French Romance and Chocolate that goes POP!

               

French Christmas Tradition no. 2

A papillote is a chocolate (or candied fruit) that is wrapped in tissue paper with a note written on it. The sparkly golden exterior paper has fringed ends. Some papillotes, the ones I like the best, have a small firecracker inside. When you pull on the ends it sets the firecracker off and POPS! The papillote was created in Lyon at the end of the 18th century.

Legend has it that a young man who worked in a candy shop was in love with a girl downstairs (the French are so romantic and their stories often twist around kisses, drama and love... so up my alley.) To attract the young love's attention he wrapped love notes around each of the chocolates and tossed them into her window. (Of course striking her heart, watering her mouth, and causing sparks to fly.) The owner of the candy shop found out their little secret. He found it original, and the idea has flamed into a delicious French Christmas tradition.

Papillotes are usually decorate the Christmas table.

Papillotes are to the French what candy canes are to Americans. Though gee really, how can you compare chocolate, love notes that spark and go pop.... to a red and white peppermint cane? Then again Santa has a many tricks up his sleeve, a candy cane is just one of them.

French husband are you playing Santa this year?

Note: If you want to buy some papillotes check this out.

Comments

[Jeanne]

Remember darling for some money talks but for many chocolate sings..........
Love you
Jeanne

Blessings!

[pusa]

what a nice and romantic story :)

[le petit cabinet de curiosites]

Love your posts about provencal and french traditions !! I like the story about papillote..I didn't know it.And I particularly like this picture because it reminds me a special moment

[Pat]

Good morning, Corey,
I enjoyed catching up with French Christmas traditions this morning. Beautiful photos as always. I also enjoyed my visit to your friend Shelley's home. Beautiful!

Your Christmas tree post was wonderful. I've had a tree or two fall, also! I seem to remember a few colorful words were spoken by me on those occasions!

I was saddened by the woman's suicide. I knew there was something, when you spoke about her son staying nearby. It's true,we never really know.

Pat

[le petit cabinet de curiosites]

I forgot : my favorite ones are with forecrackers as you . But my dad thought it was not funny for our party ...

[My Melange]

Lovely story...and I would love to try one!!! And I will say that a candy cane placed in a cup of thick delicious hot chocolate...well that warms my heart ;)

[tut-tut]

Like tiny British Christmas Crackers . . .

[Candy]

Now this is a tradition I could really sink my teeth into! I especially love the idea of the POP! I love hearing about the French traditions. Candy canes have never been my favorite though I get called that all the time. All the time, I tell you. I much prefer chocolate.

[Cre8Tiva]

i usually make my own version of these...nevert thought about a love note...but i will from now on...sweet heart treats for a sweat heart...blessings, rebecca

[Mary]

Of course we Brits have the Christmas Cracker - a larger version without chocolate, but a small toy or item plus a silly paper hat which one is supposed to wear during Christmas dinner! Luckily they are now imported here and I always run out early to grab a box - I only buy the luxury Tom Smith brand as they have really great little usable gifts inside!!! The kids love pulling them and having the cracker pop!
Must admit the French version is more romantic - amd I bet it's wonderful chocolate.

[Mo'a]

Such a sweet and wonderful tradition...we like many of your commnters use the English Christmas Cracker...the men in my family have put a stop on the tissue hats. My Mother and I wear them as they shake their heads.
I had a wonderful time reading about French traditions this morning...good to be reading your posts again.
P.S. I enabled annonymous comments on my blog for the count down to Christmas.

[nancy]

Super little story behind the papillote..oh and will your husband play Santa Claus this year? (You guys just have too much fun!)

nancy

[Shannon]

I wish I had some papillote's here to give to the kids. They'd have more fun popping them I think.

[sepia art studio]

i would really want to add sweets like this at our yule table...
oh, why there is no any "sweets" traditions in finland, i wonder!?
Americans have candy canes, french have these papillotes and english have samekind of tradition like french does.
well, we have a one tradition, there have to be risepudding in yule mornings and almonds with them maybe. the one who gets the almond, can have a little extra treat.
Last year i started new tradition, i filled pretty little parcels with a chocolates and added them on a yule morning table for every sister of mine. It is lovely to get some surprises from the early yule morning...

delila

[Travelingmama]

Oh! Love the history! Now I'm going to have to check the supermarche to see if they have any. We see a lot of French imports, so maybe this will be one of them!

