Sial Paris 2024

 

My collection of free samples

Yesterday Solli, my partner in crime, and I

Took RER B out to Parc des Expositions for first day of SIAL.

The world-wide annual international Food event for professionals

This is every bit as big as Maison&Objet, i.e. massive, held in the same venue.

We started out in Fruits & Spices, where I needed to pick up my ticket 🎫 

Oh my, so many absolutely yummy exotic things to taste from 

India, Iran, Brazil, Chile

This is what REAL cinnamon looks like from Ceylon/Sri Lanka. Pale toast color, tightly furled, very delicate. We managed to convince them to give us each one cinnamon stick 🙏

Many US States were there with dried wild blueberries, dried cherries, cranberries, pecans, pistachios. So many samples. 

Solli only eats ‘organics’, so often politely declined. 

Meanwhile I’m nudging her and whispering, 

“Just Take It! I’ll eat them” 😂

Somehow we escaped out of there and walked across to Hall 1 for Savory Foods (see mini map above)

Italy 🇮🇹 

Solli said  Garofalo is the absolute Best pasta! She lives half the time in Italy. They were passing out cooked samples with baby green peas. Italians love those tiny peas. I grabbed one of course. 😀

Greece 🇬🇷 tasting samples from Mavrommatis. They make the best Greek yogurt you can find in Paris. Made in France 🇫🇷 from Greek cows 🐄 by the way.

Germany🇩🇪

I brought home a carton of ‘Instant Pasta’ with truffles like Instant Ramen but so much better.

A pretty wall of decorative pasta

We tasted this delish Italian almond milk 🥛 

This is the absolute best Balsamico if you can find it. I lost my tiny sample 🥲

Solli said this is a gift 🎁 Italians often give. Por favore 🙏

A mini portion of caponata from Sicily. Yum. 

We were supposed to appear at the presse office for snacks (!?) at 3:00 

Even though we were stuffed to the gills 🐟 & exhausted from visiting just 2 HALLES! 

Solli said we should walk our way through the different halls

Instead of going outside and crossing to Hall 6.

We got so lost 🙈 It took us 40 minutes. I was ready to faint. I collapsed in the nearest chair while Solli networked. I decided to head for home. It was 4:00 🕓  The crowds generally leave from 6:00 🕕  = madness on the Metro. Solli stayed. 

We are going back tomorrow. I completely missed the France 🇫🇷 area!

I hope you got a vicarious thrill dear PBers ❤️😀