If you love pastries and colorful confections, you have probably heard of Ladurée—a famous Parisian macaron house. Here is Darcy Miller joined by Elisabeth Holder, the co-president of Ladurée USA and member of the Ladurée proprietary family, and Jimmy LeClerc, Ladurée’s pastry chef.
The History
“Ladurée is a 150 years-old brand. It was the first hero in Paris,” says Elizabeth. “It was the first time that a woman can meet a man and could share a pastry or a cup of tea. It is really part of Parisian culture.”
Ladurée is one of the luxurious brands of macarons—and a lot of their business comes from New York. How can they taste so fresh if they come from France?
“It is actually hibernated. It sleeps slowly in the cold and comes by boat and then comes to us. When you taste the macaron in new York, it tastes exactly like the ones in Paris.”
Macarons are growing more popular, and many people believe them to be “a piece of Paris.”
“A Macaron is like a jewel: It’s beautiful, its nice,” says Elizabeth. Ladurée plays a lot with the colors, the flavor, and of course love and magic. It is even gluten free.
“I was talking to Eric Pike, the editor of Martha Stewart Living. I told him, ‘you should really take your mother up there… it’s like taking her to Paris!’” Ladurée tries to have a “piece of Paris” in its macarons. The details and decorations all come from Paris because having the impression of Paris is just what Ladurée is all about.