[Rosemary]

Much better than candycanes.
Rosemary

[Ariane]

I wonder if the British Christmas Cracker was inspired by the French papillotes or the other way around. Such a romantic tradition...

[amber]

Very SweeT!

:)

[Toni]

Hi Corey! I saw your comment over at So Sylvie and I thought I should drop in here and say hello. It's been a long time! Your blog is lovely as usual.
Merry Christmas~xo.

[Dorian Fletcher]

I adore this story and the legend that goes with it! I'm familiar with English "poppers" - but the French, of course, would go them one better with chocolate! I would love to find a place that sells these - no doubt Google could lead me to a confectioner. Your Christmas posts have been delightful (but then, all of your posts are!).

[BOSSY]

Here's another delicious French tradition: Living in France with a French husband. Gahhhh, why didn't Bossy think of that one?

[Maddy]

Mmmmmmmmm what a delicious story, and so romantic. Our tradition is probably Cadbury Roses chocolates for special occasions but nothing as romantic as something that sparkles and goes pop!

[Penny @ Lavender Hill Studio]

What a lovely romantic story!
Penny
p.s. thanks for saying such nice things about the mosaic birdhouse I made for Kim at Daisy Cottage! It meant alot to me :-)..

[Miss Maddie's]

What a wonderful tradition and how delicious too.To soothe the heart and the palette suits me just fine! I'll take two dozen please.
Susan

[melinda]

Sounds like a Christmas Cracker - we do this in Australia . I like the French idea too!

[Marva Plummer-Bruno]

Such a romantic tradition! I agree, chocolate is much better than candy canes! Marva

[Elaine]

Oh, Corey, (as I clap my hands with joy) what wonderful treats! May we all have some, please? I promise I'll share.

[elsa]

how fun! love the legend behind too.

[maddie]

You made me laugh out loud!

Your french husband is FRENCH so
I am sure you need not worry:)

he is wired to woo you:)

[somepinkflowers]

i want the legend to be true,
but
for me,

you can make up *romantic legends*
about most things you feature here
and
i will believe them all
with a happy heart...

:-)

for my ~~believing in them~~
transforms them enough for me,
the magic is done in the telling.

no matter how much romance there is,
there is never too much romance
in this world...

[daisies]

oh ... how incredibly romantic *swoon* .. i am going to go out and see if i can find some papillote somewhere here : )

so very nice to 'meet' you : )

[tlchang]

(does the *pop* injure the chocolate at all? I was just feeling a little bit worried about that... poor chocolate... Lovely tradition though. I'll have to see if WorldMarket or somesuch carries them)

[tinker]

Oh how fun - it sound like the (French) kissing cousin of the British Christmas cracker - only even more fun, since it involves two of my favorite things - chocolate and kissing ;-)

[Marie-Noëlle]

Ahhh... LYON ...!!! (sigh)

ses papillotes
...
ET
ses coussins
ses cocons
ses quenelles
son tablier de sapeur
sa cervelle de canut
son jésus
son gâteau de foies
...
and so much to please your palate
and your tummy
...
and even more
to please your eyes
...
sa cathédrale
sa basilique
ses halles
ses théâtres gallo-romains
sa vieille ville
son architecture
son confluent
son crayon
ses "bouchons"
ses fontaines
son opéra
sa fête des lumières
...
anybody for a tour ???

[qualcosa di bello]

i will trade you all the candy canes in my house for just one romantic little papillote! (chocolate & romance always win!!!)

[susanna]

FUN! We used to love - well, we still do - the crackers we'd open in Canada every Christmas dinner. I like that these are little bitty cracking treats and that they contain love notes. And if they lead to some smooching even better!

[eb]

yes we do the Christmas crackers too - and the paper hats - I posted an image of my son at about 4 wearing one as blue as his eyes in my traditions post... love the idea of the note around the chocolate tho - will have to try that here... so sweet -

xox - eb.

[Neil]

I had never heard of Papillotes before today. What a fun tradition for Christmas. What could be more thrilling than candy PLUS a firecracker. It's like Valentine's Day and the Fourth of July rolled into one!

[Neil]

I had never heard of Papillotes before today. What a fun tradition for Christmas. What could be more thrilling than candy PLUS a firecracker. It's like Valentine's Day and the Fourth of July rolled into one!