Paris' top macaron contenders

After living in Paris for a few months, I realized there is one thing that has become synonymous with the tourist industry.

The macaron.

It seems that whenever someone comes to Paris, the first thing that comes to mind is this crispy, creamfilled cookie.

The second thing that comes to mind is where to find them. In Paris, there are two
companies, Ladurée and Pierre Hermé, that are at the top. And they have a bitter rivalry.

The top tearooms to visit in Paris are those owned by Ladurée, a Versailles-themed macaron company that actually made pastries for the film “Marie Antoinette.” It is highly famous for its gilded, highly decorative packaging and visual merchandising.

However, there is a better option. Pierre Hermé is the bad boy of patisseries, and his company is known for pumping out rebelliously-flavored macarons.

His are my favorite. Hands down.

The youngest person to ever win France’s Pastry Chef of the Year, Hermé also trained with Ladurée, which explains why the textures in his and the Ladurée’s cookies are recognizably similar.

Both cookies are about the diameter of a ping-pong ball and have a thin, crunchy shell thanks to the egg white batter. Once your teeth break through the shell, you meet a soft cake-like layer.

Finally, when you pull the cookie away from your mouth, the cream holding the two layers stretches with your movement ­— signaling a satisfying level of creaminess. It all happens within about one and a half centimeters of deliciousness.

If there were no taste, you would not be able to tell the difference between the two companies. So it becomes a game of flavor.

Let the battle begin.

Ladurée is good if you want the quintessential, almost too conventional, French macaron. The flavors are very traditional, simple and delicate. Think vanilla, raspberry and orange blossom.

They are wrapped very nicely for a few extra euros, and would make a good gift for someone who has very safe and simple tastes.

It would be a good choice for someone impressed by brand names. As a teahouse and bakery, Ladurée has expanded its line into unimaginable proportions, now selling Versailles-inspired perfume, clothing and accessories.

While it may be good for business, it sort of stinks of big business, losing some of the charm intrinsic to a French patisserie.

If you want something fun without the extra pastels and gold thrown around, go to Pierre Hermé. He will give you great food. He has distinct flavors like passion fruit and milk chocolate, black sesame green tea, along with the expected flavors like chocolate and vanilla.

You will not find tourist’s nonsense here. Just straightforward, delicious pastries.

­audperki@indiana.edu