Food writer Rebekah Peppler on the flavours of the South of France

A taste of the South of France, from tapenade to ratatouille

Sun-ripened fruit and vegetables, from aubergines to olives, takes centre phase in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.

All the clichés about the south of France hold true. The light handles brand-new types by the hour, including charm to the easiest satisfaction. There are outdoor markets offering sun-ripened fruit and vegetables, and there’s the remarkably loud, remarkably soothing noise of cicadas in late summer season. Olive trees, lavender and sunflowers spread out for acres, and cliffs drop into blue-green coves. And the food? It fulfills all expectations, from figs and Provençal melons to crispy panisse (chickpea flour french fries) and rotisserie chicken. Plus, naturally, the frustrating range of regional cheeses and fresh seafood from the rivers and coasts.

The southeastern area referred to as Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur is likewise where the French go on vacation– and where crowds of Europeans come down for summertime vacances, doing their finest French impression.

While visitors might envision it as a consistent dream land, it’s really a location of terrific range. It’s bounded in the north by the snow-capped Southern Alps and in the south by the French Mediterranean. The Italian border marks the east; the Rhône river comprises its western edge. Within its borders are pine forests, rivers and the Camargue plains and marshes where you’ll discover treasured produce such as nutty, fragrant Camargue red rice and fleur de sel, a completing salt.

The area’s food culture shows and draws straight from these landscapes, and it’s made most importantly in your home. Equating the area’s terroir onto the plate, regional flavours are brilliant, fresh and mostly unadorned, diverting far from technique-heavy meals related to French nouvelle cuisine. And while there are numerous Provençal meals that serve to exhibit this specific magic, tapenade (a spread of olives, capers and anchovies), pissaladière (a tart with mouth-watering garnishes) and ratatouille are an outstanding beginning point.

Adjusted from Le Sud: Recipes from Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azurby Rebekah Peppler. Released by Chronicle Books (₤ 26).