If you see giant cheeses in the Metro station, you know the Salon International de l'Agriculture is in town on at Parc d’Expositions, Porte de Versailles(the convention center not the Palace) for 8 days. Take Metro 12 or bus 80👍
Yesterday I went to opening day.
I figured it would be less crowded and more manageable to start at Halle 5.2 (world products & France outre-mer) instead of the French pavilions like I usually do. One big tropical party was going on. They have all kinds of rum along with all the other exotic product. FYI I have never seen such ridiculous prices for vanilla beans & products like this year. You can buy your own vanilla plant (10€). Good luck with that😊 The absolute 1st must-do at the show - get a cup of made-on-the-spot divine coco sorbet(4€). The long lines can get horrendous. I was excited to find someone churning in a quiet alleyway in the show, so no line. Little did I know there were at 20-30 other purveyors selling coco sorbet. Everyone was walking around holding a cup. I always hated the shredded stuff on birthday cakes in the US. Then I tasted this. It’s from the Antilles or Reunion, made with coconut water, coconut cream, coconut 🥥 milk, so it’s dairy-free! In the floral wreaths selling miscellaneous products from Polynesia to accompanying music. Music and drumming everywhere. My copyshop guy is from Algeria. When I spotted Algerian Medjool dates/dattes I bought us both some. I’m a new convert since Carrefour had little packs of 3 for 99 centimes. So yummy. I assumed they were too sweet! Do you like dates? I wish I was more familiar with some of these exotic fruits besides pineapples & mangoes. Do you know them? What about the ‘Jack’ Robinson cake. No one seems to know the origin but it’s supposed to be delicious. I was expecting to find tropical orchids and found these Bird of Paradise instead. When I saw a Portuguese Pastel de Nata stand there was no resisting (2,50€). Greedy me got 2. But no bags, so I had to eat both on the spot or walk around carrying an eggy tarte everywhere. Downstairs more international stands. The Italians were giving out samples of everything. And everything was one price - 29€ a kilo, which is ridiculous for olives and addictive Taralli crackers 🙁 Best to taste & run. I was curious to see prices on beloved Parmigiano Reggiano from Azienda Brugnoli. You’d think you’d get a break buying direct from the producteur . You’d be WRONG. 43€ a kilo for aged 24 month! What? I quickly emailed Solli who is in Italy at the moment, for an update. Very different prices at her supermarché - 17,90 a kilo/24 months!!! Buyer beware. There is always a plethora of Swiss Le Gruyère at the show. Plus a big restaurant selling just fondue. A fondue pack for 2 people was 15€. No comment. You could also buy a fondue-wiche (10€). A guy was filling up baguettes with molten Gruyère. I don’t know how I resisted. My attention was drawn to the cute little cows 🐄 😵💫 In the midst of all this delicious chaos in halle 5.2 Perhaps to calm us down, were very calm and sweet longhorn cattle. I didn’t see any labels so I can’t identify the breeds but they were lovely ❤️ I managed to scrape up stamina and get to French Halle 2.2 for French apple samples galore. I got a free apple 🍎 slicer & corer along with a free, nice apple bag + matching pen and notepad. Other French product promotions for beet sugar, tractors, and Petit Beurre. You had to pass a contest to get a cookie, though every single kid tried to break off a hunk from the giant plaster cookie. What to wear to Salon de l’Agri? Something you can take off. It gets hot. I saw a lot of leopard 🐆 at the show. I’ll go back to see French halle 3 and pavillons.
The hours are 9h -17h. Go back early👍
If you enjoyed this newsletter, forward to a friend.
🐓🐑🐄🐻 Xxx Carolg & Bear 🐻 🐄 🐑 🐓
❤️🙏TAKE CARE DEAR CALIFORNIANS 🙏❤️
You go to all these wonderful events.
ReplyDeleteGuess that happens when you live in a world capital. Gabon
Miam Miam I recognize the name Philibon from a sticker I got on a melon, whenI went to a street market with Georges.
ReplyDeleteI put it on my tablet case.
What foods did you get to sample? Jane
The bright pink fruit is dragon fruit. Can't say I have ever tried one though!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous but does not live up to its image. Tasted several. Meh.
DeleteOh Thanks for letting us know 👍
DeleteThe yellow dragon fruit has much more flavor and sweetness than the pink!
DeletePrefer the pink dragon fruit here! Carol, think it would be fun fruit to paint! Also, the inside - which was a surprise first time seen.
DeleteDates are a great alternative sweetener! Like olives, many sizes and flavors! Treat: stuff a medjool with cheese : ) ! Market = yum!!
That does sound delish. I like slicing dates super thin and making them last. Like molten honey…
DeleteIntrigued by the Robinson Crusoe cake. When I searched for a recipe online, no luck!
ReplyDeleteI must admit I added the ‘Crusoe’ making certain assumptions
DeleteThanks for making me investigate further.
It’s an Antilles cake called JACK Robinson cake and noone seems to know Jack Robinson was? A mystery
I love ❤️ all the greens! Anabel
ReplyDeleteOh my J would have snapped up un pot d'anchois..and then I use the jar:) Love the apple bag etc:)Love dates and prunes too..What a fun salon.I like when you visit here.
