Bonjour PBers from Irene City. I thought I'd post today because:
A. There could be a power outage at any moment. What would you read on Monday?
And...
B. NY Time's Elaine Sciolino of the divinely informative La Seduction emailed me this week seeking info on Paris' salons des thes. Don't miss her article ! Besides she gave Parisbreakfast a nice mention.
B. NY Time's Elaine Sciolino of the divinely informative La Seduction emailed me this week seeking info on Paris' salons des thes. Don't miss her article ! Besides she gave Parisbreakfast a nice mention. Big merci Elaine! 
Bet you think you're in a Paris tea shop...
Looking at banks...
Bet you think you're in a Paris tea shop... 
Looking at banks... 
And gorgeous banks of tea tins? 
WRONG!You're in a chocolate shop (Duo Trio on 88 rue de Rennes, La Bonbonnière de la Trinité in the 9ème, Les Bonbons).
Bet you think you're at a tea festival here...
Don't you love how the French make fun of themselves showing elegant frogs delicately sipping tea? Thank you NestleT.
Kusmi tea creates a maze of tins for sniffing
Bet you think you're at a tea festival here... 
Don't you love how the French make fun of themselves showing elegant frogs delicately sipping tea? Thank you NestleT. 
Kusmi tea creates a maze of tins for sniffing (clue: U R not at a tea tasting).
Chloe Doutre-Roussel, famous chocolate connoisseure now has her own tea to boot. Chloe filled me in. Thé/tea is a gourmet's drink in Europe and has been for 5-10 years now. More and more gourmets are choosing tea over coffee. We're talking really good teas, not flavored teas. Coffee bean aromas are too strong for chocolate. No way will you find coffee beans in a Parisian chocolate shop. et voila!
That's why all these tea tastings are happening at the Salon du Chocolat. If you're going to Paris this Fall don't miss it. 
Plan accordingly - it's a chocolate lover and tea tasters ball.
Jugetsudo had this elegant booth at last year's chocolate salon...
Elaine mentions them in her article - why didn't I visit? I loved the design of their map enough to shoot it...
French Girl, like most French Girls, adores her tea. She insists I bring back fresh bags of Fortnum & Mason Breakfast tea from London to refill her precious tins on the shelf. And she's mad for her Japanese tetsubin cast iron tea pot.
Naturally as soon as I got home I rushed down to the Bowery kitchen supply stores to buy one (they're way less expensive than in Paris!). Naturally I have never used the darn thing :(
I told Elaine about Kusmi's adorable shopping bag. Whatever you do, DO NOT put your Japanese teapot inside this bag or you'll be sporting a broken toe! My bag broke just outside customs at CDG :(
Chloe Doutre-Roussel, famous chocolate connoisseure now has her own tea to boot. Chloe filled me in. Thé/tea is a gourmet's drink in Europe and has been for 5-10 years now. More and more gourmets are choosing tea over coffee. We're talking really good teas, not flavored teas. Coffee bean aromas are too strong for chocolate. No way will you find coffee beans in a Parisian chocolate shop. et voila!
That's why all these tea tastings are happening at the Salon du Chocolat. If you're going to Paris this Fall don't miss it. 
Plan accordingly - it's a chocolate lover and tea tasters ball. 
Jugetsudo had this elegant booth at last year's chocolate salon... 
Elaine mentions them in her article - why didn't I visit? I loved the design of their map enough to shoot it... 
French Girl, like most French Girls, adores her tea. She insists I bring back fresh bags of Fortnum & Mason Breakfast tea from London to refill her precious tins on the shelf. And she's mad for her Japanese tetsubin cast iron tea pot. 
Naturally as soon as I got home I rushed down to the Bowery kitchen supply stores to buy one (they're way less expensive than in Paris!). Naturally I have never used the darn thing :( 
I told Elaine about Kusmi's adorable shopping bag. Whatever you do, DO NOT put your Japanese teapot inside this bag or you'll be sporting a broken toe! My bag broke just outside customs at CDG :(BONJOUR THE et CHOCOLAT PBers!