What's inside the world's oldest chocolate shop?

À la Mère de Famille candy shop

If you are a chocolate lover, take the time to visit the world's oldest chocolate shop.

À la Mère de Famille, located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France, has been serving sweet tooths since 1761.

However, what is special here is that the products of this store have remained almost unchanged since its first opening more than 250 years ago, making customers feel like they are going back in time every time they step into the store.

This place has everything from the classic praline rocher, which are round chocolate candies wrapped in foil, that are familiar to Vietnamese people, to les Folies de l'Écureuil, which are chocolate balls filled with cream, along with Florentines, dried nut cookies and many other unique Montmartre pallet cookies.

The founder of the store was Pierre-Jean Bernard, a young grocer, but with the vision of a great businessman.

After moving from Coulommiers to central Paris, Bernard opened a confectionery shop in a building on the corner of 35th rue du Faubourg Montmartre.

Here, his shop attracts passersby with the sweet aroma of a variety of delicious candies, from praline cakes to golden jars of honey.

À la Mère de Famille candy shop

After many changes of ownership, to this day, Bernard's sweet legacy not only still exists, but has also grown into a chain of 11 stores spread across Paris, under the Dolfi family's takeover in 2000.

The shops are a mix of old and new, with old-fashioned candy jars, antique lampshades and old-fashioned tiled floors.

The Dolfi family keeps the classic style, but also experiments with new flavors by blending traditional methods with modern variations.

And just like in the old days, every step is made on-site, from processing the cocoa into chocolate to making caramel and pralines.

The shop also sells some of the most famous macarons, in pistachio or hazelnut flavours, which come in gift boxes so fancy they take forever to open.

However, even with a slew of new locations, the small shop on rue du Faubourg Montmartre remains the most beloved À la Mère de Famille among Parisians, and also holds a special place in Parisian history as the oldest confectionery shop.

À la Mère de Famille candy shop

If you want to experience this piece of Parisian history, head to the original À la Mère de Famille store at 35 rue du Faubourg Montmartre. The store is open daily from 9:30am to 8pm, and on Sundays from 10am to 7:30pm.

“After offering the best products for more than two and a half centuries, the store has now become a legendary address with a facade unchanged since the end of the 19th century. It is not just a store, but a special and constantly evolving heritage,” said a representative of À la Mère de Famille.

À la Mère de Famille even has a book that tells the history of the shop, as well as a list of recipes, so you can make and enjoy the shop's delicious dishes right in your own kitchen.

More than just a cookbook, this is a treasure trove of history from Paris' oldest chocolate shop, with photos and simple recipes, from the three-sided striped Berlingots that originated in the south of France to the chocolate orange cake.

Besides the À la Mère de Famille candy store, Europe also has another place for chocolate fans: the world's largest chocolate museum in Switzerland.

The Lindt Home Chocolate Museum opened in 2020, featuring a 30-foot-tall chocolate fountain. Visitors can also take chocolate-making classes.

HA (according to Vietnam+)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/co-gi-ben-trong-cua-hang-chocolate-lau-doi-nhat-the-gioi-372151.html