Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche et La Grande Épicerie de Paris

Some of the students told me I could find sweetened condensed milk at the grocery store at Le Bon Marché.  So I decided to check it out myself this week so I could make cheesecake for the students this Monday night for Family Home Evening.  Le Bon Marché is another large department store like Galeries Lafayette or Printemps but for some reason Kate and I had never been there.

Le Bon Marché

I went in the first building I saw as I left the métro.  I tried to find the floor with groceries but it wasn't in that building.  It was a very sophisticated and beautiful store with mostly designer clothing that was open in the center.  This is the view from the escalator.  Paris invented the department store and I think Parisian department stores are the best and most beautiful.

This was the display for Nina Ricci designer clothing.

Nina Ricci Display

I decided that the food must be in another building so I went to see what was next door.  I found another beautiful building containing La Grande Épicerie de Paris.  The store was beautiful and modern.  Everyone shopping there was dressed to the nines.  Macarons, pastries and chocolates greeted me as I entered.

Chocolates Display

I found the sweetened condensed milk near the breakfast foods-only 2.10 euros or almost $3.00 per can.  There was also a beautiful display of fancy pasta in many colors and shapes.

Colorful Pasta

Then I stumbled upon a display with United States-Canadian food.  It was interesting to see what they had.  Some things weren't surprising like Peter Pan peanut butter and chocolate chips.  And they had karo syrup and molasses, both of which I had not been able to find in Paris.  I guess some people crave Snyder's Pretzels in France?  And Ranch, Poppy Seed and French salad dressing?  I found beef jerkey, maple syrup, marshmallow fluff, butterscotch ice cream topping, canned pumpkin, canned cranberries and Ocean Spray cranberry juice and Pam.  Of course everything was quite expensive but if you wanted a Thanksgiving dinner complete with pumpkin pie and canned cranberries, you could get the supplies here.

Peanut Butter, Maple Syrup and Hershey's Chocolate Chips

 The store had lots of interesting food and beautiful displays.  This display of milk bottles with horses on them caught my attention.  I didn't know what lait de jument meant but chevalait sounded like horse milk.  It turned out it was pasteurized organic mare's milk.  I wonder what it tastes like?  Anyone brave enough to try?  It seems there is always something new to discover in Paris.

Mare's Milk