CANDIED FRUITS

History

Apt, the world capital of candied fruit

This method of preserving fruit first appeared in Provence as far back as the Early Middle Ages. At that time the fruit was preserved in honey until sugar was introduced in France during the Crusades.

As early as 1365, the syndicates of Apt used to offer candied fruit to Pope Urban V while he was on a pilgrimage to the town. Later, in the 17th century, Madame de Sévigné, the famous woman of letters, described Apt in a letter to her daughter, Madame de Grignan, as a “jam cauldron”.

In 1868, an Englishman named Matthew Wood discovered the local speciality and helped introduce it on the English market.

It was also in the 19th century that Apt's major confectioners began to thrive, including Jaumard, Rambaud, Marliagues, Barrielle, Bardouin, Reboulin, Piton, Gay, Vial, and Blanc.

This time-honoured tradition is still alive and well in Apt. Some of the finest examples of candied fruit include cherries, apricots, figs, pears, plums.