“There, buying olive oil, gathering cherries and truffles are significant occasions. The search for the best food is the essence of life,” writer Amy Cheung Siu-haan summerises Mayle’s book as such. Cheung’s sentiment is not far from how Jérôme Roy, head chef of one Michelin-starred Le Cloître, sees the regional fare.

Real Provençal cuisine is high-spirited but simple, focusing on preserving the taste and texture of seasonal, fresh ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, saffron, peppers, anchovies, olives, olive oil and wild herbs. ... It isn't restaurant cooking, la haute cuisine, for which France is justly famous..


“There, buying olive oil, gathering cherries and truffles are significant occasions. The search for the best food is the essence of life,” writer Amy Cheung Siu-haan summerises Mayle’s book as such. Cheung’s sentiment is not far from how Jérôme Roy, head chef of one Michelin-starred Le Cloître, sees the regional fare.

https://guide.michelin.com/sg/en/article/features/provencal-cuisine

“To me, Provençal Cuisine is the food of the sun. I think of salad with basil and tomato, ratatouille, bouillabaisse and fragrant lamb chops grilled with thyme and garlic. The produce is fresh, and the food is sumptuous, bursting with aroma. It reminds me of being on holiday," says Roy. 

Roy believes in the ingredients he finds a close connection with. At Le Cloître in Mane, Provence, all produce are either homegrown – in the fields of La Couvent des Minimes Hôtel & Spa L’Occitanewhere the restaurant is located – or sourced from local farmers. 

“Our regular suppliers are the food producers who live just outside Mane. I know them personally and thus how my ingredients are made, such as the goat cheese Banon,” he says. The Mediterranean climate also blesses Provence with distinctive seasons. Each season offers something Roy loves.