New French cookbook explores Marseille's cultural diversity through cuisine

Vérane Frédiani, author of Taste the World in Marseille, on May 23. Emilienne Malfatto for NPR hide caption

MARSEILLE, France — This colorful French port town exudes Mediterranean charm and chaotic energy. But Marseille, France’s oldest city, is often overlooked and misunderstood by French and foreign tourists alike.

Filmmaker and Marseille native Vérane Frédiani is looking to change that. She wants you to discover her hometown by following your stomach, and she’s written a cookbook to help you do it.

In Taste the World in Marseille, Frédiani leads readers through the ancient city’s diverse neighborhoods and layers of history, to discover Marseille’s recipes and culinary traditions.

Over the past years, and despite major social and violence issues, Marseille has become increasingly fashionable. Emilienne Malfatto for NPR hide caption

The beautifully photographed book of recipes and rich storytelling serves equally as a guide to the city, which might explain why publisher La Martinière says the book has been one of its bestsellers.

Through conversations with chefs and anecdotes from her own childhood, Frédiani serves up a multicultural city brimming with energy, ideas and talented chefs who she says are revolutionizing French cuisine.

Frédiani's laugh and joie de vivre are infectious as she converses with NPR at an outdoor cafe in the bustling Nouailles district, known as the “belly of Marseille.”

Here, outdoor markets trade in vegetables and spices more often seen in Africa and Asia, but increasingly used in restaurants across this port town. Frédiani says her book celebrates Marseille’s diversity.

“When I was a child, I always heard people saying ‘Marseille is not France,’ ” she says. “And I didn’t understand what they meant by this. It was really frustrating for me.”

Local customers in a market in Noailles, in the center of Marseille, on May 23. Emilienne Malfatto for NPR hide caption

Now she knows that the city’s multicultural DNA is also its allure. Marseille has been a melting pot of cultures since it was founded by the Greeks 2,500 years ago.

Frédiani's own family has roots in Italy and Tunisia. She says Marseille is different from other French towns.

“You don’t have to be in Marseille for generations to call yourself a Marseillais,” she explains. “Coming from somewhere else is common. Everybody comes from somewhere else. Everybody is Marseillais within five minutes. The moment you arrive here and you like it here, you are Marseillais.”