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They do look like some normal circular golden brown cookies that you would find anywhere on the streets. BUT THEY AREN’T. They say don’t judge a book by its cover. It couldn’t be truer on these Breton Shortbread Cookies. A UNIFICATION OF AN ANCESTRAL RECIPE AND DEVOTION From sieving the flour to baking the dough to packaging the cookies, it’s all done by the hands of the craft nuns in the Abbaye la joie Notre Dame in Bretagne (Breton), France. So behind every cookie that you taste, it is a unification of an ancestral recipe and devotion that makes these Breton cookies extraordinarily tasty. Of course, nothing a great cook can do without the right ingredients. Made of only fresh and local butter and eggs as well as the wheat flour produced in France, the butter cookies have earned themselves the Monastic label. The French label only validates products with great uniqueness and quality, so you know these Breton shortbread cookies are quite something. A BUTTERY COOKIE TASTING EXPERIENCE When I first tried them, I was really amazed by the aftertaste they left. I expected them to be buttery, but what I didn’t expect was that THE TASTE OF BUTTER CAME BACK even after I swallowed the cookie. It was like some freshly melted butter lingering in my mouth and only starting to fade when I realised I wanted more. It was an uncommon tasting experience found in a common food and that’s what made me fall in love with them. Mind you, they can be quite addictive, but with buttery taste like this … who cares :D P.s. If you look carefully, you will find the white decorative pattern on the black stripes. Well, this is the regional emblem of Breton.

The very first post of this blog!! We would like to dedicate it to a spread that we like very much: the artisanal salted butter caramel made by the Abbaye de Landévennec in Bretagne, France. It was pure luck that we discovered this finger-licking spread and we adored it when we had our first bite. The spread bears the Monastic label. The French brand has long been supporting handmade products from the French abbeys. As a matter of fact, Monastic care about the provenance of the food ingredients, the environment, sustainability, and the product’s uniqueness, so we can rest assured of the food that we take from them. Salted butter caramel spread is a specialty in Bretagne L’Abbaye de Landévennec is the only abbey in France that makes this divine spread. No food colouring or preservatives, its caramel colour comes from the natural colour of sugar cane. When you grab a bite, you will feel the smooth and creamy texture that gives a sense of delicacy in your mouth. The aftertaste? It is a combination of the rightfully balanced salted butter, crème fraîche, and sugar cane that lingers. As a result, the sweetness is just perfect to be served with other desserts. How do we like it? We love enjoying it on a slice of brioche or cheesecake. It also tastes wonderfully with toast, yoghurt, crêpe or vanilla ice cream. Today, I had it in my morning coffee. Only a spoon of it and wow… the aroma of my coffee is ascended! P.s. Your support is an encouragement to the abbey so their small community can continue to operate and be self-sufficient.

France is the country of gastronomy and art. The French love artisanal products. It goes without saying that the local French brands thrive under this respect of traditions. Therefore, when we set up our store, we aimed (we still are!!) to discover these hidden French handmade gems, hoping to find some unique French foods that cannot be found in Hong Kong. At the same time, it’s also a way to help promote French artisanal products. THE FERTILE SOILS IN NORMANDY & GÂTINAIS Today’s about our Salted Butter Caramel & Apple Cookies and Honey Cookies made by the abbey “Abbaye Saint-Wandrille” in Normandy. The fertile Normandy soil means that the apples harvested there are especially juicy and tasty. During the harvest season, it is said that the Normandy orchards are filled with the aroma of apples. No wonder their apples are an important crop in this northwest region of France! The honey cookies, on the other hand, are baked with the honey from the Gâtinais region in France. The region allows the bees to bring in the rapeseed and dandelion pollens when they turn nectar into honey, so the delicious honey has the subtle flavours of the pollens that are added to the cookies. CAN’T STOP NIBBLING Apart from the wonderful fresh apples and honey, French caramel, butter, and fresh eggs are also added, differentiating their aromatic flavours from other mass productions. Not exaggerating, the fruitiness from the small apple cubes, the faint buttery taste, and the honey do make a difference. I always find myself unconsciously eating a few pieces!!

