Who isn’t tempted by souvenirs when travelling? The charm of a petite treasure to remind you of favorite places and experiences is irresistible. As a minimalist, I find that edible gifts are the perfect way to bring the essence of a city home with you with a minimum of clutter, and the hunt for the perfect combination of product and packaging can be as much fun as the purchase! Here are a few discoveries from my recent trip to Paris to inspire you:
- Sebastien Gaudard a jewel box of a shop on Rue des Martyrs, Gaudard’s pâtisserie is filled with prettily packaged cakes, candies and cookies to tempt your sweet tooth. I selected a cello-bag of salted butter cookies for the train ride to London. A fleeting sort of souvenir, but they were delicious. (For extra credit, I’d suggest indulging in a tart or croissant to enjoy on the spot.)
- La Chambre Aux Confitures also on Rue des Martyrs, the shop’s shelves are lined with a wide assortment of jams and spreads. I plan to work my way through LCAC’s flavor library (more adventurous options include pear & hazelnut as well as apricot-lavender) but as I have a 16yo’s taste buds to accommodate, I’m perfectly happy to start with their exquisitely simple strawberry jam.
- Found water admittedly, Found isn’t a Parisian brand (it’s Aussie-American), but I discovered their flavored waters — prettily bottled and available in elderflower! — on the shelves at Le Bon Marché’s La Grande Épicerie during a Saturday morning wander, which qualifies it as a French souvenir in my book. (La Grande Épicerie is a highly recommended wandering spot, by the way)
- Les Marquis de Ladurée Ladureé’s new chocolate shop (on Rue de Castiglione) was right around the corner from my hotel — so of course I had to indulge in a petite box of chocolate medallions. All of Ladurée’s gift boxes are perfection, so I’ve saved it for storing tiny bits of ephemera.
- The Fine Cocktail Company also discovered during my La Grande Épicerie wander, I was so enchanted with the bottle that I scooped up the Lemon/Ginger/Vodka elixir without a second thought — one of the benefits of train travel is no worries about packing liquids in a carry on!
layout and type by jane potrykus. image credits: 1. jane potrykus 2. lachambreauxconfitures.com 3. foodbev.com 4. marquis.laduree.com 5. publicisdrugstore.com