These little yellow balls that smell wonderfully good and breathe the joy of living have finally bloomed! The mimosa is here, and it is the best time to enjoy it.
Originating from Australia, it was imported to Europe by the English around 1780, especially on the Côte d’Azur, much appreciated by our neighbours. Thanks to a climate that is ultra-favourable to this plant, belonging to the Acacia family, mimosa can be seen everywhere in the region every year, from February onwards.
Mimosa is sold as a plant to decorate and freshen up our homes and gardens, it is used in creams to perfume them, but it is also enjoyed in sweets, honey, jelly.. we adore it!
Besides being beautiful and delicious, mimosa is also said to have therapeutic properties: indeed, it was already used in antiquity by the Indian, Mayan and Aztec healers for its regenerating virtues. It is said to be capable of treating mature and weakened skin and restructuring tissues, as well as soothing the pain of burns.
A place:
La Colline des Mimosas in Pégomas:
The Raynaud family, for 3 generations, has cultivated mimosa, which grows in hills. Since 1860, mimosa has flourished on this favoured land thanks to hard work, as cultivating mimosa is no easy task.
If you want to learn everything about mimosa, this is the place to come. After a visit to the forcing house, you will learn the technique of forcing and preservation, and how a bouquet is composed. You will be guided by the producer and may also visit the plantations by 4×4. To be enjoyed as a family, very pleasant and fun for children.
Adults: €6. Free for children. Monday to Saturday inclusive from 9am to 12pm and from 2pm to 5pm. 10 Impasse des Arnauds, 06580 Pégomas. Tel: +33 493 42 21 52.
An event:
The Mimosa Festival in Mandelieu-La-Napoule:
Held this year from 19 to 26 February, with the theme of the Belle Époque, this festival has been one of the city’s major events since 1931.
Parades of floats magnificently decorated with freshly picked mimosa, as well as a battle of flowers.
On Friday the 21st, you will enjoy a special nocturnal “Belle Époque” show with aquatic performance, illuminated fountains, image projections on a water screen and pyrotechnics, enough to delight children and adults alike.
And of course, the election of Miss Mimosa 2020, Saturday 22 February at 2pm.
Seated places in the stands: €15/adult and €13/child. For more information: tel: +33 493 93 64 64.
A walk:
The Circuit du Grand Duc in Mandelieu:
This 6 km walk will take you about 2 hours. It is an easy stroll, without difficulty, so suitable for both adults and children. If you wish, you can have lunch on site thanks to the tables set up at the start of the circuit.
All along the walk you will be able to admire the magnificent mimosas; it should be known that the Tanneron massif is home to the largest mimosa forest in Europe. The Grand Duc forest, which is part of this massif, is full of mimosas.
You will also be able to admire the cork oaks, with steps carved into the cork to reach observation posts in the trees. You will be dazzled by the coarse-crystalled pegmatite, a volcanic igneous rock, studded with quartz, feldspar and mica crystals that sparkle on the ground all along the route and particularly on the road to Barbossi. A superb walk, ideal in February.
For more information: www.mairie-mandelieu.fr or Tel: +33 492 19 68 52.
A workshop:
The Mimosa Macaron to prepare and eat:
New this year, you will be able to learn how to make mimosa macarons with Pastry Chef Nicolas Dénis, who has more than 20 years of experience and has worked in the greatest palace hotels of the Coast.
The venue: the restaurant of the Maison du Lac at Saint Cassien, a magnificent spot where you can enjoy breathtaking views and relax.
Places are limited and the workshop is free. Tuesday 25 February 2020 and Saturday 29 February 2020, from 10:30am to 12:30pm. Tel: 07 86 11 69 83.
A treat:
Didier Carrié’s Mimosa d’Agay:
Didier Carrié, whom his clients call Monsieur Chocolat, worked with the greatest chefs such as Marc Veyrat or Jacques Maximin before opening his own shop. But he also owns an artisanal factory. Charmed by the Agay region, he met Roger Pellero, an important encounter since he eventually transferred his factory to him, and it is in this place that Didier would invent original and succulent recipes. Today, he keeps creating new products made with chocolates from all over the world.
Mimosa d’Agay är en tryffel av vit choklad, smaksatt med mimosa, kanderat citronskal och lätt kryddad med en örtlikör, och rullad i kristalliserat mimosapulver. En njutning som Didier har patenterat.
Le Palet d’Or, 170 rue de l’Agay, 83530, Saint Raphaël Agay. Tel : + 33 494 82 00 88.
“Naturens skådespel är alltid vackert” Aristoteles
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