Ah, macarons. These little French meringue sandwiches are famous for being very difficult to make, which many struggling baking enthusiasts can testify for. In Paris, you can see shops selling these treats all over the city- with two chains being the most world-renowned. They are Maison Ladurée and Pierre Hermé Paris!
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A little history: where macarons came from
The macarons we know now are little almond-and-meringue sandwiches with ganache filling, but it wasn’t always that way! It has long morphed from just the macaron shells into the form we love today. Its long history is said to originate from Italy (8th century), and entered France when Queen Catherine de Medici married King Henry II of France. Can you believe that they used to be called “priest’s bellybutton”? I don’t think they would be as popular these days if they kept that name 😂
These delectable snack evolved further after the French revolution, when two Carmelite nuns better known as the Macaron Sisters began selling them to the public in the city of Nancy. The “Macaron de Nancy” were crackly and crisp, an aesthetic far cry from its modern counterpart. Now, who created the smooth almond meringues we know as macarons today?
Maison Ladurée
This bakery was pioneered by the pastry chef Louis-Ernest Ladurée in 1862. Though it was not until 1930 when the grand-cousin of Monsieur Ladurée, Pierre Desfontaines, created the modern macaron! He experimented with sandwiching sweet ganache inbetween two macaron shells. In 1997, these sweet snacks with rose flavoring was created- a delightful addition to their Champs Elysées salon. More international branches open up in Japan, New York, and Dubai, making Maison Ladurée an icon for salon du thé and macarons. They are most famous for the following flavors: rose macaron, pistachio macaron, and caramel macaron.
Did you know?
Maison Ladurée has a cosmetics line!
Pierre Hermé Paris
Monsieur Hermé is an Alsatian pastry chef born in 1962, coming from a long line of bakers and pâtissiers. At the age of 14, he became an apprentice to the famed pastry chef Gaston Lenôtre- eventually becoming a pastry chef himself at age 20. The pâtisserie bearing his name was founded in 1996, and they are the ones who introduced March 20th as Macaron Day! Some of his iconic flavors are: pistachio macaron, infiniment rose macaron, infiniment vanilla macaron, and Ispahan macaron (lychee, raspberry, and rose).
How do macarons taste like?
These little treats are composed of two components: its shell (coque in French) and filling. The crisp shells and soft ganache provide an interesting contrast of textures. The taste itself is highly dependent on the filling, as different flavors are incorporated into it. Most people usually purchase different flavors in one go, and enjoy the
Maison Ladurée vs. Pierre Hermé Macarons?!
During my walk in central Paris, I came across a Maison Ladurée salon and a Pierre Hermé boutique within a few blocks of each other. Curious about how they compare, I bought two similar flavors from them! I ventured on a quest to answer the nagging question: which one is best?
I bought two flavors from each store: Rose and Pistachio. The flavors seen on Pierre Hermé’s menu are visibly more complex than the ones at Maison Ladurée, which had more of a one-note offering. I wanted to find a pure rose and pistachio macaron at Pierre Hermé, but alas, I had to settle for the two closest ones: Ispahan and Pistache Pralinée.
They were so beautiful I almost could not bring myself to eat them. First up, the rose-flavored macarons! The one from Maison Ladurée had a fragrant rose ganache layer in the middle, while Pierre Hermé’s creation had raspberry jelly in the middle of beautifully flavored lychee and rose ganache. This combination was killer, the acidity from the raspberry combined with the slightly fruity ganache just offered layers of flavor that Maison Ladurée could not. I will have to declare the Ispahan macaron to be the winner.
Second round, the pistachio macarons! Pierre Hermé’s pistachio macaron is not straight-up just pistachio either. It has gone through a bath of sugar and intense caramelization to become pistachio praline. This filling left me with notes of pistachio butter and caramel, rounded up with the smoothness of white chocolate that does not take away from its nuttiness.
On the other hand, when I tried the pistachio macaron from Maison Ladurée, the simplicity of the flavor became a little ..boring in comparison. It tasted artificial as well, as if they only used pistachio essence and not the nut itself. When tasted side-by-side with its opponent, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
The Conclusion
The obvious winner is Pierre Hermé Paris! Monsieur Hermé really deserves his famed title, “Picasso of Pastry” 🍰. I really loved the combinations of flavors, balance of sweetness and acidity on the Ispahan, and the creaminess of his pistachio praline macaron. Don’t miss out on his sweet treats while in France, which won’t be so hard because his outlets are everywhere!
P.S. = If you’re passionate about pastries, check out my Paris croissant ranking! Or if you are looking for a satisfyingly sweet snack at home, make my Indonesian Piscok recipe 🍌🍫
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