ReplyDeleteI did linger over the jar of anchois but I prefer the silky ones from Cantabria, Spain. Those big jars look enticing but don’t always live up to expectations.
DeletePS Dragon fruit is beautiful sliced..white with tiny black polka dots;)
ReplyDeleteDragon fruit grows here in Ecuador, and the yellow-skinned version is far sweeter and more tasty than the pink version. They’re cactus fruits, and are cut open & eaten fresh with a spoon, blended to make a very drinkable juice, and I’ve seen them in jams, too. They sell for $5 or more each in the US, and depending on the season here, I’ve paid from 4 for $1 to $1 each. Highly recommend tasting them as they are delicious!, but don’t eat more than ½ a fruit a day unless you’re looking for a natural & effective laxative.
DeleteThanks for all the insider Dragon fruit tips straight from Ecuador! Wow
DeleteJust to add there is nothing like eating an exotic fruit in its country of origin. I remember coconuts just off the tree in Brazil. Sipping the coconut water was nothing like the $$$$ stuff in bottles in the US.
DeleteDates slices in the middle , filled with mascarpone is delicious. Lise from Toronto
ReplyDeleteWow Luxe calm et volupté
DeleteDon't know who Jack Robinson was but here's the recipe:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.kilometre-0.fr/recettes/cake-jack-robinson/. - Lise
You would be rolling me down the rows and maybe by midnight I would be eating and buying. Wow. This is heaven. Lynne
ReplyDeleteI don’t thing so - no space to roll in the aisles. Too crowded!
DeleteEVERY person who regularly visits France should put the Salon de Agriculture on their calendar. It is a fabulous place to visit. Your post left me green with envy, Carol. Thank you for visiting in our stead…I’m off to study all of your photos!! ❤️
ReplyDeleteIt’s a way to understand so much about France all in one place - a very joyous occasion. Very celebratory ❤️
DeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteI looked up the Jack Robinson cake. I had never heard of it. An anonymous blogger wrote the following comment below on one of the blogs I follow. I am curious why you mentioned it in the tropical section? The other comment on the blog said it was named Jack Robinson because you could make it as fast as you could say “Jack Robison”.
“A recipe for Jack Robinson Cake or Square was published in The Country Woman's Favourite by the Upper Gloucester Women's Institute, Gloucester Co., NB, in September 1954. It was contributed by Lois Watling. The WI recipe uses shortening rather than butter, and 2 c cake flour, with the instruction to sift the flour and then measure. The topping has 1 c blanched almonds rather than walnuts. Oven is 325-350 for 30 min. The wording of the instructions is amazingly close.”
I am definitely making it. Thanks for mentioning it. I have been to the Salon only once. I was invited to judge imported cheeses. It was quite an experience but my trip did not include time to visit the other areas, so I appreciate your descriptions and photos of the other areas.
Funny I saw that too somewhere and someone mentioned Jackie Robinson.
DeleteSomeone said ot was in a Pierre Hermé cookbook!
If I get the chance I will ask further
Mystery cake
Too bad you didnt have time to see more. There is so much more to see!
DeleteYour Agriculture post is awesome! 👏🏻 You covered SO much. Are you still exhausted?? I would be. Lucky you getting that apple corer/slicer, they’re a very good thing to have. 🍎 D.
ReplyDeleteI loved every picture and word of this post and so look forward to it every year. It is definitely food overload and would take several trips to see it all. I do love dates and lots of other things you showed here. Waiting impatiently for your next trip to the Salon.
ReplyDeleteNot all parmigiana Reggiano is created equally. Here the good stuff costs around 25$ a pound and irs worth it. Yum AWCatering
ReplyDeleteActually it is very strictly regulated. Its the aging that makes the difference.
DeleteAnd you’re paying import duties in CA too.
https://www.foodandwine.com/cooking-techniques/parmigiano-reggiano-age-difference
I went to College of the Desert in Palm Desert CA and found I LOVE Medjool Dates! (Big date producing part of southern California) In fact, I have some that I purchased just this week in a local bulk foods department! DELISH! Yes, from your other year's posting of the Salon d'Agriculture, I will plan to be there to attend (in some future year!). That Coco glace sounds enticing! Merci pour the adventure, aujourd'hui, Carol!
ReplyDeleteWhat cute cows! The most relaxed people there?
ReplyDeleteTasting all the Italian food then leaving sounds good, interesting about the prices. Things like that are expensive here, but they have to get on a plant to Australia so have good reason to be.
I would love to be able to taste heaps of different apples together. Any thoughts? I eat lots of Pink Lady apples.
All the best for your second trip!
Thanks for covering Salon d'Agri <3 I will never forget when you took me there for the first time. So fun! I hope to be in Paris next year at this time so we can go there again together. Still remember that coconut ice cream, was so tasty! And fresh!
ReplyDeleteSeemed to be crowded with people this year! You must be exhausted. Have fun when you go back again Xx
Oh I want to find out where I can get one of those plaid palm tree and flowered table cloths in the third set of pictures.
ReplyDeleteGo to French Guyana or they might sell it end of show on 5March 😊
DeleteYOU HAVE US THOROUGHLY ADDICTED!!! THERE IS ONLY ONE PARIS!! WITH CHARMS GALORE OF ALL KINDS! CARLA
ReplyDelete