In Paris, it’s difficult to imagine everyday life without chocolate, especially when we know that each French person eats around 7 kilos of it per year. However, few really know the story of this bean that became a star of Parisian salons.
This is precisely what the Gourmet Chocolate Museum – Choco-Story Paris, tells us, located at 28 boulevard de Bonne-Nouvelle in the 10th. In a visit of approximately one hour, the three-part journey takes you from pre-Columbian America to the windows of Parisian chocolatiers.
Beans sacred to the King of Spain
We start with Central and South America, where the cocoa tree has grown for millennia. Pre-Olmec peoples were already drinking, around 2000 BC. BC, a cocoa drink considered a divine nectar, far from our sugary bars.
Museum director Alice Sagot wants to take visitors to where it all began. To France 3, she explains: .
When chocolate wins the French court
Further on, the route switches to 17th century Europe. Alice Sagot sums up this key moment in one sentence: .
The windows then show how this aristocratic drink has shaped new objects: cups with mustaches to protect gentlemen’s hair, shaking cups designed for drinking in carriages, without spilling a drop. It’s hard to believe that today, each French person consumes around 7 kilos per year.
Live the Choco-Story experience and extend the ride
The third part of the museum focuses on modern chocolate: manufacturing processes, comparison of vintages, consumption statistics. Demonstrations and tastings punctuate the visit, as do some spectacular sculptures, including an Eiffel Tower made entirely of chocolate.
Open all year round, the Paris Chocolate Museum also offers workshops lasting around an hour, where you mold your own chocolates or Christmas and Easter figurines before leaving with your creations. And to prolong the day, the rue des Martyrs, de Lévis, des Rosiers or du Commerce line up century-old chocolate shops, mousse bars and Meilleurs Ouvriers de France chocolatiers’ boutiques, ideal for tracking down your next best pain au chocolat, sometimes awarded at the Salon du Chocolat.
How much time should you allow to visit the Paris Chocolate Museum?
The classic visit lasts around an hour to an hour and a half, depending on whether or not you participate in the workshops and tastings offered on site.
Is the Paris Chocolate Museum suitable for children?
Yes, the route combines showcases, interactive activities, demonstrations and tastings, and the workshops last around an hour allowing children to mold their own chocolates before leaving with their creations.
Do I need to book the workshops at the Musée gourmand du Chocolat?
The workshops are offered in slots of approximately one hour for adults and children; To be sure of having a place, it is better to reserve before your arrival, especially on weekends.
