Entrée to Black Paris Blog

Thursday, March 9th, 2023

A Lovely Afternoon at the Fair

Caramelized mango dessert demonstration
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On March 1, Tom and I went to the Parc des Expositions to attend the 2023 edition of the Salon de l'Agriculture (International Agricultural Fair). Showcasing livestock, agricultural products and regional and international gastronomy, the salon has been a major event for over 50 years.

Tom wanted to see if he could find some Guadeloupean coffee beans, so we headed straight for the hall for overseas markets.

Hall 5.2 - Products from overseas department and international vendors
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We arrived in the middle of lunch hour and found the place to be jam packed with people. Guadeloupe had reserved a large area at the front of the hall, so we didn't need to go far to look for the coffee Tom anticipated purchasing.

Guadeloupe section
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Alas, there was none to be found.

We decided to walk around the entire hall to see if anyone else was selling whole coffee beans. We passed the zones reserved for French departments and collectivities including Guyane, Tahiti, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, Reunion Island, and of course, Martinique.

We were amazed at the number of food stands that were selling bokit, the Guadelopean sandwich.

Case Créole
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List of bokit options at food stand
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A Reunion Island "restaurant" laid out a beautiful display of traditional creole dishes that hungry attendees would have difficulty resisting.

Creole cuisine
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We were surprised to find enclosures of live animals near the rear of the hall. Dromedary camels, yaks, dwarf zebu, and Watusi cattle ate, slept, or watched the people who crowded around their pens to observe them.

Mother and baby camel
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Watusi
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We happened by a cooking demonstration of products from Reunion Island and were able to sample a caramelized mango dessert that was prepared before our eyes.

Caramelized mango dessert - preparation
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Caramelized mango dessert - finished product
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There were scores of vendors selling rum and fruits, and a few that were selling vanilla.

A couple of stands sold sorbets prepared on the premises.

Créolita Sorbet stand
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Sorbet makers
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A company called Zabbaan was selling equitable commerce juices, jams, and teas from Africa.

Zabbaan stand
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We were surprised to see stands selling cosmetics and personal care products.

When we finally got back to the front of the hall, we still had not found any coffee beans. It was late enough that we were able to find empty space at the bar of a Martinican food stand so we could sit down and eat.

We enjoyed a meal there and resumed our search.

There remained one aisle that we had not explored, so we decided to walk its length in the hope of finding some coffee. We were just in time to see a performance by dancers from Wallis and Futuna.

There were so many people watching that we moved to the neighboring stand, which sold products from Mayotte. The people manning this stand were just as enthralled by the performance as was the public.

It was at this stand that we found coffee beans. Tom happily bought them (even though they were not from Guadeloupe), and he also purchased a chocolate bar for good measure. The attendant was careful to point out that even though the chocolate had been made in Mayotte, the cocoa beans had come from Madagascar.

We were so tired from our visit that we forgot to photograph the coffee and chocolate at the stand, so we did so when we got home.

The Salon de l'Agriculture closed on March 5. For those interested in going to next year's event, mark your calendars for February 24-March 3, 2024!