History of the Delicious Macaron
Macarons, delicious meringue-based almond cookies that come in a variety of appetizing flavours and colors, are famous with French bakeries despite their 8th century Italian origins.
The story of the Italian treat finding its way into French hearts starts with Catherine de Medici. Upon her marriage to Henry II of France in 1533, she brought along a few of her Italian pastry chefs. At this time, they were simply almond based cookies. This was until 1792, when two Benedictine nuns tried to support themselves during the French Revolution by baking and selling treats made of ground almonds, egg whites, and sugar. They came to be known as "the macaron sisters." Their recipe was passed down in secret until, in the early 1900s, Ladurée, a Parisian bakery and tea salon, adapted a meringue-based version.
At beginning of 20th century Paris was wrapped up in a frenzy of entertainment. People wanted to make new acquaintances, but literary salons and literature circles were outmoded. Outspoken writer and activist Louis Ernest Ladurée’s wife, Jeanne Souchard, had the idea of fusing the Parisian café and the French patisserie, which led to the creation of one of the first tea rooms in town. Established in 1862 on Rue Royale in Paris, the patisserie’s original interior was designed by Jules Chéret, a famous painter and poster artist at the turn of the century. The chubby cherubs dressed as chefs that he painted on the ceiling would form the company’s emblem.
The story of the Ladurée macaron as we know today began in the middle of the 20th century with Pierre Desfontaines, who was the first to take two macaron shells and joining them with a delicious ganache filling. In the 1990s, Ladurée started releasing flavors seasonally, in the manner of clothing collections. The bakery, having opened its flagship location on the Champs-Élysées in 1997, also began advertising in the French versions of Vogue and Elle, alongside makeup, jewelry and handbags. This way the haute couture met haute cuisine and made Ladurée one of the coveted delicacies that is loved and cherished all around the world.
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