Images courtesy of Marvin Shaouni, Cesarastudilo, Quinn.Anya

Just like any other major city, Paris has its fair share of kitschy souvenirs on offer. Indeed, the word souvenir itself is French. And I’ll be the first to admit that I still have the mini Eiffel tower that my best friend brought back for me years ago. In recent trips, however, I haven’t looked twice at the knickknacks on display all over the city. Instead, when the time comes for me to return home from Paris – as it did earlier this month – my suitcase is packed with a different species of souvenirs to enjoy back on American soil. And they basically all have to do with food.

Sel de Guérande – Fritish

Sel de Guérande. This sea salt, collected off of the shores of Brittany, is hailed by many. Both the sel gros (coarse salt) and fleur de sel (fine top layer) are astonishingly less expensive in France than in the US. My last morning in Paris, I woke up to beautiful sunshine and hopped on a Vélib’ to pick up my very own 1 kilo bag of the sel gros from M. Dion at the Marché Richard Lenoir, near Bastille. Thanks to David Lebovitz for the tip!

Moutarde de Dijon. “Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?” Nope – but I do have Maille, and at just over 1€ per jar at Monoprix, it’s another example of an item considered high end in the States but standard in France. Great for homemade vinaigrettes or even just for dipping your French fries as the natives do.

Cheese. Do I have to elaborate? Wrap it tight and bury it deep in your checked luggage to get it through tricky customs. Many fromageries in Paris will even vacuum-pack it for the trans-Atlantic voyage. This time, my choice import was a wedge of Napoléon, a mild yet flavorful sheep’s milk cheese from Corsica purchased from a fromagerie on the rue Rambuteau.

Maggie Battista – Eatboutique.com

Metric measuring cup. While the rest of the world uses the oh-so-logical metric system, we Americans are stuck with our clumsy cups and ounces. How confusing! My verre mesureur from la Vaissellerie allows me to make all those recipes I picked up in France back here at home. My mother was delighted to receive one as a birthday gift after a past trip, and promptly put hers to good use making a Patricia Wells molten chocolate dessert recipe. Yum!

Crêpe spreader. This T-shaped wooden implement is used by crêperies across the city. I picked mine up in the housewares section of Galéries Lafayette, though you can even get them in the US at specialty stores such as Sur la Table.

Nivea cream. My favorite moisturizer to soothe my poor hands – after all, there are a lot of dishes to be washed once I’ve put all my delightful French ingredients to good use!

Having these items in my home makes me feel like I’m not quite so far away… and lets me share my Parisian life with my friends and family back in the US. They also keep me looking forward to my next séjour in the City of Light – a nice feeling. What are the souvenirs of Paris that you simply can’t do without?

Related articles:

• Travel & Leisure: Sappy Souvenirs
• Navigating the French Cheese Shop
• NY Times, the Frugal Traveler, Finders Keepers: Souvenirs on the Road

Written by Sarah Raymond for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

On my last trip to Paris, I was on a mission to try as many new cheeses as possible. The problem, though, was that I was there alone; and more often than not, I was buying cheeses that I would be finishing myself. So in an effort to minimize the size of my waistline, each time I would purchase a new cheese at the fromagerie I would ask for only a small bit. A few days before leaving, I made a trip to the Pascal Beillevaire shop on the rue des Moines, near our Pilleux studio (where I was staying), to pick up a few new favorites. As I explained that I wanted just “un tout petit peu” (very little bit) of Beaufort, the fromager kindly replied: “Une lichette, alors?”

Une lichette indeed! It was a word I had heard recently for the first time, and was exactly what I wanted. According to my Larousse Poche French dictionary, une lichette is a familiar term for a small quantity of a particular food. Since that trip to the Fromagerie Pascal Beillevaire – which, incidentally, has wonderful products and several locations throughout Paris – lichette has become one of my favorite words, and I find it much more fun to use than morceau (morsel), tranche fine (thin slice), or any other term indicating small quantities.

So – next time you want just un tout petit peu of a certain food, give une lichette a try. I promise you will be satisfied!

Written by Sarah Raymond for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

Ever wonder why, when you buy cheese in a proper cheese shop, it comes wrapped in a piece of lined wax paper?  Until I lived in France, I always thought that plastic wrap was the way to go.  It was only when a kind fromager in Lyon introduced me to this aspect of French life that I learned I had been killing the character of my cheeses with the clear, clingy wrap.  This week, Nora Singley, the resident Cheesemonger over at The Kitchn, explains the reason behind the wrapping and why plastic wrap is a no-no – regardless of how stinky the cheese.

Photo courtesy of thekitchn.com (Faith Durand)

You can see Nora’s full post, which includes simple step-by-step instructions for wrapping cheese and accompanying photos, here. I personally am a proponent of the cheese-dedicated tupperware, which has a permanent home in my refrigerator.  Not only does it keep my refrigerator free of smells from my more odorific fromages, but it also keeps all my cheese in the same place and prevents me from buying more than I need; i.e. more than will fit in the container.  I’m not sure how I feel about labeling and dating all the cheeses as Nora instructs – after all, I’m not one to throw out unfinished bits of cheese, no matter how old they are – but the rest is spot on.

www.whytraveltofrance.com

So, next time you bring home a collection of quality cheeses – be they from a Parisian fromagerie or from your neighborhood market back home  – you’ll know how best to preserve them.  Bon appétit!

Written by Sarah Raymond for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.