Context Chocolate Tour

Vendredi 29 Mars chocolate walk in Paris 

Today I was a guest at the Context Chocolate tour in the 6th arrondissement. This is our well-informed chocolate leader Bryan filling us in on the origins of chocolate histoire at Paris' oldest chocolate shop Debeauve et Gallais.

Of course huge chocolate chickens grace the window

We taste the same circles of dark chocolate Marie-Antoinette ate daily.

At Arnaud Larher we eat chocolate macarons but the chocolates are enticing.

And the eggs are elegant.

A stop in Gerard Mulot for an array of flavors - caramel au beurre sale, framboise ganache and a minty palate cleanser.

We stop in 10 different chocolate shops for an immersion quite complete.

My favorites at Pierre Marcolini are the white chocolate hearts (white chocolate can be made in endless colors) filled with raspberry ganache. The bunnies are full of noisette praline.

Un Dimanche dans Paris is an elegantly modern setting.

Yet they have the very popular fried egg look on display. The egg in all forms is much loved by the French no doubt about it.

At top chocolatier Patrick Roger the lines are dense and the windows are getting a workover.

It's 4 pm in Paris on Good Friday and everyone has the same idea. Grab heaps of chocolate and run home and devour. Bryan tells us the French average 2 kilos (2.5 pounds) of chocolate during Easter alone. Restraint is not on the menu. By the way there are no day-after Easter sales in Paris. The bunnies/eggs are available for a quite a while post Easter.

Patrick Roger's windows are dependably bizarre.

Someone has escaped the maddening crowd and run off with her signature turquoise bag of Patrick Roger goodies. The rest of us try to wait patiently.
Don't miss this fabulous Context chocolate tour next visit.

BONNE/Joyeous EASTER!