Nutritional information per 100 g

Calories: 1920 Kj / 458 Kcal
Fat: 20.1 g
Of which saturates: 1.71 g
Carbohydrates: 58.9 g
Of which sugars: 50.4 g
Protein: 9.5 g
Salt: 0.041 g

Léonard Parli was a master confectioner of candied fruits who, like many of his compatriots in the 19th century, fled Switzerland before the famine. He settled in Aix-en-Provence and founded a company in 1874 that produced the city's famous specialty, the calisson. After inventing a machine to speed up production, Léonard Parli produced 300 kilos of the small almond-shaped delicacies daily until 1908. The company, considered the first calisson factory in Aix-en-Provence, is still run by the Parli family.

Today, the Parli factory has been located at its traditional site near the Aix-Centre train station since 1910 (Parli chose this location so that he could quickly ship his products by train).

Above the door, his coat of arms is carved into the stone: a Swiss cross framed by palm branches, symbolizing Provence.

Inside the small Rococo-style shop, calissons are, of course, on offer—both in decorative cellophane bags and in the characteristic white, diamond-shaped box used by all calisson makers.

It remains a very small operation, employing a few dozen people depending on seasonal demand: at peak times, such as Christmas, the factory produces 500 kilos of calissons a day. Another surprise is that much of the process is still done by hand. The main ingredients of the calissons all come from the Mediterranean: candied melon, orange peel and almonds.

Manufacturer: Léonard Parli, La Grande Fabrique Pôle d'activité des Milles
95 rue Famille Laurens 13290 Aix en Provence FRANCE