PATRICE CHAPON WORKED AT Buckingham Palace, making ice-creams and sorbets for the royal family before returning to Paris to open his laboratoire in 1984. Since then he has won numerous awards and now sells a wide range of fine single origin bars and filled chocolates.
Website: www.chocolat-chapon.com
Stores: CHAPON has three stores:
Paris:
69 rue du Bac, (7th arr.), 75007 Paris, France, Tel. +33(0)142229598, Fax. +33(0)142227870, Tue-Sat 10-7.30.
52, avenue Mozart, (16th arr.), 75016 Paris, France, Tel. +33(0)142240505, Fax. +33(0)142241012, Tue-Sat 10-12.45, 3-7.30 and Sun 10-1.
Chelles: 31 bis, avenue de la Resistance, 77500 Chelles, France, Tel. +33(0)160085505, Fax. +33(0)160081130, Tue-Sat 9.30-12.30, 2.30-7 and Sun 10-1.30.
Availability: In addition to the above stores, CHAPON chocolate can also be purchased from the website.
THE CHOCOLATE BARS
click on countries of origin for more information
MADAGASCAR 72% Madagascar
A piece of chocolate from this fine bar enters the mouth with flavours of banana which evolve into a full and rich warmth with notes of lemon and spices, in particular nutmeg, before finishing with a dry aftertaste.
INDONESIE 72% Indonesia, South East Asia
This remarkable bar reveals a complex array of flavours, in particular berry fruits and raisins, but also citrus fruit, wood and coffee (in the aftertaste), with the underlying distinct taste of criollo.
EQUATEUR 72% Ecuador, South America
A rich tasting experience, this bar has a sweetness of dried fruit with notes of liquorice, treacle, caramel and litchis, as well as hints of wood.
SAO TOME 70% Sao Tome, Africa
This highly complex chocolate starts off with leafy, young, green and herbal flavours reminiscent of apple, followed by notes of honey which evolve into a spicy, warm finish with hints of nutmeg. The aftertaste carries notes of brazil nut.
VENEZUELA 82% Venezuela, South America
After an earthy start, this bar develops flavours of cinnamon and nutmeg reminiscent of Christmas, before ending in a dry but satisfying finish.
VENEZUELA 70% Venezuela, South America
Like its darker cousin, the 82%, this chocolate carries a spicy warmth of nutmeg, but here combined with pine and wood notes. A pleasant bar, we prefer it slightly to the 82%.
GHANA* Ghana, Africa
This chocolate carries hints of celery and lemongrass, and exhibits a spicy warmth in the finish, but lacks intensity and complexity.
*) The tasting box version, which is what we sampled, gives no percentage for this chocolate.
INDONESIE-EQUATEUR-GHANA* Indonesia, South East Asia
Ecuador, South America
Ghana, Africa
This interesting blend combines flavours of orange and cherry with spicy notes of cinnamon and ginger. A dry finish is followed by walnut in the aftertaste.
*) The tasting box version, which is what we sampled, gives no percentage for this chocolate.
The other CHAPON bars are the Colombie, Ghana-Indonesie, Vanuatu-Madagascar, Saint Domingue, Cuba, and Tanzanie.