When you think of Caramels most people may not think of Paris France. The caramels in Paris are unlike any in the world. The caramels in France literally melt in your mouth as soon as it touches your tongue. In North America, the caramels are tough and chewy. They require a lot of chewing and get stuck to your teeth and the roof of your mouth. They are not the most enjoyable experience. Caramels in Paris are little bite size of heaven. Here are 4 must try confectionary shops for Caramels in Paris.
1. Maison Le Roux
Run do not walk to this shop. Maison Le Roux has extraordinary caramels with all different flavours. Their number one flavour to try is the salted butter caramel. They have certain flavours based off the seasons. Here are some flavours that are available: Diable rose, Orange-Ginger, chocolate, raspberry, buckwheat, Pina colada, Hazelnut-coffee, Yuzu Macha, blackcurrant, Black Sesame, tatin (caramelized apples) and cherry cardamom.
Maison Le Roux was started by a man named Henri Le Roux. Henri comes from pastry royalty. His father, Louis Le Roux was a famous pastry cook. He is known to have prepared the dessert in 1933 to celebrate Franklin Roosevelt’s election.
Henri wanted to separate himself from the rest of the pastry chefs and created a new product. He was in Britanny France when he had a desire to make something with salted butter. This was when the famous Salted Butter Caramel was born. The salted butter caramel is a mixture of a slightly salted butter caramel with an addition of crushed walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds to produce its unique texture.
They have four locations in Paris:
Paris Saint-Germain — 1 rue de Bourbon le Château, Paris
Paris Saint-Dominique — 52 rue Saint-Dominique, Paris
Paris Martyrs — 24 rue des Martyrs, Paris
Paris Palais Royal — 26 rue des Petits Champs, Paris
If you are ever in one of these areas in Paris, they are a must try!
2. A la Mère de Famille
A la Mère de Famille is a chocolate house that has ben passed down for generations. They have been established since 1761. They do their caramels a little different than Maison Le Roux. They create Négus which was first created in the city of Nevers France. It is a soft chocolate or caramel than dipped in a hard caramel syrup. (This can be seen in the video below.) These types of caramels are often found in metal boxes so this can prevent them from sticking together. This type of delicacy is very sensitive to humidity.
The original “historic” store is located at 35, rue du Faubourg Montmartre, Paris. As soon as you walk in it will take you back in time. The old tiles, the wood, metal chandeliers you can feel the history and know that not much has changed since the 1700’s. If walls could talk, thats the definition of this store.
They have several locations around Paris, as you can see below. You can view all their hours and several other locations on their website.
3. Fouquet
You can find Fouquet in the Paris golden triangle. Fouquet has been around since 1852. Their recipes are traditionally french. The flavours include: Vanilla, Ginger, Salted Butter, Rum Raisins, Chocolate & Coffee. They are known to use raw high quality ingredients including fresh butter from Normandy, cocoa from Venezuela, salt from Guérande and pistachio from Iran! You will be getting the taste of the world in each bite.
They offer the hard shell and the soft caramels. This will give you the chance to try the two different styles of french caramels in the same place. They have two locations in Paris. The locations are: 36 Rue Laffitte, Paris & 23 Rue Francois Ier, Paris.
4. Jacques Génin
Jacques Génin is a French chef, he is a well-known chocolate and caramel maker in Paris. He specializes in caramels and nougats. His caramels are boxed in their signature silver cases. Some of the caramel flavours include but are not limited to: butter and fleur de sel, plain, vanilla, chocolate, chestnut honey, ginger, coffee, pistachio, almond, hazelnut, macadamia nut, Périgord walnut, mango-passion and raspberry. He prides himself in making products with natural ingredients.
They have two locations in Paris:
133 rue de Turenne, Paris 3rd
27 rue de Varenne, Paris 7th
If you are ever in Paris, no matter which location you try, French caramels are the worlds delicacy. They melt in your mouth and the taste lingers on your tongue. If you have ever tried any of these pastry shops then let us know in the comments about your experience.
