What is in season in Nice. and what to order when the market changes.
Spring
- Courgette flowers: Courgette blossoms appear at Cours Saleya from April through June, stuffed with brousse cheese and fried as the canonical Nicois petits farcis spring plate.
- Asparagus and artichoke: Provencal green asparagus and violet artichokes arrive at the Cours Saleya market from March, eaten raw with olive oil or stewed in a barigoule for spring lunches.
- Strawberries (Carros): Carros strawberries reach the city's markets from late March through May, the small Mara des Bois variety the prize for tarts and the Cours Saleya stalls.
Summer
- Sardines: Sardines run heavy off the Cote d'Azur from June through August, grilled whole at Cafe de Turin and filleted into escabeche across the Vieux Nice bistros.
- Tomatoes: Provencal tomatoes arrive in July, the noire de Crimee and coeur de boeuf the best of the slicers for salade nicoise through August at the Cours Saleya market.
- Figs (Solliès): Black Solliès figs come in from August into September, the AOC fruit eaten with goat cheese or in a tarte fine paired with cool Bellet rose.
Autumn
- Chestnuts (Provence): Provencal chestnuts arrive in October at Maison Auer and Henri Auer, candied as marrons glaces and built into the Nicois Christmas mendiants for the city's pastry counters.
- Game (Var): Wild boar from the Var and partridge from the hinterland start in October, daubes and braises the canonical Vieux Nice bistro dishes through November.
- Wild mushrooms (Provencal): Provencal cepes, girolles and trompettes arrive in September and October, often served sauteed with garlic and parsley alongside Provencal game braises in the Cours Saleya bistros.
Winter
- Citrus (Menton): Menton AOP lemons run from December through April, the source for the Fete du Citron and the candied citron at Maison Auer in Nice through the winter months.
- Ganses (Carnaval): Ganses are the Carnaval de Nice pastry, fried strips of citrus dough dusted in sugar that appear at bakeries across the city throughout February.
- Truffle (Provence): Provencal black truffles arrive at the city's specialty grocers from mid-December through February, the markets at Aups and Carpentras the Provencal trade routes.