Paris is known as a fashion capital and when most people go to Paris they go shopping for the latest fashions. Not I! In terms of fashion I only bought a pair of Bensimon sneakers and a backpack (don’t ask). What I really stocked up on was food! Here’s a rundown of the groceries that I picked up while in Paris…
Tea
I have an obsession with tea and couldn’t visit Paris without hitting up two of the best-known tea shops, Mariage Freres and Palais des Thes. My tea cravings these days have been for teas scented with rose, coconut, lychee and a few other tropical flavours and my tea choices reflected that. I haven’t dipped into all of my tea yet but I’m loving Theophile from Palais des Thes.
Fleur de Sel
Sure you can totally find Fleur de Sel in Toronto but it’s ridiculous cheap in Paris. I paid around 2 euros for each pack. Then I came back to Toronto and saw one brand selling for $9.99. Clearly I won.
Tonka
Before my cooking class I had never heard of Tonka. Tonka is a spice from South America that is one of the best things ever. It smells/tastes like almonds, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and just overall spicy goodness. I picked up two jars of the stuff from G. Detou because I never want to be without Tonka in my life. Apparently it’s illegal in the U.S. Check out this article.
Spreads
Europeans do spreads soooo much better than we do in North America. I picked up 2 jars of jam from my fave Christine Ferber, a jar of Bonne Maman (that I’ve never seen at home), a jar of Speculoos spread and some chestnut cream.
Lentils du Puy
I forever see recipes that call for a specific type of French lentil. They are hard to find in Toronto and when you do find them they are definitely pricey or not actually from France. I stopped myself from picking up several boxes. I’m excited to dip into these.
Pear-flavoured Pims
Pims are some of my fave cookies. A soft cakey cookie topped with jam and coated in chocolate is perfection. I was happy to find pear-flavoured ones in Paris and couldn’t resist. They were REALLY good.
Candied Kumquats
We used candied kumquats in our brioche in cooking class and in a moment of weakness I bought a bag of them at G Detou. I’m not sure what I’m going to use these for…
Cruesli
Oh man! Cruesli is THE BEST cereal ever. It’s cinnamon-scented granola with some puffed grains and… wait for it… huge chunks of dark chocolate. The French clearly know how to start the day off right.
Harissa
I always see recipes that require harissa. I’m sure I can find it here but it was less than a euro at the supermarket and right in front of me so I bought some.
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Cruesli. Lentils. Fleur de Sel. Check Check Check!
Some good choices there …..
Thanks! I enjoyed them
In Belgium last year we bought chocolate made with Tonka; very good indeed. Mirek
There’s a great dessert at Thobors on Mount Pleasant made with Tonka. Worth checking out.