Tradition : les macarons, l'autre fierté de Saint-Emilion

In the wonderful world of macarons, there are those that we know well. The colorful and garnished with ganache, but there are also the most traditional, such as those of Amiens or of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. In France, in our regions, there would be more than 40 different recipes. Welcome to Saint-Emilion, the country of wine and macarons! In the village of Saint-Emilion, 50 km from Bordeaux, Nadia's family preserves the authentic recipe for a cracked and caramelized macaron that has been prepared in the village since 1620. It is crunchy on the outside and melting on the inside. I know that everyone loves them hot. It's a little cake that's just wonderful already, because it's made with so much love, and it's still an essential part of Saint-Emilion. When we talk about Saint-Emilion, we talk about wine, but there is also the macaron that goes with the wine. The month of September in Bordeaux is the month of the angel winds, but not only. It is also the peak of activity in this very small laboratory. So, kids, how are you doing this morning? Everything is going well, we are working. Are you okay? Yes, perfect. So, this dough, a little more. It's too soft. And it's true that depending on the weather we have, if it's very beautiful, very hot, the dough is different when it rains, because the humidity still penetrates, and it's more complicated to work when it rains. Every day, Nadia and her team prepare thousands of macarons by hand, up to 7,000 at the peak of the season. And it all starts with a mixture of sweet almonds and bitter almonds. You have the almonds that are there, so we boil them, then we drain them, we put them in a machine that shakes them, and then we remove all the skins by hand. And then we're going to make an almond paste with that, which is the basis of this macaron. The dough is then placed in small domes, directly on the paper, before being polished, that is to say, formed and sweetened so that it caramelizes once baked. The best thing is now, when they come out of the oven, they are just cooled. It's super good. I could eat it all day, and there is not a single family meal that we make without our macarons. It's impossible. Whether it's in my spouse's family, or in my family, it's impossible. The story of this little gourmet, dear to the hearts of the Saint-Émilionnais, goes back to the Ursuline sisters, who invented it in 1620. To get out of poverty, they would have sold the recipe to the revolution, and from a handful of families, it was passed down in great secrecy, until a certain Madame Blanchet. At one point, Madame Blanchet, at 70 years old, decided to stop. But I've known Madame Blanchet since she was four years old. And the day she wanted to stop, as she was really looking for someone, she wanted to have confidence, she wanted it to last, so that's how she chose me. She trusted me, and I think it's important to continue what she's always done. Nadia started again in 2008. A pastry chef for 43 years, she keeps the secret of this recipe, that even her son, Louis, 24, doesn't know yet. He's ready to take over, but I have to wait a little bit, until I'm a little older. We're waiting, we're waiting for the right moment, for it to pass, really. These are memories, every time I came, I came to say hello, and I knew I would always leave with a box of macarons, usually. I'm happy that Louis can take over, but it's true that he's still a priest, and that's important to take into consideration. What I like is that it's a continuity of the French culinary history, we're part of the heritage, so it's passed down from generation to generation, and it's also good, I'll be the second generation of this family to have recovered from this shop. And that's a pride? Yes, yes, it's a pride, yes. 400 years of history, and it's not close to stopping. Crackled, caramelized, but so soft, this little macaron is unique, and its reputation has already crossed borders. I've never tasted this in Japan, but yes, it's very good. We continue to work artisanally, because it's super important for the quality of the product. They're perfect, there's nothing to say, it's stunning. It's fantastic, every day I marvel at my little biscuit. When people come to our shop, they're always amazed. This shop has a soul, these macarons too, and I think it's important to keep that. Thank you.