Paris Food Fair: Sausage & Blue Chocolate

Seriously, how many sausage stands does one town need?

Last weekend, since it was within walking distance from my apartment, I went to the big food show in Paris, Le Salon Saveurs des Plaisirs Gourmands over at Espace Champerret, a large underground exhibit hall.

It was a cold Sunday, and of the 40,000 estimated in attendance over the course of the four-day event, I’m guessing that at least half were there with me. It was like being on the #1 line at 7 p.m., absolutely packed, but with nowhere to get off.

So I meandered (as best one can meander in such circumstances) among the 400 (!) vendors of mostly French products, such as foie gras, big old hunks of butter from Brittany…

Mushrooms…

White and milk chocolate…

Blue chocolate…

There were men in funny hats…

A chocolate mousse bar, naturellement…

And did I mention sausage?

After an hour or so, the crowds beat me down, and I left, a little less hungry, with jars of honey, mango and raspberry vinegar and fleur de sel caramels in tow. It’s the sort of thing that always sounds better than it actually is, like fried Twinkies or peanut butter M&Ms. Until Oompas return, I’ll just keep dipping my chocolate M&Ms into Skippy.