>: A sweet Proven\u00e7al wine served with pompe and other sweets.<\/p>

Joseph Fallen<\/strong>: A physician and regional-literature writer from Aubagne. He mentioned the 13 sweets in a Christmas article in 1925.<\/p>

Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Mistral<\/strong>: A Proven\u00e7al poet who left recollections of the Christmas table.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pompe \u00e0 l\u2019huile is a sweet, yeast-leavened Proven\u00e7al bake made with olive oil worked into the dough. The dough is rolled out flat, slashed and baked, and it is scented with orange blossom. It is known as one of the \u201c13 desserts\u201d served at the Christmas table.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":8003,"menu_order":481,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_parade_sweetlore_meta":{"en":"Pompe \u00e0 l\u2019huile","subtitle":"Ingredients and Production of Pompe \u00e0 l\u2019huile","topics":"A leavened dough made with olive oil \/ A flat shape slashed before baking \/ Christmas in Provence","country":"Provence, France","show_toc":true,"ingredients":["grain"],"texture":[],"occasion":["christmas"],"method":["baked","fermented"],"season":[]},"footnotes":""},"sweetlore_category":[166],"class_list":["post-8710","sweetlore","type-sweetlore","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"sweetlore_related_products":null,"sweetlore_related_faqs":null,"sweetlore_related_voices":null,"sweetlore_related_mode":"auto","sweetlore_related_articles":null},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t