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Salon du Choco-love
By Ann | October 19, 2009
Have you ever had chocolate for breakfast? I did on Friday when my friend, Anna, and I visited Paris’s annual Salon du Chocolat. What is it?
Imagine a convention dedicated to cacao — chocolatiers, chocolate multi-nationals, pastry chefs, and other cocoa-derived products from around the world — all eager to present their chocolatey wares, samples included. It was a chocoholic’s dream come true. Alors, what did I see?
Giant sculptures, like this chocolate mansion.
Sleek sweets, like these from Pierre Marcolini.
This is Charles, a chocloartisan, and, yes, he made up that word himself. Charles makes chocolate spreads, similar to Nutella.
My favorite was the pétillante, a chocolate spread studded with pop rocks that fizzes in your mouth. Of course I had to buy a jar (8€).
These chocolate pots come with a moussoir, which foams your hot chocolate. The rather eccentric proprietress gave me her recipe for hot chocolate: Melt 250 grams dark chocolate and add 1 liter of semi-skimmed milk. When hot, add 200 grams crème fraîche and heat through. Pour into your chocolate pot and froth with your moussoir.
Chocolates don’t have to be brown, at least according to Japanese pâtissier, Sadaharu Aoki.
He also slipped a few macarons into the show…
Le Whif was quite definitely the oddest product we saw. It’s self-described as “a gentle puff of chocolate,” “the first product of breathable food.”
As demonstrated by le Whif personnel, you hold the plastic tube (le Whif) to your lips and compress it, to release a puff of chocolate-scented air into your mouth. Okay, each puff is only one calorie, but still, I’m not sure who le Whif is targeting — anorexics, perhaps?
Two hours, one coffee, an ice cream bar, countless chunks of chocolate, and a chocolate-covered wasabi-sesame stick later, Anna and I staggered out of the Salon du Chocolat. I don’t know about her, but my stomach was not the happiest. Chocolate for breakfast makes for a bit of indigestion, I’m going to be honest. Perhaps I should have stuck with le Whif, after all?
It seems fitting to end with the beginning, or, rather, the raw ingredients: cocoa beans.
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10 Responses to “Salon du Choco-love”
Comments
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October 19th, 2009 at 3:40 am
[…] Salon du Choco-love | Ann Mah annmah.net/2009/10/19/salon-du-choco-love – view page – cached Freelance journalist Ann Mah has contributed to Conde Nast Traveler, the International Herald Tribune and many other publications. This blog features her articles and also discusses food, restaurants… (Read more)Freelance journalist Ann Mah has contributed to Conde Nast Traveler, the International Herald Tribune and many other publications. This blog features her articles and also discusses food, restaurants and (Read less) — From the page […]
October 19th, 2009 at 6:00 am
Oh la la! As a chocolunatic myself, this post made me dizzy with desire. I can only imagine how great it would be to awaken from a nap, pour a cup of Earl Grey tea, and lose my grogginess by snacking on the portico of the chocolate mansion.
October 19th, 2009 at 6:52 am
Ann, I can imagine some of the people who wander around South Beach (picture: slim, tanned woman, microdress, tiny dog in one arm along with massive namebrand luxury bag) really digging Le Whif. Thanks for reporting on this important new product.
October 19th, 2009 at 7:19 am
Didn’t go near Le Whif as my friends and I thought they were demo-ing chocolate lipstick or something, oups…
October 19th, 2009 at 11:26 am
It looks like the salon du chocolat has caught the attention of even Xinhua reporters! However, they did not discover the thrilling ‘Whif’ du chocolate. Speaking of pop rock infused chocolate spread, perhaps Le Whif is the pop rocks of the future, and in thirty some years (when most of our calories are inhaled) someone is going to rediscover Le Whif and it will be en vogue again.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-10/18/content_12260083.htm
October 19th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
You should check out the chocolate museum in bruges…my favorite part was the exhibition on how chocolate is a daily part of a healthy diet!
But sounds like you had fun…more pleasant than my experience at the salon de vin anyway…
October 20th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Loved Aoki’s chocolates, but in general found the Salon a bit of a disappointment. I’ve been to a handful of other food and wine shows, and one of the best parts is having a chance to chat with the makers - no chance of that at this one.
October 21st, 2009 at 7:03 pm
I love your blog but am a new reader! We have not yet made our annual trip to Paris this year but we too love the chocolate. The chocolate mansion in this post….is it not L’Opera Garnier?
October 21st, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Thanks for the vicarious thrills of your chocolate tour. Did they have any chocolate drinking bars (as in barroom bars)serving hot molten chocolate drinks?
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Chris — Or, you could have a post-nap Earl Grey tea-infused chocolate!
Heather — That’s it! I knew I was missing a demographic.
Lil — Mmmm… Chocolate lipstick actually sounds pretty good compared to le Whif.
Lee — I think what I love most about this Xinhua article is that they’ve categorized the Salon du Chocolat as “Odd News.”
Claire — Another reason to visit Bruges! Actually, the Salon did have a stand on the health benefits of chocolate. Benefit #1: It makes you happy.
Camille — You’re right, the size of the show made it hard to talk to individual owners/creators. Then again, my sugar-addled brain wasn’t really performing at top level.
Leon — Welcome! Thanks for stopping by and for your comment. And… now that you mention it… yes, that domed building DID seem familiar… Yikes, I am so embarrassed!
Dad — Yes, they had a few molten chocolate fountains/ hot chocolate stands. They looked (and smelled) delicious. But what’s funny is how quickly the desire to eat chocolate disappears after being surrounded by chocolate!