07/08/2026
A couple of weeks ago we did a day trip to Vichy where I used to live back in the day. We don’t do that so often when we are in France. But every time we do, we go to Aux Marocains to buy delicious chocolates and “Le Marocain candies. I like to visit it not only for the candy but also because this historic chocolate and confectionery shop which was established in 1866 is famous for its preserved Second Empire interior and Art Deco storefront. When you walk into the door it feels like going back to the past. When I asked the boutique owner about the painting, she told me that they managed to recreate the original recipe of the Alma, a praline made from almonds and hazelnuts enveloped in a royal sugary icing created in 1854. She proudly said that the link between the shop and the bonbon (candy) of the second empire is therefore created.