Food at the Salon de l'Agriculture

There were more than just animals at the Salon de l'Agriculture.  There was one half of one building that had international food.  And another building with two floors had food and products from every region of France and its overseas departments and territories.  There was also a building devoted to grains and plants and agribusiness.  Kelly loves the Petit Beurre cookies--especially the ones with chocolate on top! 

Kelly at the Petit Beurre Display

Everywhere we went there were cooking demonstrations.

In the International section, the gelato looked really good at the Italian booth.

Kelly with his $6 Coke

Smurf Gelato Anyone?

There was even Tex Mex food. 

Kelly was tempted by this restaurant serving choucroute (sauerkraut) after our experience in 2009 on the trip to Strasbourg.  At Chez Yvonne in Strasbourg we each had a huge mound of sauerkraut surrounded by every type of pork imaginable.  It seemed the tower of sauerkraut never got smaller as we kept plugging away at the huge pile.  Kelly said no thanks this time around.

 

We headed next to the building containing all the regions of France, including its overseas departments and territories.  A man on stilts doing magic tricks led us to the Var region.
This is where we found the man selling honey originating in a small town north of St. Tropez.  One taste of the thick, creamy lavender honey and we were hooked.

Apiculteur

I asked the owner if he would mind if I took his picture.  He told me that it was fine and then in the typical French way turned his head away.  We tried other types of honey, some more liquid and others creamy.  The forest honey was really strong.  The flowers of Provence was good, but not as sublime as the lavender honey.  Kate says that the lavender honey is the only honey she will have now in her oatmeal.
Of course cheese was really big at the Salon.  Kate loved the cheesy potatoes.  They were cheesy and creamy and delicious.

Only the French would have a Temple of Cheese. 

Kelly at the Temple of Cheese

Raclette Sandwiches for 6 Euros at the Temple of Cheese

We loved all the musicians and singers from the different regions.

Jazz Band

I can't remember which region in France the jazz band was supposed to be from.  You would have thought it would have been in the International area but it was definitely in the French.

Basque Singers

These men were singing a traditional Basque song next to the booth with the famous Basque hams called Jambons de Bayonne.  Kelly remembered these from when he was on his mission in the Pyrenées.  The men had little blue plaid scarves tied around their necks and many were wearing berets.

Hanging Jambons de Bayonne

These women from Alsace were working the crowd and drawing in the customers.  And we tried some of the Bretzels from Riquewihr.  Kate even tried one of the beignet bretzels.  Both types were delicious.

Riquewihr Bretzels

 
We watched bakers making baguettes and tried the macarons--the caramel macaron was our favorite.  The macarons were from the Limousin area (remember the brown cows?) near the town we stayed in three years ago in southwestern France.  But they couldn't match the macarons from Ladurée in Paris.

Tower of Macarons

A booth had the mare's milk I had seen at La Grande Epicerie at La Bonne Marché along with shampoo, soap and other products made with mare's milk.  The chocolate was tempting, but we resisted.

Mare's Milk

Hazlenut Bark

What Frenchman would want an ant farm when he could raise his own escargots for dinner instead?  Yum!  The complete kit for 35 euros--what a bargain. 

Escargotière

The French TV and radio stations were broadcasting live from the Salon.  We also saw photographers following a man and his entourage so we followed.  We were told he was the Interior Minister, which in France is the head of the security forces (other than the military) for the country--kind of like the head of the FBI.  He spoke to some people in one of the booths and moved on, and the photographers and cameramen followed.  We had finally seen a "celebrity" at the Salon, but Kate said I took pictures of the wrong man!  Yesterday I finally saw the Interior Minister's picture in the newspaper and she was right.

France TV 3 Reporter

Not the Interior Minister

Not the Interior Minister Either

We left the Salon both days with tired feet.  We couldn't help but smile as we saw this little boy and his balloon as we were walking back to the bus.  The Salon de l'Agriculture was an experience not to be forgotten.