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Story MY DUNG
Photos ANNA DUONG, MY DUNG, UNSPLASH
Enjoy a delicious pilgrimage to the birthplace of a legendary French pastry in Paris.
When planning my European trip, I highlighted one must-visit destination: Ladurée, the bakery that introduced the macaron to the culinary world. Ladurée, simply put, is considered the iconic pastry shop of France. Founded in 1862, Ladurée began as a small bakery at 16 Rue Royale in the Madeleine district of Paris, under the management of its founder, Louis Ernest Ladurée. By 1900, it had elevated its brand by combining coffee and tea with pastries, helping to give rise to French-style tearooms in Paris.
A significant milestone for Ladurée occurred in 1930 when chef Pierre Desfontaines (the cousin of Louis Ernest Ladurée) created the Paris macaron. He came up with the idea of sandwiching two almond meringue egg shells with ganache filling. Surprisingly, the original version of the macaron is believed to date back to Italy in the 8th century before making its way to France in 1533. However, in its early stages, it was simply a cookie made from almond flour, egg whites and sugar, without any fillings or special flavor. Without Ladurée’s innovation, the world would not have been introduced to the colorful and delicious version of the macaron we know today.
In the introduction to its history, Ladurée writes: “Recognized as the ambassador of the Paris macaron, Ladurée is also the inventor of the French-style tearoom and inherits a culture and art. Our pastry art is lived with passion every day and shared with you in memorable settings.”
Thanks to its fame and prestige, Ladurée’s macarons were chosen to appear in the 2006 film Marie Antoinette, which depicted the opulent life of French royalty. The movie showcased towers of colorful Ladurée macarons in scenes of parties and lavish dessert tables surrounding the queen. Afterward, Ladurée created a macaron named Marie Antoinette, a delicate sea-blue pastry with a black tea-flavored ganache combined with citrus and rose, as a tribute to the film.
Reading this, do you feel the urge to book a flight straight to Paris and sit in Ladurée’s bakery on the Champs-Élysées? As for me, I’m reminiscing about the first time I went to Paris and bought a box of Ladurée macarons. It felt like owning a treasure that made my heart skip with joy. And from the first bite, your soul will surely melt from the perfect combination of thin and crispy shell, soft and airy interior, and smooth filling. It’s a symphony of colors, flavors and textures that you can’t help but fall in love with.
The macaron is known as one of the most beautiful pastries and also one of the most challenging to master. A perfect macaron requires the expertise of a skilled baker and carefully selected ingredients. Even with all the modern technology and machinery, most of the steps in making macarons must still be done by hand. I have tried making macarons myself and the result was many failures before I produce a pastry that could be considered acceptable. Of course, my attempts pale in comparison to Ladurée’s, but it was enough to understand the difficulty in making these “princesses” of the pastry world.
The macaron shell is a combination of three ingredients: almond flour, egg whites, and sugar. Both almond flour and sugar must be superfine, while egg whites should come from eggs that have been refrigerated for about 3 to 5 days. The quantity of each ingredient, the boiling temperature of the sugar, and the oven temperature must all be absolutely precise. Otherwise, all your efforts will go to waste.
When making macarons, humidity is crucial. High humidity compromises shell structure, causing cracking or puffing during baking. Ideal room humidity for macarons is 40-50%.
A premium French macaron must meet strict standards. The shell surface must be shiny and smooth with just the right crispiness, cracking like an eggshell but not crumbling when bitten. The interior should be soft and moist but still have some chewiness before melting in your mouth. The base, or “feet,” should be firm, straight, and not spread out wider than the body. Both shell halves should be the same size and thickness. The filling can be buttercream, ganache, or jam, but it must have the right consistency – neither too wet nor too dry – when sandwiched, enough moisture to soften the inside of the two shells.
After baking and filling, macarons need to rest in a cold room to achieve the best texture. This is a secret that Ladurée has never revealed. Nobody knows the exact temperature of their cold room nor the precise resting time. Thanks to
these proprietary techniques, Ladurée remains a dream destination for travelers seeking culinary excellence in Paris. According to a 2022 statistic, Ladurée’s Parisian stores alone sell a total of 12,000 macarons per day, which translates to about 4.3 million per year.
Macarons are also one of the few pastries with a dedicated celebration: National Macaron Day on March 20th each year. So make sure to plan your next trip to glamorous Paris with a stop at the Ladurée bakery and enjoy an afternoon tea with a plate of legendary macarons.
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