A fragile meringue shell enclosing a soft, spongy center… throughout the years, the Pierre Hermé macaroon has acquired the status of a “chic” pastry. Like a sacred offering from above to sweet tooths everywhere, the former apprentice of renowned French pastry chef Gaston Lenôtre has successfully innovated in a domain that had previously been dominated exclusively by well-established mainstays like the Fauchon chain.
The wunderkind of French patisserie thinks of his pastries as works of art, where intellect meets sensuality. A rigorously scientific approach inhabits his work; nothing is left to chance. Of all his creations, the macaroon is the one that has seen the most variations and enjoyed the largest success. The Hermé macaroon is a multi-flavor experience: the taste buds blossom upon initial contact with a texture that quickly goes from crunchy to velvety, then melts away into a creamy bliss with one final crackle left to linger on the tongue. This whole rhythm is created much like a musician composing his opus, but he who was dubbed the “Picasso of pastry” in Vogue still continuously reworks his original creation. Seasoning with sugar, using olive oil as the main ingredient, uniting apricot with pistachio; so many unprecedented concoctions have been whipped up in his mind!
Every season, these little bites of happiness are revisited and enriched with new flavors with essences drawn from the cultures that inspire Pierre Hermé. As proof, he opened his very first boutique in Tokyo in 1998 before opening shop in Paris in the early 2000s. Conceived as a temple of sugary delights, enthusiasts in search of all things sweet should waste no time in hustling on over! Once inside, the eye is saturated with a parade of bright colors while the nostrils shudder upon contact with the delectable scent that permeates the air. The experience is a decidedly intense one that calls upon all the senses. Conscious of the fact that “macaroons only have a few grams with which to excite our senses”, Hermé seeks to compose a symphony filled with grace and delicacy, an alchemy of taste of which he is no doubt at the forefront. The liberty he takes in combining never before seen contrasts with a pure and simple base formula continues to inspire numerous chefs and food-lovers alike.
Whether at dessert or teatime, the Hermé pastry is a pastry like no other that imparts a certain art de vivre and peace of mind to all those who venture to take a bite.
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