Lilamand Confectionery on “En quête de terroir” with Louise Petitrenaud

Just a few days before Christmas, Louise Petitrenaud arrives in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, in the heart of the Alpilles, for the show “En quête de terroir.” Her mission: to uncover the secrets of a time-honored delicacy that has graced Provençal holiday tables for centuries: candied fruit.

The journalist notes that the art of candying fruit emerged in Provence as early as the Early Middle Ages, when ancient peoples were already preserving their fruit in honey, long before the arrival of sugar. It is this thousand-year-old heritage that Maison Lilamand, an artisanal confectioner in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence for five generations, carries on.

In this report, Pierre Lilamand opens the doors to his workshop and guides the camera through every step of the production process. We follow the journey of fresh clementines, from blanching in boiling water to candying in successive syrup baths, followed by a patient draining process lasting at least two months.The final step of glazing, a delicate and time-honored technique, coats each fruit with a thin layer of crystalline sugar.

The program also places candied fruits within their cultural context: the Provençal tradition of the thirteen Christmas desserts. After the meatless meal and midnight mass, it’s time for indulgence. As the report highlights, placing a platter of candied fruits on the Christmas Eve table is like inviting a little piece of summer into the heart of winter.

Pierre Lilamand, a fifth-generation confectioner, shares his hope that his children will carry on this unique craft—a colorful, indulgent family heritage that is the pride of Provençal confectionery.

Buy our spreads