The Brusselsprouts

A couple of weeks ago I went with Stéphanie, the wonderful girl from the Undisclosed Dinner project to Pimpinelle to taste the candy of . We were so taken by their sweet little jewels that Amaury, the candy wizard behind Bon et Bon invited Sara and me to a more private tasting in their Brussels premises. One thing you should know, we gals rarely say no to candy.

A bunch of boxes on the table, we got to taste the glorious Belgian raspberry Cuberdon, created in 1873 by the De Vynck pharmacist. Wow. Actual raspberry taste and so meltingly soft. We sampled the Angélique de Niort. So special… it’s almost like a sweet veggie! It’s rhubarb meets celery! Sophistcated and yummy. Then the Coquelicots, made from wild poppy petals, anciently used for their healing virtues. The Calissons d’Aix, the salted Caramels…!

As Amaury explained to us, his eyes shining with excitement and pride, Bon et Bon offers local candy produced by small artisans. Each candy comes from a specific French or Belgian region and Bon et Bon works with the artisan who has the original recipe or the closest one, at least. Sometimes, as with the Bêtises de Cambrai, it’s candy war! Much resembling a Tim Burton movie, two artisans claim they detain the original recipe… and they’re feisty!

Bon et Bon is much more than delicious candy in pretty little carton boxes. It’s an ode to our regions’ heritage and a strive to keep the ancestral knowhow alive and pass it on from generation to generation. I think it’s such a beautiful endeavour. Also, who said candy was bad for you?! Did you know that the original, good candy has actually plenty of great natural ingredients and beneficial properties? Unlike most of the plastic candy we too often chew on…

You can order your boxes online and have them delivered worldwide. Or you can get them in various sellpoints like Pimpinelle and Hei Shop & Tea.

Amaury, Mélanie, thanks again for the invitation and keep up the sweet work!