Organic supermarkets in Paris?

[selena03]

Just wondering if there are any organic food markets in paris where I can find organic chicken breast, ground beef etc. as my daughter has a ton of food allergies so we will have to prepare some of her food in our apartment and take with us when we are dining out.

[spacesasha]

Can't think of any specifically organic supermarkets BUT most supermarkets sell a lot of BIO (French for organic) products which are generally well marked. Additionally boul. raspail has a BIO market a few days a week with wonderful products.

[PhilD]

The market on Bld Raspail is on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. However, it is only organic (or Bio) on Sundays.

[souphie]

That same market (the organic one) is on saturdays bd des Batignolle, métro Rome.

[John Talbott]

Soup my friend, do you find (as I do) that Batignolles is not as impressive as Raspail?

[souphie]

For people watching it isn't. And it's more spacious. Otherwise, it's the same merchants one day earlier. Often with fresher stuff.

[olivierb]

Two organic supermarkets networks have several stores in Paris: Biocoop and Naturalia.

Here's the list of their addresses:
http://www.naturalia.fr/entreprise/nos_magasins.asp
http://www.biocoop.fr/carte-magasins.php (you have to click on Paris (75) on the map

)

Regular supermarkets also sell many organic products now, as spacesasha said.

[John Talbott]

I'm no expert, but I have a Naturalia http://www.naturalia.fr/entreprise/no... next door and I've found it very good.

[selena03]

thanks so much for the replies-we were in Italy last year and it was really hard to find organic products....

[Sylvia P.]

Check out 2 chains of stores:
Naturalia
Bio Generation
as well as the Raspail market on Saturdays.
Many "bio" producst are also available at regular supermarkets.

[menton1]

Just about EVERY organic product sold in France is available at Les Nouveaux Robinsons, a BIO mecca just beyond the Porte de Vincennes. (Actually in Montreuil). The #9 metro goes there, the stop is "Robespierre".

This place is just a paradise for organic shopping! If you need organic (BIO) THIS IS THE PLACE IN PARIS!! They also carry non-allergenic non-food items, such as paper, linens, makeup, etc.

Les Nouveaux Robinsons: Place de la Republique, 93100 Montreuil-sous-Bois. Open Mon – Sat. 10am-8pm.

[Fine]

Am putting together (online) my first trip back to La Belle France in 2 decades: I've changed, the culinary world has changed, the Earth has changed!

I simply don't have the time and energy to spend too many hours on this board, so I thought I'd take advantage of the opening provided by this post to ask for some suggestions: Are there restaurants in Paris (we also plan to visit Normandy and Brittany and end up in Lyon, where we'll train to Milan) that emphasize organic, sustainable practices?

Also, though I once spoke very fluent French, it's been decades since I've had much opportunity to converse in French and would appreciate knowing how to say low (or non) fat, whole grain, and sustainable in colloquial French.

While I'm posting, my preference in restaurants runs to regionally authentic, non-experimental cooking (no fusion, thanks--I live in San Francisco!) although I have no objections to the lightening of traditional dishes as practiced by followers of nouvelle cuisine.

I eat a diet quite low in saturated fat and plan to do my damndest to continue to follow that regime on the trip (I'm aware of the irony more than anyone else--I was such a snob about croissants made only with butter in my previous sojourns in France)..

Merci mille fois for any and all suggestions (please don't tell me not to bother to visit France if I don't want to risk a coronary; I've been dreaming of this trip for years).

[ChefJune]

You will be pleased to find that chefs in France don't cook the same way they did 20 years, either. In general, I find that fine dining both in France and US are similar in that they use top quality ingredients, less fat and heavy sauces than they did in years gone by.

Unfortunately, the perception of French food by many Americans hasn't changed. I'm guessing it's because they haven't dined there lately, or if they have, they stuck to touristy places.

That said, I don't know of many places that concentrate on organic, altho they're not opposed to it, either.

[PhilD]

I would echo June's post. I find that if you head to good quality restaurants you will find that the ingredients are also of good quality with good provenance etc.

However, I find the French are less hung-up about generic labels like organic. Instead they look for traditional ingredients from reputable suppliers. The quality end of the French produce industry probably hasn't mechanized as much as other countries (US/UK) so they don't need to draw back from the abyss like producers in other countries, and therefore the traditional AOC and other quality labels can still be trusted without needing "organic" or "free-range" stamped on a product.

If you want low fat order dishes that don't have many fatty ingredients, there will be a lot of choice for you to do this. I predict you will be disappointed if you want a traditional "high fat" dish made with low fat ingredients. But given how menus have evolved you shouldn't have problems choosing food that meets your requirements.

Thus the best advice is to select good restaurants, and be prepared to pay for good food. If you head for cheap meals you will get what you pay for i.e, if a high quality Bresse chicken cost €30 to 40 retail you are not going to get a €10 restaurant dish that uses it.

