The pastry chef-chocolatier at Samaritaine draws inspiration from his travels and the people he meets to nurture his curiosity and create ever-more daring gourmet delights. Here's a few trade secrets revealed...

How did you come to be a pastry chef?

I come from a family of bakers and pastry chefs, of which I'm the fourth generation. It was my father who inspired me to join the profession. Right from the start, I wanted to spark emotions! I wanted to let people enjoy themselves and make wonderful memories.

Which are your signature flavors?

When it comes to flavors, I work in two ways: elevating unique flavors (such as Infiniment Vanille, Infiniment Praliné Noisette, Infiniment Chocolat, and Infiniment Fraise) and then creating flavor combinations. The most well-known of these is Ispahan, which started as a pastry, then became a drink, a macaron, a cake, and even an ice cream... There are around sixty recipes based on this combination: rose, lychee, and raspberry. For macarons, people often mention Mogador, which combines milk chocolate with passion fruit, another of our House specialties. There are plenty of others: Satine, Montebello…

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Everywhere! It can come from a conversation, but mostly from ingredients and a desire to bring them together. For instance, one of the latest combinations I've come up with is Algae, with dark chocolate, nori seaweed and yuzu. If I had to choose one word to describe my work, it would be daring!

Travel, culture... Do you enjoy forging unexpected connections?

If I use matcha tea, you'll think of Japan; if I use a pink berry, you'll think of Peru... Indeed, my inspirations are often linked to my travels and my general curiosity. I love to try new everything! And, over the years, I've introduced other more traditional techniques to my work, to infuse the House's heritage and express the art of patisserie in different ways.

So curiosity and "gourmandise" [indulgence] aren't such bad characteristics after all?

Absolutely not! I even have a friend, Lionel Poilâne, who a few years ago sent a petition to the Pope, asking him to annul the sin of "gourmandise." In fact, the English language makes a strong distinction between the idea of "gourmandise" and "gluttony"!

What’s new at Samaritaine?

The entire macaron collection! But also candy, chocolates, orangettes, coated hazelnuts, coated almonds, cakes, and ice creams. Just what you want for the warmer months ahead!

The first Hermé family patisserie opened in Colmar in 1870, the same year as Samaritaine... What does the department store mean to you?

I love the concept of being able to find so many different things, and being able to just wander around the store. Samaritaine embodies a beautiful universe of luxury, the art of living... and gourmet delights. It's a true reflection of our city!

What might be your next challenge?

In our business, what's important is passing on knowledge to future generations. We already train a lot of people to work for us, but I'd like to create a school, a real Pierre Hermé academy.