Today, December 14th, is National Bouillabaisse Day.

This is a fish stew that originates from the French city of Marseille in the Provençal region. It's original Occitan name comes from the word "boil" and "simmer."

The original stew was made by fishermen using the bony rockfish, the rascasse, that they were unable to sell.

The stew has many other ingredients, and the recipes vary depending on who is cooking it. It also commonly includes the European conger and the sea robin. Saffron and olive oil are often considered to be essential in the Marseille version.

Other fish and shellfish, as well as vegetables and spices, are also in the dish.

Image: By Slastic (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons