Une Journée de Découverte à Marseille
Curious Provence is one of the official bloggers for Provence Prestige in Arles. My Provence, working with Bouches-du-Rhône Tourisme, hosted a blog trip last weekend in Marseille and the Camargue. I was proud to be the only anglophone out of the seven local bloggers invited!
What is Provence Prestige?
Provence Prestige is an upmarket indoor Christmas market held in Arles. For the last 22 years, the event has attracted some 30,000 people. Provence Prestige celebrates the best of Provence gastronomy, décor, beauty, and design. Every company or artist participating is chosen because they represent quality.
The holiday ambiance is a treat. There are more than 150 stands. You can do all your Christmas shopping under one roof! The event November 15th to the 19th (2018).
A Passion for Provence
Curious Provence was chosen to spend a day in Marseille discovering the art of Santons, be surprised with a Michelin star meal on the port of Marseille, and finally, see the most authentic process of Savon de Marseille production.
Savon de Marseille
Isn’t she lovely? The first thing I did when we finished renovating our house was to put a couple blocks of this beautiful soap in my bathroom.
Savon de Marseille is the traditional soap made with 72% olive oil from Provence. There are no animal fats in the soap. The creators of the soap have been trying to get AOC status, such as a fine wine or edible product, to keep the traditional methods and real soap being made in Provence. Not only is the soap beautiful, but it’s also quite useful. There’s no need to buy chemical products to remove stains. Savon de Marseille works better. It is fantastic at removing makeup. Savon de Marseille is used for just about everything in Provence.
Savonnerie du Sérail
Savonnierie le Sérail is the last artisanal savon de marseille producer based in Marseille. The family owned company is very proud of their traditonal production.
Making the Soap
Below you can see the large vat where the soap is made. Notice how the liquid soap has splashed all over the adjacent walls.
The oil and caustic soda are heated up in the above vat. The heating eventually turns the mixture into soap. The mixture is sprinkled liberally with sea salt, then water to remove impurities. Believe it or not, the soap is tasted to determine the ph level.
Finally, the soap is rinsed the last time with clear water which gives the soap a smooth finish. The liquid soap is transferred to large low rectangles on the ground where it’s left to dry and then cut into large blocks.
The blocks are then cut into cubes and then air dried. The real Savon de Marseille is air dried rather than put into cooling chambers. Many factories try to speed up the process. This entire process can take up to a month.
For a more detailed description of the process (in french) click here.
When the soap starts to age you’ll see it will be covered in a white powder. This is the indication of the real Savon de Marseille. The salt crystals are used during the filtration process.
Aging Soap
Savon de Marseille is like a fine wine. It’s best aged. With aging, the cubes become misshapen as they lose their 28% saltwater content. This not only allows the soaps to have character, but they become more useful. Aged Savon de Marseille lathers and cleans more effectively. One to 1.5 years of aging is best.
White Marseille soap is made with palm oil.
Look for the embossed “Savon de Sérail” on your Savon de Marseille. You know that if you’re living in France, you have to be a bit of a snob. Only the best quality, made in the traditional way, will do.
You can visit Savonnerie de Sérail on Fridays from 14h45-16h.
The visits are about every 30 minutes. It is free, but you have to reserve. You’ll also find a factory store on site.
Savonnerie Le Serail
50 Boulevard Anatole de la Forge
13014 Marseille, France
You’ll also find Savon de Marseille from Savonnerie le Sérail at Provence Prestige Christmas market.
Nov 15-19
Palais des Congrès d’Arles
Avenue 1ere division France Libre
13 200 Arles
Would love to be lucky enough to be a winner. I adore Arles and have never been to this event.
Le savon de Marseille, childhood memory, used for washing everything and everyone… love the shape, the smell…
Do you still use it at all?
Looks like a great event! Wish I lived closer!
Love to see the soap made! Cherish the bars I brought home!
Very informative…thank you.
Great article and lovely pictures. There are also some authentic Savon de Marseille factories in Salon de Provence… I know, it’s not Marseille, but what makes the soap authentic are the ingredients and the way the soap is manufactured. There were long ago many soap manufacturers that moved their production from Marseille to Salon de Provence, today only two still manufacturer soap.
You’re right! I believe Sérail is the only factory to air-dry their soap though. The few manufacturers left are keen to push through legislation that allows the quality and production to be regulated. Fingers crossed!
I love Savon de Marseille! I grate it, add some boiling water and make it into liquid handsoap and facewash. I add essential oils sometimes too, to make it smell extra lovely!
wow! that sounds lovely!
Ageing soap? I’m amazed! Now I understand why it always looks so old-fashioned and flaky. Really interesting post, thanks. #AllAboutFrance
I love savon de Marseille and I love your pictures of it too. #AllAboutFrance
I love the rustic shape the soap takes as it looses moisture, so beautifully shown in your photos. #AllAboutFrance
I had no idea that soap could be “aged”, what a fascinating bloggers’ day out you had. I’m not so impressed to hear that they also use palm oil though, I thought it was always olive oil. I will certainly avoid white savon de Marseille from now on. Thanks for linking to #AllAboutFrance
It’s fantastic to read the story behind the making of the Savon de Marseille that I see in every second shop in the South-East of France! I didn’t know to look for the “official” stamp on it. I’ll make sure I buy the real deal next time I get some!
The real thing is unbeatable. Unfortunately I don’t think the trademark is registered, so one has to beware of counterfeits. Thanks for a very informative post!