Behold the Pure Organic Cacao Powder that offers unsweetened organic cacao to naturally de-stress and relax your muscle. RICH IN NUTRITION Rich in nutrients like protein, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc, the cacao powder is ground from 100% organic cacao beans in the Dominican Republic, a major cacao producer of the world. They are then defatted until only 10% of fat is left to be rid of the carbohydrates, without sacrificing the original rich chocolate flavour. SUGAR FREE AND GLUTEN FREE Eating well is important. As a breakfast or a snack, this organic cacao provides all the benefits of chocolate and is suitable for both children and adults. The absence of sugar and gluten also means that it is perfectly suitable for a healthy diet. Have I mentioned the benefit of its magnesium, which often lacks in our daily diet? It is a natural relaxant to help us loosen up, both spiritually and physically speaking. No wonder we always love eating chocolate to unwind ourselves :D Mixing one or two spoons of the organic cocoa powder with some milk flesh out of the refrigerator, stir it and there you have, a smooth and palatable icy milk chocolate for a hot and humid summer. Or if you want, match the powder with some desserts, cakes, or yoghourts, it tastes just as yummy! SOME SWEET TIP: For those craving for a little sweet, you can add a spoon of muscovado sugar or honey to deepen the aromatic flavour of cacao. It won’t hurt!

Don’t you find the name “Financier Cake” a bit strange? Personally, I had no idea what it was the first time I heard of the name. I thought maybe the name was inspired by the shape of the cake? I was half right. Turns out there is actually a little story behind the naming of these financier cakes. THEY WERE "Visitandines" The name itself does suggest its relation to the financial world. It was in the 19th century. There was a French pastry chef named Lasne who made small almond cakes, only that at the time it was called "Visitandines". His store, located near the Stock Exchange in Paris, guaranteed him the financiers who were always in a hurry to fill their stomachs without getting their hands dirty. These cakes, having a divine almond fragrance, couldn’t be more ideal for them. THE NAMING OF FINANCIER CAKE Having had his success, Lasne decided to transform the original oval-shaped cakes to rectangular ones, a shape of the gold ingot. Voilà, since then, they are called “Financier Cakes”. The French love having them with a cup of tea or coffee and the people of Normandy especially like them with bolée à cidre (a special container that holds the right amount of cider for the drinkers). Isn’t it a lovely combination for an afternoon tea? We have three flavours for your choosing: Apple, Salted Butter Caramel, Lemon Honey. Try one, if not all?

Being in France for several years, we have noticed the French, apart from their national insistence on gastronomy, care so much about what they eat. That’s why we see Nutri-Score on every food product in France so they can identify what’s nutritious and what’s not. The French brand “Résurrection” takes this standard to a higher level. They are on a mission to give foods a second life by not wasting the beer by-products after brewing. APPLE RESIDUE AND MALT INCREASE THE NUTTY AROMA Apple residue and malt, which are worthless in the eyes of breweries, actually contain a lot of nutrients such as vitamins, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper and magnesium. They are also rich in fibre, which can be the organic ingredients for cooking biscuits. Résurrection experimented and found that brewer's spent grains not only increase the nutty aroma of the crackers, but also give the biscuits a unique crunchy texture. Since then, the brand has begun to make different flavours, hoping that its consumers can eat healthy without wasting food. THE INCREDIBLE FIG AND WALNUT FLAVOURS Among the various crackers, we particularly like the AOP Périgord Walnut & Fig Crackers. Open the bag and you can really smell its incredible fig and walnut flavours. The nuttiness of the walnut kernels and the delicate fruitiness of the figs deliver a unique taste to the crackers. Icing on the cake: the walnuts of Périgord have the EU AOP label, which also gives us the confidence in the origin and natural taste of these walnuts. The combination of figs, walnuts, apple residue, and malt makes these crackers a healthy snack. Whenever we feel like snacking, they are, with goat cheese or cream cheese, a special healthy appetiser or afternoon tea to us. P.s. Want some healthy snack ideas? There are also Espelette Pepper flavour, Tomato & Emmental flavour, and Onion & Compté Cheese flavour!

