Traditional Macarons – Les Macarons de Joyeuse from Maison Charaix
Traditional Macarons – Les Macarons de Joyeuse by Maison Charaix
Macarons – everyone knows this typical French delicacy consisting of 2 colorful biscuits with a creamy filling in between. Elevated to a luxury product by the great chef Pierre Hermé, and in its current form known and loved worldwide, this product has a long history, during which the macaron has undergone a significant transformation.
We take you back to 8th-century Sicily, because yes, that is where the origin of the 'maccarone' lies, a dessert made from ground almond biscuits. The almonds, in turn, were brought by Arab troops stationed in Sicily. The term 'maccarruni' was, back then, a collective name used by these Arab troops for products made from ground grains – hence the similarity to pasta macaroni, which is also made from ground grains and also originates from Sicily.
It wasn't until September 24, 1581, when according to a popular account, Catherine de Médicis, the Italian wife of King Henry III, organized a feast where she introduced the “maccarone” to the French court. One of the guests, Duke Anne de Joyeuse, from a town in the French Ardèche, took it for his wife. The Duchess was very pleased, prompting the Duke to commission the recreation of this almond cookie; the “Macarons de Joyeuse” were born.
Over the years, many variations have emerged outside of Joyeuse.
For example, during the French Revolution, nuns in the French city of Nancy baked and sold macarons to pay for their lodging. These were also almond biscuits and are still available in Nancy today, at the Maison de Soeurs Macarons.
In the 20th century, the Parisian variant emerged when pastry chef Pierre Desfontaines combined two almond meringues with a flavorful filling in between. Today, Pierre Hermé is the undisputed king of macarons. This famous chef, repeatedly voted the world's best pastry chef, has turned macarons into an absolute luxury product with his refined flavors and balance of ingredients.
Thus, the macaron became world-famous, and in its current form, they are available in countless flavor varieties of biscuits and fillings.
To this day, the original Macarons de Joyeuse are still made by Maison Charaix according to the traditional recipe, using pure natural ingredients, with almond flour, and without added preservatives or colorings.
Are you curious how they taste? The original macarons from Maison Charaix, made using traditional methods, are now available at Les Belles Saveurs.
