Jacques Genin :: Chocolats à la Fève Tonka
By Paris Pâtisseries in Other Goodies
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Jacques Genin is the greatest classic pastry chef in Paris. Does this have anything to do with the chocolates I’m reviewing today? Not at all, because chocolate is not pastry. But it’s a sentiment that has been bubbling within me for the last month, and it just needed to be said. For not only have I now eaten all but two pastries in his shop, but having seen him at work in the kitchen during a photo session last week, I can assure you your Genin pastries are being prepared at level the other shops don’t, and frankly can’t, touch. So let me just say it again . . . Jacques Genin is the greatest classic pastry chef in Paris.
If you happen to be in Paris on Saturday June 25th, you can join me as we invade Monsieur Genin’s shop as a group. Check out the Facebook event I’ve set up here, or RSVP by shooting an email to events@parispatisseries.com. We’ll be eating more caramels, pate de fruits, pastries and chocolates than is humanly possible. Of course, one of the chocolates not to miss during our pastry pillage will be the Tonka Chocolat Noir (and Tonka Chocolat au Lait). . .
As with any tonka chocolate or pastry, the scent of these little guys will hit you from a metre away. It’s a curious blend of cinnamon, vanilla, hay, and clove – all distilled from the lovely tonka bean. Your first little nibble cracks the whisper thin shell and welcomes you into a world of silky-smooth ganache, where the tonka essence surges, albeit delicately, carrying with it a host of ever-more nuanced tones – among them a wildflower honey. Then, as that ganache interior gives way, leavinging behind its now-melting hull, you’re privy to the crush of the chocolat noir’s smoky charms. Warm, nutty, complex, vaguely amer and a perfect counterpoint to the creamy goodness it enclosed – you can now die happy.
So the description above is for the dark chocolate version and not for the milk chocolate. While the milk version is certainly excellent, it’s merely the Paul McCartney to the dark chocolate’s John Lennon. Really, the dark is just जय गुरुदेव 
(jai guru deva yum). Nothing’s gonna change my . . . opinion about that.
Monsieur Genin also has some other fantabulous chocolates in the case. I think the next I might be compelled to share is his dill. For those of you not used to the wild world of chocolate, the thought of that might make you want to barf. For the remainder of you, rest assured it’s quite tasty.
So, yes, absolutely grab some tonka chocolates at Jacques Genin’s shop. They’ll fit nicely in your bag, along with the other 20 things I’d suggest you purchase there. Even though I gave Monsieur a 4-way tie with a few other shops in my recent Best Pastry Shops in Paris list, he would top the Best Pastry Shop Chefs in Paris. I can’t get enough of his excellence.
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