Our breakfast choices in Hong Kong are quite different from those in France. We love our breakfast savory; the French like them sweet. They ADORE their croissants and pains au chocolat. These pastries are what they crave for every day even though they know they can’t eat them every morning. Alternatively, the French will have a slice or two of bread (or brioche), spread it with a thick layer of jam, simple yet delicious. No wonder there are so many jam brands in France. However, among all, there is only one that makes the French stick with for life: Bonne Maman. BEAUTIFUL AREA MAKES BEAUTIFUL FRUIT Bonne Maman’s headquarters is in the commune called Biars-sur-Cère located in southwestern France. The area is a beautiful fruit-growing region with various fruit trees, making it ideal for jam-making. In the past, jam was delicately home-made by the grandmother and mother of each household. Bonne Maman’s founder Jean Gervoson even helped his family pick fruit growing up. When he was a grown man, however, he realised that fewer households were making their own jam. In 1971, he thus founded Bonne Maman, literally meaning good mum, hoping that the name could recall everyone’s memories about their grandmother’s and mother’s jam. 50% Of Fruit To Make The Jam Fruity And Aromatic Throughout the years, Bonne Maman have always been the no. 1 choice for the French. The key to the brand's success lies in its ingredients used. I remember the first time I had my bites of their jam, I was genuinely amazed by how rich and smooth and fruity the jam was. Of course, their insistence on quality means that each of their jam has at least 50% of fruit in it. Now, you get why their jam is fruity and aromatic. The jars Bonne Maman use are glass and the lids pink and white checkered; every jar is also classically labelled with the brand name, the flavour, and the best before date, nothing fancy but everything reminiscent. New Flavours And Products Naturally, Bonne Maman are meticulous in picking, selecting, and cooking. That is how we can taste such natural fruit flavour in the jam and how the brand is able to maintain its market position in France. They have also kept launching new flavours, like the pineapple with rum & vanilla flavour above. Besides jam-making, Bonne Maman also make biscuits, pastries, pies, cheese, and desserts, endeavouring to promote French cuisine.

“Dad, these ingredients are making you work every day. Why should I stop then?” The story began in 1912 in the bakery of Daniel Mercier’s grandfather and lasted it has … Daniel Mercier are a family-run French chocolatier that excels in tempering chocolate by combining the perfect old flavours of sweet with contemporary recipes. But before the store even existed, it was his grandfather who passed on the secret of chocolate making to his dad. Back in the days, the store’s owner, Daniel Mercier, hadn’t even been born. MAKING CHOCOLATE AT 14 It wasn’t until 1976 when Daniel Mercier, 14 years young, was a little unwell and had to leave school early on the eve of Easter. At home, tempted by the enticing smell of cacao that his father was making in his pastry-chocolate factory, he volunteered to help his father, who then asked him to handle some Easter chocolates. A few hours later, his father, worried by the hours of silence, checked on him and SURPRISE SURPRISE! Chocolate chips, chocolate bars, cocoa powder were everywhere in his factory. Intrigued, he asked him why Daniel made so many. Daniel, being the sweet little boy he was, said to him: “These ingredients are making you work on every day. Why should I stop then? And I love making chocolate!” What a lovable thing a dad can hear! THE PASSION WAS SEEDED This was the day Daniel’s passion in life was seeded and his exquisite taste developed. Today, Daniel Mercier as a chocolatier invents and reinvents chocolate recipes, dedicating himself to the art of chocolate making (hence the best seller: Fleur De Sel Chocolate Shortbread Cookies). Having spent most of his time mixing and remixing ingredients to amaze even the most discerning chocoholics, he hopes to pass on his passion and imagination to his son, the 4th generation of the family, to continue a hundred-year-old know-how of pastry-chocolate making.

