A few days ago, August 15th to be exact, was the annual Fete du Piperadere – also known as the Tomato Sauce Festival – where more than twenty teams competed for the best pot of piperade and the “King of the Piperadere” trophy. Each team was given a box of set ingredients which they had to use, however, each team was allowed to add a few of their own special/secret ingredients in order to win the judges votes for the best pot of tomato sauce.
The cooking took place in a local green area and everyone was encouraged to go around and taste each team's pot of piperade. After the cooking was complete the teams, accompanied by marching bands, paraded through the town's main thouroughfare with their pots of piperade in hand into the town square where the winner was announced.
The remainder of the evening unfolded under a massive tent and culminated with a big dinner of, you guessed it, piperade – made in a giant pot and accompanied by local wine! Who would have thought that such a fuss could ever be made over tomato sauce? Nevertheless, it was a great festive day full of lots of local animation while bands playing into the night while everyone ate, sang and danced.
