Apart from restaurants, food stores or markets, there are alternative ways of food adventures that one can experienced when travelling in the Parisien region. Here are several bigger recurring food fairs around the year:
FOOD FAIRS
Pari Fermer
Food fairs with French producers directly selling their products to the customers. Often, they offer tasting and a lot of information on the product they are selling. They include cheeses, olive oil, cured meat (ham and sausages), foie gras and duck product, prepared regional plates, jams, chocolat etc… You can also find wine and alcohol. Prices are usually cheaper than in shops in Paris. Some products might be impossible to find in shops and can be only bought online.
I remembered meeting the one and only cornichon (gherkin or pickle) producer left in France, unfortunately the popular supermarket brand Maille, the pickles are coming from India or China. Since a few years, Elyssé, the palace of the president, ordered the preserved pickles from Maison Marc.
They organised several times a year and in different places in or around Paris, usually you can find free entrance tickets online in their website. More information here.
Salon Saveurs
It’s similar to Pari Fermier but more luxurious since it is organised in December, you find more fancy and festival food: foie gras, truffles, chocolat, candies, champagne and wine, more information here.
Salon Mer et Vigne
Similar to Pari Fermier, the emphasis is on terroir, sea and wine. You can find more food related to the sea, smoked fish, cooked fish soup, oysters. Not only in Paris, you can find this fair in several other French cities like Lyon, Strasbourg, Annecy-le-Vieux, Tours etc. Every year in november, you can see this fair in London (this year Nov 13-15, Olympia Kensington). More here
Salon Chocolat
If you like chocolate, you shouldn’t miss the chocolat fair, each year at end of October. Often you can see demonstrations by some famous pastry chefs. They have an English website.
Salon Sugar Paris
Each year, around March or April, you find the pastry fair at the Vincennes Parc Florale. Cakes, the work of cake designers, everything you need for pastry decorations you can find in this fair. More here.
Salon des Vins des Vignerons Indépendants
A fair about independent French wine and alcohol makers, offers degustation. You can find in several cities, Paris, Lyon, Reims, Lille. Check out the dates and info.