Mougins can be proud of its gastronomic heritage. With nearly 40 restaurants, from the most prestigious establishments to the lesser-known addresses, the village is the mythical birthplace of French cuisine and its annual International Festival of Gastronomy "Les Etoiles de Mougins" which will be held this year from September 10th to 12th, is an event not to be missed. Now in its fifth edition, les "Etoiles" have begun an essential event on the French and international gastronomy calendar.

For three days the village will turn into a genuine journey of discovery, with culinary workshops, cooking demonstrations, tastings, initiations, conferences, gala dinners and a prestigious competition.

This year again the festival will celebrate excellence and creative spirit, bringing together a number of exceptional award winning chefs from all over the world, such as Anne-Sophie Pic, the iconic 3-star Michelin chef, Christelle Brua, pastry chef at the Pré Catelan in Paris, Ludovic Puzenat of the Saint Paul in Saint Paul de Vence, Jacques Chibois of La Bastide Saint Antoine in Grasse and Fumiko Kono, a teacher at the Alain Ducasse culinary school.

The festival will also pay tribute to the role played by women in the development of gastronomy. All famous chefs like to credit their mother or their grand-mother or even an aunt for making them love food and teaching them how to cook. For instance, Christian Willer who, in 1985, created the Hotel Martinez' gourmet restaurant, La Palme d'Or, likes to recall that he grew up in a traditional farm watching his mom cook locals products, while Roger Vergé, the famous chef of the mythical Moulin de Mougins spent all his Sundays watching his aunt Celestine prepare the family meal.

If women chefs have for a long time remained in the shadows of their male counterparts, they are slowly but surely taking over the gastronomy field. Whether they are chefs, pastry chefs, sommeliers or wine growers and whether they are based in France or abroad, all women working in the culinary field will be celebrated during the three-day festival. For further information regarding programme and such like, please visit Les Etoiles de Mougins official website.

Lead image of Les Toques Brulées by Aphrodite David Faure

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