Bûche de Noël
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Joyeux Noël
Do you know the origin of the Bûche de Noël ?
The origins of la bûche de Noël can be found in the ancient Celtic tradition of celebrating the winter solstice. On this shortest day of the year, the Celts would search for a large trunk of either oak, beech, elm or cherry and burn it as a symbol of the rebirth of the sun, they also offered their thanks to the sun for recurring to the earth.
During the middle Ages the logs and the ceremony of the burning log became more detailed. The logs themselves would be decorated with ribbons and greenery. Then the youngest and the oldest member of each family would carry the log to the hearth and set it in flames for the whole night. The vestiges would be collected the next day to be used for the whole year. They were thought to help cure various sicknesses and protect the house from the wickedness of the evil spirit.
The tradition began to disappear when the hearths and fireplaces in homes were replaced by cast iron stoves in the 19th century. However, people continued the tradition with table centrepieces using small decorated logs lit with candles
Even though a Parisian pastry chef, Antoine Charadot, created a cake in the form of a log in 1879, the delicious dessert as we know it today, was only invented in 1945.
This now traditional desert is generally made from other sponge cake, filled with butter cream. However the celebration of the winter solstice continues. La bûche de Noël is well garnished and presented like a log ready for the fire. Tree branches, mushrooms made of meringue, fresh berries, and powdered sugar to give the effect of snow are commonly used as decoration.
Click here for your Bûche de Noël recipe.
