Savoring France

September 29, 2015

Chocology is proud to present another article by Meaghan Sugrue. She is now in France working on her studies in food science. We are proud to have Meaghan on our team. Thank you Meaghan for keeping us up to date on all you are learning in France!

Hello all, hope you liked my first article on Chocology Today.

Reflecting on my semester abroad through food has been one of my favorite experiences of all time and I cannot tell you how happy all the positive feedback on my first post made me.  Thank you so much for reading and please keep in touch.

Anyways, it has been three weeks now since I arrived in Lille.  I am at the point where I’m officially settled in, accustomed to my classes with a group of new friends from all over the world, and finally feel ready to assess France via one of the country’s proudest commodities- chocolate.  I chose to sample some truffles from Chocolaterie de Beussent Lachelle, as recommended by a French friend.  Choosing this past weekend to sample them with a friend from Cornell on a pre-planned trip to Nice in search of warmth, the entire experience struck me as rich.  I mean how many people enjoy chocolate as the sun sets over the French Rivera alongside good company.  Interestingly enough, these truffles, though distinctly French, shaped like snails and fleur de lis’, reminded me much of the Chocology Unlimited stock, both in taste and in philosophy.  They were high quality, made with top-notch ingredients and sold in a tiny shop, which comfortably fit me and the chocolatier.  They were simple treats, decadent milk and dark chocolates flavored with classic compliments such as hazelnut and almond, with strong lingering aftertastes.  In particular I found one truffle with distinct buttery characteristics the chardonnay of the chocolate world.

As I caught up with my friend over the chocolates I thought about how closely these treats paralleled the French lifestyle, or at least what I’ve observed so far.  France seems to be a country steeped in subtleties.  A place where I pass buildings several hundred years old lined with gargoyles on each walk to school.  A place where people wear effortlessly well fitting clothes and shoes without sporting flashy brand names.  It is a much slower culture.  People walk most everywhere and a car looks large if it has four doors.  Not to say I have completely traded it for my American ways.  Just the other day a friend in one of my classes requested I watch a movie because I was frustrated with a group project.  However Lille has made me realize a conversation over tea can be just as important as achieving a high profile internship.  With the notion that less is more and that life is not a race, I hope to discover more about Europe, chocolate and myself as my travels continue.

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