The Perfect Parisian Macaron

Every city has its iconic culinary marker, but Paris has many. One of the most popular French foods in recent years is the macaron (not to be confused with macaroons, which are flat and contain coconut). Stores across Paris claim to have the best, but the majority of the vote falls on the bakeries of Laduree and Pierre Herme.

The Laduree business began back in 1862 on Rue Royale. The bakery now has 21 locations worldwide, including New York City and Miami. Laduree expanded and moved to Champs Elysees, but the original is still a revered site for macaron lovers. It was Pierre Desfontaines, in fact— a second cousin of Laduree’s founder— who first put piping between two shells and created the “modern” macaron.

While Laduree is often considered rather traditional, Pierre Herme’s desserts are more contemporary in addition to being softer and in a number of unusual taste combinations. Part of the charm of macarons is the endless number of variations that they come in. Travelers can try flavors like sparkling champagne and pistachio apricot as they make up their minds on which business should be crowned king of the macaron.

Macarons themselves are quite well-traveled pastries, with early prototypes of the recipe originating in the Middle Ages with Arab troops that landed in Sicily.