Home / December

A little reason to celebrate

National Bouillabaisse Day

Food · December 14

A day for bouillabaisse, the Provençal fish stew from Marseille, simmered with several kinds of fish, tomato, olive oil, fennel and saffron.

National Bouillabaisse Day falls on Monday, December 14, 2026. That is 48 days away.

Bouillabaisse is a fish stew from Marseille, on the Mediterranean coast of France. It began as a fisherman's meal, made from the bony, less sellable fish left over after the morning's catch went to market.

The pot usually holds several kinds of fish and often shellfish, cooked in a broth of olive oil, tomato, onion, garlic, fennel and saffron. The saffron turns the broth a warm orange and gives it a faintly floral smell. Orange peel or a splash of pastis sometimes goes in too.

Serving it is a small ritual. In many kitchens the broth comes first, poured over toasted bread spread with rouille, a garlicky sauce thickened with bread or potato and colored with saffron or chili. The fish follows on its own platter. Diners in Marseille have strong opinions about which fish belong in a proper version, and a cook in Ohio using cod and mussels would probably hear about it.

At home, the dish is more forgiving than its reputation. Any firm white fish holds up well, and the main trick is adding the delicate pieces last so they stay whole. The name is often traced to two Provençal words meaning to boil and then to lower the heat, which describes the method fairly well: a hard boil to bring the oil and broth together, then a gentler simmer.

A good pot needs crusty bread nearby, since the broth is the part people tend to finish first.

Ways to celebrate

• Try making a simple bouillabaisse with firm white fish and mussels.
• Toast bread slices and spread them with homemade rouille.
• Look for a local seafood restaurant that serves Provençal fish stew.
• Share a pot of fish stew with friends over a long dinner.
• Buy a pinch of saffron and notice how it colors broth.

Dates

All national days on December 14

Also on December 14

• Monkey Day
• Roast Chestnuts Day

Categories: Food days