Marquise de Sevigne Chocolat

Box of Marquise de Sevigne Chocolates, watercolor

I mentioned last week, that when C. emailed me in Paris to please bring her back some French chocolate, my immediate response was no, no, no!

I bring back only EMPTY choco boxes to paint in my still life watercolors.

 

But the last minute. After all Marquise de Sevigne Chocolats shop is next to my hotel on 62,rue de Seine. Before heading out to CDG airport I stopped in for a little box.

Everything is French blue, blue, blue inside and out at Marquise de Sevigne.

Marquise de Sevigne, a 19th century French aristocrat, is celebrated for the sharp wit and vividness in her 30 years of correspondence to her daughter, Madame de Grignan.

The chocolate shop has cleverly taken her ecriture/writing and turned it into a wall of chocolate descriptions.

And those chocolats have won many prizes.

 

I'm a big fan of their hot chocolate...
Like so many French chocolate shops they have a big selection of teas to drink with your chocolate. A few chocolatey quotes from the Marquise's letters to her dear daughter:

"If you are not feeling well, if you have not slept, chocolate will revive you.
But you have no chocolate!
I think of that again and again!

My dear, how will you ever manage?"

And...

"Please believe that I love you as much as the chocolate we shall savor together".

Merci C. for making me stop in for that box of French chocolates.

Now why didn't I get myself a box too?! :)
 

Pretty Paris Boxes

There's a tremendous fuss made over the candy box in France and I'm very glad of it. It's not merely a square box with a lid and bottom.

There's much more involved. It's an architectural wonder with popup leaves and windows and layers and so forth. No imagination is spared coming up with these "jewel boxes". I envision men in white coats fussing about with bits of cardboard in the lab creating these gems. And you can choose the box design appropriate for the occasion. These little darlings from Marquise de Sevigne, are waiting, perhaps for the mother of a new born babe..? A tiny bit resembling diapers...Hmmm Can anyone compete with Ladurée's aray of shapes, sizes and variety in box design? I doubt it. Their designer must be the Yves St. Laurent of candy box couture... This chic turquoise box comes from Patrick Roger . An intensely orange slipcase slides over the blue box...striking. French branding (IMO) is about ribbons, past-on stickers and whymsical boxes. Not giant billboards that knock you over or your car on the highway. And don't forget those signature sacs (bags). Pink is a favored color for Paris boxes but black too is popular. You're probably thinking, Hmmm...I'm more interested in the contents of that box.
I brought home this pile of candy boxes, and I have another bag full of brand name ribbons. They have no sell-by date. One shop can have 2-3 different signature brand ribbons on offer. They only make these in France as far as I can tell. I've often thought how nice to have a ribbon 🎀 with Paris Breakfasts name on it. If I knew where to order them, I would tout suite...