During one of our summer breaks, we spent a couple of days at Saint Jean de Luz, a seaside town located in the south of France.
While chatting with the locals, they insisted that we tried the Basque macarons from La Maison Adam, arguably the oldest and most famous Basque artisan in the region for these cakes/biscuits.
The family founded the establishment in 1660, and it became famous when pastry chef Adam presented his creations to King Louis XIV’s mother. She then shared them with the young king who adored them, thereby sealing the Basque macaron’s place in France’s long history of fine pastries.
Called mouchous, meaning “kiss” in French, pastry chefs made these macarons from egg whites, sugar and almonds. Slightly crunchy on the outside yet moist at the core, these delicious macarons don’t have the cream filling found in their multi-coloured and flavoured Parisian counterparts.
The same family has kept the recipe secret for more than 350 years, and it is passed verbally from one generation to another!
Made without any preservatives, these macarons last around ten days in your fridge before they dry out and harden. So, enjoy them as fast as you can (not that it’s a hard thing to do)!
Prix et coordonnées
4, 6 place Louis XIV, 64500 ST-JEAN-DE-LUZ
These flavourful macarons, a rich symbol of Basque culinary culture, do not come cheap (1 euro a piece). The artisan also sells chocolates and Basque cakes, but the macarons remain their masterpiece.
Important disclaimer: All sketches and expressed opinions are our own, and we do not receive commissions from any affiliated links in this post. The above excludes Google ads which help keep the lights on for kayafrenchtoast.
Leave us a comment or feedback on how we can improve our blog! Thank you! 🙂
