PARIS: THE MACAROON CRAZE

This small cake with incredible flavors and colors, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, has been the rage in Paris, almost as long as the Eiffel Tower! There isn’t a pastry chef or caterer who doesn’t have his own special recipe… Macaroons are created like vintage wines. The success has been phenomenal and is already part of the French gastronomy heritage…

ESTERNA

All attempts to resist are futile!

Why are people lined up braving the glacial wind on the avenue des Champs Elysées in Paris? No, they’re not waiting to catch a glimpse of Tom Cruise or Lady Gaga. They’re simply trying to get into Ladurée, the kingdom of the small French macaroon. The boutique located on the most beautiful avenue in the world is constantly full. Once you reach the counter, the real problems arise: how to choose between the flavors and colors and allow oneself to get enticed by the sin of gluttony, at the price of 1,40€ per macaroon – or 80€ per kilo! But, who cares. This investment is not as onerous as caviar or white truffles...

Macaron4 modificataFrom one pastry chef to the next, what’s the difference?

Fine crunchy envelope or sugared crust, convex or mini-hamburger shape, bold or acidic colors, soft or creamy centre, each pastry chef has their secret … At Dalloyau, the recipes are not very sweet and accent the natural flavors; Arnaud Larher likes to vary the textures; Ladurée opts for macaroons that are “both soft and crunchy” and Gérard Mulot, the darling of the stars, turns his macaroons into real small crunchy cakes…

 

 

Recommendations by the chefs

Whether 12 or 20 g, one thing is sure: the French, tourists, children, adults, women and men, all love mini-macaroons. Although a purchase in the boutique is most exhilarating, a great many shops now deliver, sometimes even abroad! When considering the quantities produced, it’s easy to understand that this small cake has a glorious future ahead of it: Dalloyau announces 10 tons a year, Pierre Hermè 400 kg per day and Ladurée 500 kg, or over 40,000 mini-macaroons per day!

 Morrisons-Macarons

There’s even a macaroon festival!

macaron-LaduréeEach year, for the last 10 years, March 20 is Macaroon Day. During this day, the Pierre Hermé boutiques in Paris and the Relais Desserts pastry chefs, propose a tasting of macaroons and invite their clients to make a donation to support research on cystic fibrosis.

Bon apétit ! Catherine

© Pictures: front page internet, inside page Ladurée Paris and internet

Read 1803 times
Catherine - Lifestyle

Bonjour, my name is Catherine. I live in the heart of Paris. I’ve always loved to travel and, over the years, I developed it into a real art: the right addresses, the suitcase, how to manage fatigue with my Parisian look! From Cannes to Antigua, from the red carpet to Pilates, I have to live up to the reputation. I have small apartments in Paris that I rent out. I love to personally welcome my guests and give them some recommendations about life in Paris “living like a true Parisian and not like a simple tourist in an elegant private suit in the heart of the city”.

Make sure you enter the (*) required information where indicated. HTML code is not allowed.

carita-orizzontale    vancleef-orizzontale
     

ORDER THE BOOK NOW

libro-rizzolilibro-rizzoli
.

Edizione Italiana

Edita da RIZZOLI, Sophie la Parigina è una guida di stile moderna su PARIGI. Illustrata dai disegni di Alessandra Ceriani, completata da un elenco degli indirizzi preferiti dalla parigina e arricchita di ricette gastronomiche.

 

English Edition

Published by RIZZOLI New York, Sophie the Parisian'sis a modern life style guide about PARIS. Illustrated with color drawings, complemented by a list of Parisians' favorite locations and enriched with gastronomic recipes.

 
By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. You can change this and find out more by following this link.