I was immediately disappointed by the corporate booths that lined the entrance. I simply was not interested in anything I could get at any grocery store in the world. I had come for the fabulous Euro chocolatier's visually stunning concoctions with exotic ingredients, not Bailey's Irish Creme and Nestle's cocoa mix.
But, Dick said be patient, the corporate booths were at the front because they had the cash to buy pride of place. And, he turned out to be right, of course. The further we dove deeper in to the crowded hall, the more interesting things got.
Past the Grand Mariner crepe makers and the massive piles of chocolate on sale by the kilo or uninspired chunk, there were lovely chocolates shaped like olive leaves made with olive oil from Marseilles. They were surprisingly good and very light. It wasn't the hardcore chocolate fix, it was more like a light compliment to a strong espresso at the end of a meal. The young woman who offered the pale green chocolate leaves filled with a soft dark chocolate was anxious to tell me all about her little treats in her rapid fire Marseilles accent.
I smiled as I worked on deciphering the bits of information that my brain could process while my body collapsed in the midst of a giant wave of yummy. Yeah, chocolate goooood.
We passed exquisitely prepared and packaged Italian delights, by Marcolini (one of our fav vendors in Paris), wrapped like precious jewels in exclusive limited editions.
We were officially in the world of chocolate porn, in more ways than one.
There were crunchy lavender covered bonbons filled with dark chocolate. The lavender was a nougat layer, the color combination alone was royal.
Detailed bas reliefs of tantric yoga poses upped the ante from the usual chocolate genitalia offered for hen parties. Tres sophisticated.
There were piles of chocolate logs in the shapes and colors of patina-ed laced sausages and chocolate Laguiole knives, high heel shoes, multi colored pencils and espresso pots. But of all the 'cast from chocolate' products, we both agreed that the rusty looking hardware, chocolate nips, screws, bolts and tools were the best.
The floral and chocolate sculptures and costumes, the dresses that had been modeled on the opening day of the show were mobbed by phone photogs.
There was the constant sound of South American music from the live band and dancers that reminded people that chocolate actually came from another part of the world. There were lectures with listeners packed to the glass walls and a lucky few with shopping bags of treasures they had purchased to take home.
Weirdly watermelon flavored chocolate and a surprising hemp chocolate were some of the more odd offerings.
The spice trail chocolate exhibition with its chocolate flavored green tea and chocolate strawberry tea in big bowls and baskets were just beautiful.
But, for me, there were two standouts. The first is a very simple, lovely traditional French chocolate gingerbread, made in huge round 12 inch x 16 in loaves.
We had our first piece at a market on rue Monge, a couple of years ago. It is a lovely fall treat to have a soft piece of rich spicy cake sheered from the massive loaf, wrapped in a napkin served with a warm drink of any sort.
The cake on offer at this expo was soft, spiced to hot with ginger and that sexy black brown of chocolate noir. I cradled that plastic wrapped slab all the way home.
Bar none, the stunning winner of Liz's Food of the Gods Award, was J. Groliere's Confit d'Oignon au Chocolat. At first, I was simply intrigued, imagining how chocolate and onions could work together. I thought sure, I can see it. Just then, the aproned vendor placed a thin sliver of duck liver on a crouton sized piece of country French bread and topped it with the chocolate onion confit. Oh my god has been said many a time but the smooth, creamy rich morsel which was the size of the tip of my little finger left me in a puddle. I was salivating for the next half hour as I toted me quarter cup jar of potential heaven back to the apartment with its soft slice of autumn in chocolate and ginger.
I was thrilled to be away from the madding crowd of chocolate lovers and back out to the cool blue skies of Paris, treats in hand, still savoring the lovely richness of chocolate and onion heaven.
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