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Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
A hearty, rustic dish born in the faubourgs of Marseille, where sheep's trotters and tripe parcels rolled "à la boutonnière" simmer for hours in a white-wine broth — patience is the entire secret ingredient.
Traditional dish from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
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The documented origin of pieds et paquets officially dates back to 1880, in the La Pomme district of Marseille: a cook named Louis Ginouvès is credited with it, with the recipe appearing for the first time in a cookbook in 1888. Provençal tradition also tells a much older legend, according to which Princess Gyptis offered stuffed tripe to the Phocaean captain Protis at the founding of Marseille — whether documented culinary history or a charming legend, both versions contribute to the dish's appeal.
Literally "feet and parcels" — these are indeed (sheep's) trotters accompanied by paquets, stuffed and rolled sheep's tripe. From Marseille, the speciality spread throughout Provence, reaching notably as far as Sisteron.
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In the 19th century, it was an everyday dish eaten by Marseille's labourers to keep up their strength, much like stews and other slow-cooked dishes in sauce. It was handed down from mother to daughter in families from the Vieux-Port to working-class neighbourhoods such as Endoume, often following the foundations laid down in Jean-Baptiste Reboul's La Cuisinière provençale — the definitive reference work of Provençal home cooking, commonly known as "le Reboul" — whilst leaving each household with its own variation.
Popular legend has it that families of modest means invented this recipe to treat themselves to a low-cost feast on Easter Sunday, using inexpensive offal. Having become an institution in Marseille, the tradition was formalised in 1993 by the "Charte des pieds et paquets", signed by the city's culinary professionals and blending humour and solemnity around the rules of the recipe. Today, the dish remains a classic of the great Provençal meal on 24 December, which families often prepare the day before to reheat the following day.
Appearance
Paquets — small rolls of tripe secured using the buttonhole technique — simmering alongside the trotters in a white-wine tomato sauce, reduced and caramelised by long hours of cooking.
Taste
A rich sauce, flavoured with garlic and parsley, sometimes heightened with orange zest depending on the maker.
Texture
Meltingly tender meat that comes away with a spoon, and a thick sauce, rendered almost confit-like by slow cooking.
The recipe varies from family to family and establishment to establishment: mutton or lamb tripe depending on custom, orange zest for a more aromatic touch in certain artisanal versions, or a quick pressure-cooker version (around 1 hour 30) for weekday meals — a compromise that purists deem less flavourful than the traditional cooking time of 7 hours or more.
covered, over very low heat, for a minimum of 7 hours, sometimes extended to two full days over several sessions.
the dish is even better reheated the following day, once the sauce has rested and the flavours have melded.
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Pieds et paquets are served piping hot, accompanied by steamed potatoes and a little chopped parsley; some in Marseille also serve them with gnocchi, in keeping with the city's Italian tradition. At the table, they pair well with a red wine from Provence or a dry white wine from Cassis.
Pieds et paquets do not hold any official quality label (PDO (AOP), PGI (IGP) or Label Rouge). The "Charte des pieds et paquets", signed in 1993, serves as a benchmark for the Marseille trade, blending humour and solemnity around the traditional recipe.
Artisanal manufacturer
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Located in the L'Estaque district of Marseille, this artisanal charcuterie workshop was established in 1985 and taken over in February 2006 by two Provençal food enthusiasts, including Serge Orcier, who still heads the business. The workshop, expanded in 2015, now employs around twenty staff.
The company expanded its range of raw pieds et paquets as early as 2007, before developing a whole line of slow-simmered Provençal dishes from 2009 (daube provençale, tripes à la provençale, gardianne de taureau de Manade). The house's paquets are hand-rolled and fastened with a buttonhole slit, made from lamb tripe, salt pork, garlic and parsley, then gently cooked with orange zest, according to the Marseille recipe. Its Jambon de l'Estaque, cooked in the traditional style, won the gold medal at the Salon International de l'Agriculture in 2024.
| Address | 765 chemin du Littoral — 13016 Marseille |
| 04 91 46 24 24 | |
| comptoirdessalaisons.fr | |
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Part of the production is certified organic, since 2018. |