Discovering a hidden gem in Aix-en-Provence: ‘Maison Cangina’ pastry shop

Located at the top of the Cours Mirabeau, ‘Maison Cangina’ immediately catches the passer-by’s attention. The pastries on display look very tasty, as well as the specialty of the house : the famous ‘éclairs’. A real sweet treat that exists in many flavours such as mango and passion fruit or lemon and blackcurrant. After your French lessons, why not continue learning the language by savouring some of these delicacies in a French pastry shop? IS Aix-en-Provence has tested for you some of the house specialities.

Pastry tasting

Laurent, the French pastry chef of Italian origin, presents three of his creations. The first one surprises with its acid and sweet but above all unusual taste. A fresh and original “éclair” blend consisting of a subtle blend of apricot and lavender infusion. We discover these surprising flavours while the chef tells us about his recipe, albeit sparingly so as not to reveal all its secrets! He explains how using this plant – with its pronounced taste – requires a soft and precise touch.

This is followed by a tasting of the “Calissone” – a traditional brioche made with the paste of the famous Provencal confectionery, the Calisson. The pastry chef explains that his cake is shaped in a way that aims to preserve the shape of the traditional Calisson, the tricky part being retaining the quality of the brioche. We end on an even more gourmet note with a pastry, called le Castel, topped with a biscuit and hazelnut praline buttercream.

Greedy moment

After sampling those sweet delights, it is not an easy task for us to determine our preference! So a word to the gourmets and gourmands: don’t hesitate to discover this address after your French courses at only a few minutes walking distance from IS Aix-en-Provence Institute. Laurent is waiting for you at number 1 rue Maréchal Joffre Monday to Friday from 7.45 am to 7 pm to delight your taste buds!

Among the other cakes, a lemon meringue pie gently browned with a blowtorch or tarts, muffins, pastries and candied fruit cakes. For lunch, you can also enjoy a salad, a quiche, a sandwich or various hot dishes, or just come by for a coffee. Maison Cangina offers a wide range of dishes to take away or to enjoy on the spot and adapts to all tastes.

Welcome to our beautiful region and bon appétit!