Bouquet garni, bundled herbs for your braising pot
A bouquet garni is a bundle of dried kitchen herbs that simmers along with your dish and is removed before serving. Provence Tradition uses hand-harvested, certified organic thyme and bay leaves. Not loose spices, but 4 convenient little bundles for soups, stews, and braised dishes.
Bouquet garni is the classic bundle of herbs from French cuisine, which you add to season soups, stews, and braised dishes. Provence Tradition bundles dried thyme and bay leaves for this purpose, both harvested by hand in Provence. The 16-gram pack contains 4 of these little bundles; each one slowly releases its aroma into the cooking liquid and can be easily removed at the end.
Thyme and bay leaf, bundled by hand
Each bundle contains the two classics of the culinary herb garden: fragrant thyme and tart, warm bay leaf.
The thyme brings its resinous, slightly peppery spice, while the bay leaf adds a deep, almost balsamic note that only truly unfolds during long simmering. Both herbs are grown in the south of France, harvested by hand, and dried gently before being tied into little bundles. This keeps the essential oils in the leaves, and a single bundle is enough to season an entire pot of stew.
Unlike ground spices, this bundle does not cloud the broth. It releases its flavor slowly and disappears as a whole at the end, leaving not a single crumb behind.
For Sunday roasts, goulash, and lamb ragout
A bouquet garni belongs in any long-simmering dish, from clear broth to stews and hearty braised roasts.
Simply place a bundle into the pot, let it simmer for the entire cooking time, and fish it out before serving—without any loose herbs in the bowl. One little bundle is sufficient for Sunday roasts, goulash, or lamb ragout; for a large pot of soup or a coq au vin, you can add a second one.
Traditionally, this herb bundle is also used to season stocks, braised legumes, and tomato sauces, and it even gives risotto a warm depth. For slow-cooked dishes, let the bundle simmer for 60 to 90 minutes to allow the flavors to round out. If you like it even more Mediterranean, add the classic herbs of Provence or choose other Mediterranean spices.
Organic from Avignon, by Vincent Mignérat
Provence Tradition has been binding its bouquets garnis in Avignon, where the workshop has been based since 1987—nearly 40 years.
Vincent Mignérat ensures that the thyme and bay leaves are 100 percent grown, harvested, and dried in Provence before being assembled into bundles. For this bouquet garni, the herbs are organically grown and controlled according to EU organic regulations. Each little bundle is tied by hand; no machine presses loose crumbs into a bag here. You notice the difference when a bundle releases its aroma in the pot and your whole kitchen smells like the south.
Remove before serving
One bundle is enough for a medium-sized pot. Simmer it for at least 20 minutes so the thyme and bay leaf can fully release their flavor, and remove it before serving. Stored in a dry, well-sealed container, the bundles will retain their aroma for months. If you like, you can create your own bouquet with other dried herbs, for example by adding parsley stems and celery.
Organic control number FR BIO 01 – French Agriculture