To start this blog, we have to dig into the history that goes way back to 1893. What we are introducing is a heritage that has 120 years of history and a place of French gastronomy. It was there that many recipes were developed. At the end of the 19th century, this place was not only the culinary icon of Paris, it was also a social centre for lots of artists and celebrities to hang around in the Belle Époque. THE HISTORY BEGAN IN 1893 ... The legend of Maxim’s de Paris began In May 1893 when Maxime Gaillard, a waiter, opened a bistro at 3 rue Royale in Paris. Maxim didn’t own the restaurant long before it was bought by its next owner Eugène Cornuché, a successful French businessman. He turned the bistro into something chic. In the 1900s, Maxim's de Paris became a symbol of the Belle Époque characterised by optimism, prosperity, and cultural innovations. It was almost the time the Universal Exhibition was held in Paris, so Eugène asked his socialite clientele and artists to redecorate the restaurant following the Art Nouveau style, an art style that was very popular during the Belle Époque. Modern and dynamism were the characteristics, so glass roof, bevelled mirrors, foliage and ornaments in bronze and copper, frescoes etc. were installed to adorn the place. Of course, Maxim’s, being in the city of love, had also regular courtesans that attracted the French elite to enjoy the delicate dishes and some romantic moments. MAXIM’S BECOMING ESTEEMED In 1932, Maxim's changed its owner again. This time, it attracted Mr. & Mrs. Vaudable, who then chose to pick only the prestigious as their clients. It was under the Vaudable family that the restaurant gained its esteemed status. In the late 1950s, the American airline Pan Am had Maxim's de Paris as the caterer of their in-flight food. At the time when travelling by plane was reserved to the rich, this business decision made Maxim’s become immensely popular with the international celebrities. The restaurant was in a long period of prosperity, so long that during the restaurant’s renovation at the end of 1950s, gold pieces, rings, and diamonds left by these wealthy regulars were found in the red benches. A LOCAL BISTRO TO A FASHIONABLE RESTAURANT Maxim's de Paris were a bistro. It then became an Art Nouveau masterpiece, but ultimately it was a restaurant that was welcomed by numerous artists and international celebrities. With France’s cultural and artistic boom (especially in Paris), Maxim's de Paris established themselves as a fashionable restaurant, gaining extensive recognition. In 1981, Maxim’s Art Nouveau interior earned the restaurant the designation of historical monument. The restaurant also welcomed its new owner that year. Pierre Cardin, the well-acclaimed fashion designer best known for his futuristic creations, bought the restaurant from Mr. & Mrs. Vaudable. Nowadays, Maxim’s de Paris strive to respect their own tradition and history by offering exceptional food products to their customers. The French brand has a selected range of chocolates, champagne, foie gras and many other specialties that have made its reputation. Its expertise is a guarantee of both aesthetically pleasing and exquisitely divine products. If you are interested, take a look at their Chocolate Quartet Gift Box, Dark Chocolate Crêpes Dentelle, and Himalayan Pink Salt with White Truffle.

Sometimes, when we buy something made in France, we see a label called “AOP”. What does it mean exactly? PROTECTED DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN (PDO) Appellation d'origine protégée/contrôlée (AOP/AOC) means Protected Designation of Origin in English. It is granted by the European Union and the United Kingdom to products which are produced and developed in specific geographical areas. These PDO products also have to be made by respecting the regional know-how, using local producers and ingredients. CAN ALL PRODUCTS BE LABELLED WITH AOP? Not all can use the AOP label. Certain types of products can apply for it when their characteristics are linked to their geographical origins. Cheeses, wines, sausages, hams, and beers are some of the types. Take the Organic AOP Compté Cheese, Onion & Millet Seed Crackers as an example, the cheese comes from Franche-Comté, a historical region in eastern France. It is a type of hard cheese made of cow's milk, cooked and pressed during the making process to ensure the cheesy flavour. THE AOP CRITERIA ARE QUITE HARSH! Another example is the AOP Espelette Pepper & Flaxseed Crackers. They are made using the famous dried red peppers from the French commune called Espelette located in the southwest of France. It rains a lot in spring and is very hot in summer, but the rest of the year is relatively mild, making it the ideal climate for the growth of chilli peppers. These red peppers are the only spice that is labelled with AOP, helping to add a spicy flavour to wake your appetite up. But the location is not all! For the peppers to be labelled AOP, there are other criteria. Some are quite harsh … Peppers must be harvested ripe by hand; The size should measure from 7cm to 14cm and they should be in conical shape; They must dry naturally for at least 15 days; No preservatives or artificial colourings can be added; The aromatic intensity can be smelled; The intensity of spiciness can be tasted. Additionally, if one of these criteria is not met, the lot will not be granted the label. Therefore, when you do see some AOP labelled products, you know they are of quality and authenticity. After all, why use an AOP ingredient if you just want to make something average?

