I've been directed by my daughter to bring home French Candy from my business trip the end of this week.

Any particular kind that I should look for?

Where should I get it?

Thanks.

Sweets in France are usually either pastries, chocolates, or ice cream, and it's certainly worth the trip for a pastry from Le Nôtre or a chocolat blanc ice cream from Berthillon. Neither of the latter, however, is especially convenient to haul to the States.

The easy route is to pick up some chocolates at the duty-free ripoff shop on your way home. A much better thing would be to stop at one of La Maison des Chocolats shops -- there's one in the Madeleine. But the best thing would be to stop, on the morning of your last day, at the Neuhaus shop in the rue Cler (not far from the Eiffel Tower) and get 4- or 500 grams of fresh chocolates. (Neuhaus also has a shop near the Place Ch de Gaulle/Champs-Elysées, but I dunno the address.)

Your daughter will think you're a hero, and she never needs to know that the goodies are Belgian, not French.

Does your daughter like fruit? There's this type of candy called Pâtes Aux Fruits. It's delicious and very intense. They are little squares of fruit candy that are chewable. It's sold at many places in Paris, including Hédiard and my favorite gourmet store in the whole world, Fauchon, both located at the Place de la Madeleine, near L'Opéra (Palais Garnier).

Marrons Glacés are also popular. I wouldn't call them candy. They are carmelized chestnuts. Also very delicious.

I've also given boxes of Valrhona chocolate to my French friends and they are always very delighted to receive them. They can be found in some upscale French candy/chocolate stores and also at the gourmet supermarket at Galeries Lafayette, on Boulevard Haussmann, also near L'Opéra.

Neuhaus is absolutely delicious. But don't tell your daughter it's not French.

I would buy chocolates at Hediard. The main location is on the Place de la Madeleine (another on Rue du Bac), across the square from Fauchon. They sell wonderful chocolates in beautiful red boxes, in several sizes, wrapped with ribbons. I brought several home as gifts. The boxes are durable and easily packed. They stuff an amazing number of chocolates in boxes of just a few ounces. Everything (all kinds of food, spices, wine, etc.) is just as good or better than Fauchon - just not as well known. I will be there in a week, stocking up with chocolates and foie gras.

For yourself, go to Berthillon and have the CARAMEL ice cream (your tastebuds will explode) or the pear sorbet (the consistency of a frozen pear). I sent someone there recently and she told me she went three times within a week. I asked her what other flavors she tried. She said none. The caramel and pear were too incredible to try anything else.

When I was a kid in France, I used to save up my money to buy these sour, sugar-coated strips of candy from the little corner grocery store. I think I would have gladly given an arm or a leg for them! But now, thanks to globalization, these are available at your local U.S. candy store. And just as good too!

The other French treat I always enjoyed as a kid was Kinder eggs. Fun to eat through the chocolate and discover a toy inside! Alas, I believe these too are now available selectively in the U.S.

There was also the gum with cartoons in the wrapper, the Coke-bottle-shaped gummy things, and did I mention those sour candy strips yet? http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif While my nostalgia probably doesn't help you much, I would side with the others here that some fine chocolate would be a great gift. I've always enjoyed dark chocolate, and U.S. mass-produced chocolate has no comparison to the stuff in Europe (even if it too is mass produced!).

If only the Berthillon ice cream would last in a cooler all the way back to the U.S.!

Thanks everyone.

Don't forget the caramel Carambars (http://www.le-carambar.org/carambar.htm)!

Hello DIAFlyer
The age of your daughter may be an interesting point to help you selecting what kind of candy is more appropriate http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif

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She's 17

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">The other French treat I always enjoyed as a kid was Kinder eggs.</font>

I enjoy these as an adult! Senor Hamachi and I always buy these when we can find them. On our last trip to Europe, we must have bought 20. I somehow thought they were German though...

Hey... it took me a little time, but I think I have the answer for a PERFECT gift for your daughter. Here is the link in English:

http://www.mazetconfiseur.com/index.cfm

They are the best candy shop I have ever seen, and the fact that I lived for several years in Montargis (their home location) is not the point http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif
There is a shop in Paris, where you can see and taste ("Au Duc de Praslin, 116 avenue Victor Hugo, 75016 PARIS) all the goodies they have. My favourite are the praslines (caramelized peanuts)and the Chocolate Fondues in various flavours (you can have on their web site the list of these flavours)... http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/cool.gif




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http://mapage.noos.fr/fles/