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Royal Roots
Debauve & Gallais’ origins lie in a renowned palace - that of Marie-Antoinette - and an enlightened pharmacist who was heir to the spirit of the Enlightenment, Sulpice Debauve. In 1779, when this physician‘s son was appointed Louis XVI‘s pharmacist, the Versailles court had adopted chocolate as part of its daily refinement. It was drunk hot, prepared ‘à l‘espagnole,’ (Spanish style) in keeping with the tradition introduced a century earlier by Maria Theresa of Austria.
Since Queen Marie-Antoinette complained about the bitterness of the ‘medicine’ intended to ease the pain caused by her migraines, Sulpice Debauve had an idea. To please the royal‘s taste buds, he mixed the remedy with cacao, adding almond milk to mellow the pungent taste. The Queen was won over. This is how the Pistoles were born. The flat medallions shaped like ancient coins marked the arrival of the first chocolate that you could bite into. Debauve’s creation also inspired the house motto, borrowed from the poet Horace: Utile Dulci, the useful with the pleasant. In other words, a sweet treat with beneficial properties.
The delicacy of these ‘healthy chocolates’ have spanned the history of France. In 1800, Sulpice Debauve opened his first chocolate factory on the Left Bank of Paris. He was joined by his nephew Jean-Baptiste Auguste Gallais, also a pharmacist. Debauve & Gallais for centuries of excellence. They provided Napoleon with chocolates and then became the official supplier to the French court. Their gourmet delights were served at the tables of Louis XVIII, Charles X (a chocolate fleur-de-lys bouchée was created for his coronation) and Louis-Philippe.
A Tradition of Creativity
With the Pistoles, chocolate is no longer just a drink. You take a bite and let it melt in your mouth to savour its thousand nuances. After this invention, Debauve & Gallais continued to innovate, winning awards at various world fairs. We are indebted to them for the marriage of nuts and cacao in the Croquamandes, caramelised almonds coated in dark chocolate created for one of Emperor Napoleon 1st‘s victories. Or the Chocolate Eclair, a powdered mixture that won a gold medal at the 1878 Antwerp exhibition, today made as a chocolate disc to melt in milk.
An insatiable researcher, Auguste Gallais set off in 1820 to create a map of cacao plantations. He landed in Venezuela, travelled around North America, and upon his return, published the Cacao Monograph that is a reference work to this day. In 1838, he also came up with a revolutionary invention that would lay the foundations of modern pâtisseries: Lactoline, the first method of dehydrating milk.
A little useful, a lot of pleasure. For 220 years, the company‘s craftsmen have remained true to the motto Utile Dulci. Ingredients of exceptional quality, reduced sweetness, beans and plantations selected by cacao partners. Dazzling customers with the golden coat of arms embossed on their famous boxes, Debauve & Gallais chocolates celebrate the happy marriage of chocolate-making tradition and creativity.
Each symbolised by one of Marie-Antoinette‘s gems, the Pistoles always blend flavours and virtues. The Pistole des Raffinés combines dark chocolate from Ecuador with coffee to stimulate the mind; the aphrodisiac Pistole du Roi has the exhilarating qualities of Bourbon vanilla; and the Pistole du Soir soothes with lemon verbena. Each comes in reusable cases designed as precious objects, drawing their colours from Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun‘s portrait of the sovereign: her outfit‘s soft blue- grey and the white and blue stripe of her bodice ribbon.
The handmade chocolate bonbons are fabricated with the finest, thoughtfully sourced ingredients: pralines and ganaches are made with ground Kenyan coffee, Timut pepper, Piedmont hazelnuts and raw Peruvian cacao nibs. As for the bars, encased in their coloured sheaths, they let the aromatic power of the cacao speak for itself, for an enlightened tasting experience. Just the right amount of sugar and percentage of cacao with balanced flavours.
Dispensary of Good Taste
A forest green façade, gilded lettering, and an architecture that is listed in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments. At 30 Rue des Saints- Pères, this Parisian house has retained every ounce of its soul since opening in 1819. Sulpice Debauve entrusted the design to Percier and Fontaine. The architects were very much in vogue at that time, having designed the arch of the Carrousel du Louvre and the arcaded buildings on the Rue de Rivoli. It was a daring move in that era, when it was unusual for a boutique to have so much architectural splendour. Restored with respect for the monument, the shop‘s facade still bears the words Entrepôt de Cacao and Utile Dulci in gold lettering. Behind the half-arched windows, find chandeliers, marbled colonnades, small apothecary drawers, and an elegant wooden hemicycle, the shop’s signature, which envelops the visitor with chocolaty temptations.
Gourmet Experiences
The boutique brims with the charm of an enduring history. For 220 years, Debauve & Gallais has been weaving a long-term relationship with chocolate lovers. The art of good taste has been passed down from generation to generation, a certain education of the palate. The famous gastronomic critic Brillat-Savarin praised the “supremacy” of Debauve chocolates and the masterly eye that encompasses every detail of production.“ After the kings of France, it has been the Parisian jet set (as well as Hollywood glitterati) who have stocked up here: Marcel Proust, Anatole France, Coco Chanel and, most recently (and closer to our era), Sonia Rykiel. Debauve & Gallais weaves together sweet memories of entire families: the blue box placed on the pedestal table of a beloved grandmother, the Queen’s Pistoles offered as a declaration of love, the little note written on the house letterhead, the ultimate courtesy of a ballotin signed Utile Dulci... The signature of a sure taste, of a daring classic combining excellence with the present.
