The Ladurée story
The history of Parisian tea salons is intimately tied to the history of the Ladurée family. It all began in 1862, when Louis Ernest Ladurée, a miller from France’s southwest, created a bakery at 16 rue Royale in Paris. During the same year, the first stone of the Garnier Opera was laid, and the area surrounding the Madeleine was rapidly developing into one of the capital’s most important and elegant business districts. The most prestigious names in French luxury goods had already taken up residence in this neighborhood.
In 1871, while Baron Haussmann was giving Paris a ‘‘new face’’, a fire made access to the transformation of the bakery to a pastry shop. The decoration of the pastry shop was entrusted to Jules Cheret, a famous turn-of-the-century painter and poster artist. M Cheret sought inspiration from the painting techniques used for the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the Garnier Opera. By incorporating them in his work, he added depth and relief to the ceilings ornamented with cherubic children.
Under the Second Empire, cafes developed and became more and more luxurious. They attracted Parisian high society. Along with the chic restaurants around the Madeleine, they became the showcases of the capital.
The beginning of this century found Paris wrapped up in a frenzy of distraction and going out in public. Parisians flocked to the Exposition Universal. Women were also changing. They wanted to make new acquaintances. Literary salons and « les circles » were outmoded.
Ladurée’s wife, Jeanne Souchard, daughter of a well-known hotelier in Rouen, had the idea of mixing styles: thus the Parisian café and pastry shop gave birth to one of the first tea salons in town.
The ‘‘salon de thé’’ had a definite advantage over the cafés of the pooch: they permitted ladies to gather in freedom. Jeanne Souchard succeeded in combining the turn-of-the-century trend to modernism with knowledge of the merits of a craft transmitted by her family.
The rue Royale tea room was enlarged in the middle of the twentieth century by Pierre Desfontaines, second cousin of Louis Ernest Ladurée. When he retired, his son, Jean Marie, and his niece, Dominique, presided over the tea salon. In 1993, they decided to buy this Parisian institution, and promote and enlarge the famous ‘Maison’. In 1997, a new prestigious Ladurée address both a restaurant and tea room opened on the Champs-Elysées.
The story of the Macaroon
These small, round cakes, crisp on the outside, smooth and soft in the middle, are the most famous creation of Ladurée.
The story of the Ladurée macaroon starts with Pierre Desfontaines, distant cousin of Louis Ernest Ladurée, who at the beginning of the 20th century first thought of taking two macaroon shells and joining them with a delicious ganache filling. The way of making them has never changed since that time.
These small, round cakes, crisp on the outside, smooth and soft in the middle, are made every morning in Ladurée’s "laboratory". The pastry chefs measure out very precisely the required amounts of almonds, eggs and sugar, before adding one final ingredient, a pinch of unique "know-how", essential to the making of such a delicacy.
Once cooked and filled, the macaroons are put to one side for 2 days before going on sale, the time it takes to achieve a perfect balance between texture and flavour.
Macaroons come in two sizes: the mini-macaroon or "gerbet" and full-size macaroons.
With each new season, Ladurée pays tribute to this its most famous creation by creating a new flavour.
The existing range of macaroons is always the starting point when a new one is created, as the variety of colours is as important as the range of flavours and a vital part of their appeal.
The new flavour for autumn:
Macaroon “Ruby Kiss” aroma of chocolate, berries and spices.
Flavours that are permanently available:
Chocolate, Dark chocolate, Vanilla, Coffee, Rose petal, Pistachio, Salted butter Caramel, Cherry amaretto, Raspberry, Orange blossom, Liquorice.
Seasonal flavours :
Lemon, Praline, Ice mint, Coconut, Chestnut, Grenadine.