It's the Year of the Tiger! Happy Lunar New Year! Just as we gather to spend time with friends and family at this time of year, it is also Chandeleur (Candlemas) in France. This special festival is celebrated on 2 February every year, which means to bid farewell to winter and welcome officially the days of spring. THE DAY OF CRÊPES Traditionally, on 2 Feb, the French will stay together to eat crêpes, so it is also called "the Days of Crêpes". There is nothing fancy about crêpes, at least not like those in Hong Kong. Eating crêpes with chocolate, jam, or honey is the most common way, which already makes the crêpes delicious enough. After all, it is the time that we spend together that matters 🙂 WHERE DID CHANDELEUR ORIGINATE FROM? There isn't any official record that marks down the origin of this historic festival. The word Chandeleur comes from the Latin word "candela", which means candle. Some believed that when we lit candles on this day, it would bring bumper harvests to farmers. Others believed it was the day, as recorded in the Gospels, Joseph and Mary brought the baby Jesus to the Temple 40 days after its birth. But what made this day a festival was a torchlight feast in the 5th century. On 2 February, Pope Gelasius I held a feast to commemorate the day Jesus was brought to the Temple. That day, the Pope offered crêpes to pilgrims in Rome, which started the origin of crêpes-eating on Candlemas. The golden and circle-shaped crêpes also symbolise the sun, which, figuratively speaking, means the return of the spring light and the farewell of dark winter. Nowadays, Candlemas has become a day when families get together making and eating crêpes. There is also a belief that a person will have prosperity all year if his left hand is holding a gold coin and he uses his right hand to successfully flip his crêpe in the air while the crêpe lands properly. But no matter what you believe, it is always nice to have an excuse to see your family 🙂 P.s. Check out the Grandma’s day in France too :)

When we first created Maison Evelyn, we were often asked if there could be some nursery or baby products made in France that we could introduce to Hong Kong. It wasn’t until last November/December that we actually found something we loved. It wasn’t easy, as we were being extra careful when it came to babies. But we think these two would be perfect. WHY WE TRUST THEM The Cotton Baby Hooded Towels & Bath Capes with Bunny and the Cotton Baby Towels with Comfort Bunny are products made by hand by the French brand Leobulle. The brand is a family business. When the mum and the dad had their baby daughter, they wanted to create something together. Having just had their first child, they naturally turned to the world of childcare. That was when they understood the importance of choosing the right products for newborn babies. That is why we think their organic products will be a good fit to you. After all, they are parents themselves. OEKO-TEX® LABEL - A RENOWNED REGISTERED TRADEMARK These two organic towels are no ordinary towels; the level of cuteness is sky-high. I mean isn’t it cute having a bunny on a towel? That’s what Leobulle want … to spoil your infants and make your hearts melt. But they are more than just the looks. Take the bath towel as an example, on one side it is terry cloth; on the other, it is 100% made of OEKO-TEX® cotton. OEKO-TEX® labelled products are tested extensively to ensure no harmful substances can be found. Every component of an item, e.g. every thread, and every button, has been tested by independent OEKO-TEX® partner institutes worldwide based on the OEKO-TEX® criteria to make sure that it is harmless to humans. The criteria may even be stricter than national and international requirements, so having the label means having the confidence and product safety. OEKO-TEX® was founded in 1992, with its headquarters in Zürich, Switzerland. It has 18 test and research institutes across Europe and Japan in order to test if textile and leather products (including fibres, yarns, fabrics, etc.) are safe for human use. Having the OEKO-TEX® label is important to us. It means that your babies will not have any allergies or toxins from the towels. A product that goes through so many tests is a product that is made to last. Behind the cuteness and tenderness of these two towels, they are of quality and will stay with your babies for a long time.