fèves

Fresh broad beans or fèves are one of the joys of early summer in France, but you can also find them dried or frozen in the shops. They are very similar to féveroles or féverolles, which are generally grown as animal feed. Little young ones are fevettes.

A fève is also the little trinket the lucky person finds in their slice of galette des rois. They are collectors’ items as well, which you can often (along with albums of cartes téléphoniques from pre-mobile phone days) at vide greniers (communal ‘attic emptiers’).