Special & temporary creations:
Java Pepper - Apricot Ginger - Muscovado - Candyfloss - Havana - White amber - Indian Rose - Aniseed - Champagne - Orange Saffron - Lily-of-the-valley - Strawberry Poppy - Gingerbread - Rosanis
Available from Harrods or the store at 71-72 Burlington Arcade, London W1
The history of Parisian tea salons is intimately tied to the history of the Ladurée family. It all began in 1862, when Louis Ernest Ladurée, a miller from France’s southwest, created a bakery at 16 rue Royale in Paris. During the same year, the first stone of the Garnier Opera was laid, and the area surrounding the Madeleine was rapidly developing into one of the capital’s most important and elegant business districts. The most prestigious names in French luxury goods had already taken up residence in this neighborhood.
In 1871, while Baron Haussmann was giving Paris a ‘‘new face’’, a fire made access to the transformation of the bakery to a pastry shop. The decoration of the pastry shop was entrusted to Jules Cheret, a famous turn-of-the-century painter and poster artist. M Cheret sought inspiration from the painting techniques used for the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the Garnier Opera. By incorporating them in his work, he added depth and relief to the ceilings ornamented with cherubic children.
Under the Second Empire, cafes developed and became more and more luxurious. They attracted Parisian high society. Along with the chic restaurants around the Madeleine, they became the showcases of the capital.
The beginning of this century found Paris wrapped up in a frenzy of distraction and going out in public. Parisians flocked to the Exposition Universal. Women were also changing. They wanted to make new acquaintances. Literary salons and « les circles » were outmoded.
Ladurée’s wife, Jeanne Souchard, daughter of a well-known hotelier in Rouen, had the idea of mixing styles: thus the Parisian café and pastry shop gave birth to one of the first tea salons in town.
The ‘‘salon de thé’’ had a definite advantage over the cafés of the pooch: they permitted ladies to gather in freedom. Jeanne Souchard succeeded in combining the turn-of-the-century trend to modernism with knowledge of the merits of a craft transmitted by her family.
The rue Royale tea room was enlarged in the middle of the twentieth century by Pierre Desfontaines, second cousin of Louis Ernest Ladurée. When he retired, his son, Jean Marie, and his niece, Dominique, presided over the tea salon. In 1993, they decided to buy this Parisian institution, and promote and enlarge the famous ‘Maison’. In 1997, a new prestigious Ladurée address both a restaurant and tea room opened on the Champs-Elysées.
The story of the Macaroon
These small, round cakes, crisp on the outside, smooth and soft in the middle, are the most famous creation of Ladurée.
The story of the Ladurée macaroon starts with Pierre Desfontaines, distant cousin of Louis Ernest Ladurée, who at the beginning of the 20th century first thought of taking two macaroon shells and joining them with a delicious ganache filling. The way of making them has never changed since that time.
These small, round cakes, crisp on the outside, smooth and soft in the middle, are made every morning in Ladurée’s "laboratory". The pastry chefs measure out very precisely the required amounts of almonds, eggs and sugar, before adding one final ingredient, a pinch of unique "know-how", essential to the making of such a delicacy.
Once cooked and filled, the macaroons are put to one side for 2 days before going on sale, the time it takes to achieve a perfect balance between texture and flavour.
Macaroons come in two sizes: the mini-macaroon or "gerbet" and full-size macaroons.
With each new season, Ladurée pays tribute to this its most famous creation by creating a new flavour.
The existing range of macaroons is always the starting point when a new one is created, as the variety of colours is as important as the range of flavours and a vital part of their appeal.
The new flavour for autumn:
Macaroon “Ruby Kiss” aroma of chocolate, berries and spices.
Flavours that are permanently available:
Chocolate, Dark chocolate, Vanilla, Coffee, Rose petal, Pistachio, Salted butter Caramel, Cherry amaretto, Raspberry, Orange blossom, Liquorice.
Seasonal flavours :
Lemon, Praline, Ice mint, Coconut, Chestnut, Grenadine.
Special & temporary creations:
Java Pepper - Apricot Ginger - Muscovado - Candyfloss - Havana - White amber - Indian Rose - Aniseed - Champagne - Orange Saffron - Lily-of-the-valley - Strawberry Poppy - Gingerbread - Rosanis
Available from Harrods or the store at 71-72 Burlington Arcade, London W1
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