[Fine]

"if a high quality Bresse chicken cost €30 to 40 retail" WOW!

Are there actually "low-quality" Bresse chickens as well?

I had a terrible time finding them on menus on previous visits to France. Can you recommend a restaurant that serves them regularly?

Thanks.

[PhilD]

"Are there actually "low-quality" Bresse chickens as well?"

Yes of course there are, it is an AOC designation with many different producers. Some are going to be better than others. IIRC the poultry counter at "Le Bon Marche" has Bresse chickens from a number of suppliers at different price points, plus they have a lot of other types of chicken. It is worth visiting to look at the range.

As for restaurants Souphie is the best guide as I tend to eat chicken at home as roast chicken is my partners must have dish.

[souphie]

Because of the cost, good quality Bresse is a fine dining item. If you ask me, the best in town that is on the menu regularly is at le Bristol -- or Le Cinq now.

L'Ami Louis is also pretty good (78e for the whole roast chicken) but it's no Bresse, it's Coucou de Rennes, I think, a firmer, more rustic breed.

By the way, Bresse is not ideal roasted. It's better poached. In season, l'Ambroisie does it "demi-deuil" on order and that's pretty damn good (and expensive).

[lagatta]

I still insist on only pur beurre croissants - the substitute fats are far worse - just don't eat them every day. Or don't eat them at all and buy good bread - there are many bio et intégral boulangeries in Paris and other large French cities now.

[spacesasha]

Honestly I would shy away from asking for low or non-fat and the like. Instead just read menus and order accordingly. If you are in the supermarket you will find plenty of low and non-fat items. As for whole grain fancier restaurants may give you the option with bread and bakeries always have whole grain breads. Just buy quality product and eat in quality restaurants and most things you eat should be cultivated from sustainable practices.

[souphie]

Incidentally, organic chicken, ground beef, veggies... are now found in almost any supermarket, definitely any Monoprix, Carrefour, etc.

[Fine]

How wonderful!

Alas, our stay will in hotel rooms with no cooking facilities, but it's heartening to learn just the same.

I'm so accustomed to ordering fat-free cappuccinos and lattes (often organic too) here in the San Franciso Bay Area, I was hoping I could do the same overseas: I prefer them and they are a way to keep the daily fat intake lower, especially when eating out.

[souphie]

You'll find this is not the Bay Area... It's easier to lower carb intake than fat intake. But fats are of much better quality in general here.

[lagatta]

Order espresso or a café-crème (made with a bit of foamed milk, not cream) if you are concerned about your cholesterol intake, not a cappuccino or café au lait. All that milk in "coffee drinks" is an American variation. Probably not as bad a one in the Bay Area as in some places where megacafé chains have a monopoly, and push sugary "coffee drinks" that are full of calories and bad fats.

There are lots of people in France who have to be careful about their intake of various food groups as well, but diets aren't the same. France has one of the longest life expectancies in the world, and although obesity has grown there as in all industrialised countries, the rate is lower than in the US or many Northern European countries, and lower than among the francophone Québecois population here with pretty much the same gene pool. You don't have to eat foie gras, or eat croissants every day, to enjoy the culinary aspects of your visit.

And while you may well want to concentrate on "authentic" French food, French diners also enjoy Vietnamese and other Asian cuisines.

[selena03]

Hi Fine,
I live in Vancouver so am used to the organic low fat diet here as well but after my first trip to Italy 4 years ago I stopped eating low fat and anything diet. Smaller portions of fresh food with fats like good cheeses, and regular coffee drinks made with full fat milk have resulted in my being thinner than I was before! I eat what I enjoy, make sure it's of the highest quality (organic, local), red wine w/dinner, small portions, and because I get full from the fat and have had great results. Food as a result has become much more of an enjoyable experience. I would love to hear your report back on your trip as we are going as a family in April for 2 weeks and as you already noticed like to be able to eat organic/sustainable for our daughter. San Fran and Vancouver have a similar food culture-your opinions would be valued. Have a great trip!

[souphie]

Good to hear that. I did not dare mentioning it.

[lagatta]

selena and souphie, after studying in Italy, I have also found that the Italian (and some aspects of the French, especially southern French) diet suit my health much better than extreme low-fat. I drink very little milk (lactose intolerance, though I can tolerate some cheese and yoghourt) but I can have the small amount of milk in a REAL cappuccino or a café-crème (some so-called cappuccinos in North America are practically a foamy café au lait).

However it is possible that Fine is under doctor's orders - probably a doctor in France would prescribe a slightly different diet - and there are pleasant ways of not eating too much saturated fat, by putting the accent on vegetables and fruit. Nowadays there are many excellent boulangeries that do organic breads of various grains.

[selena03]

Your right. If it is under dr's orders than what I said isn't really applicable....

[souphie]

If you take your doctor seriously...

[menton1]

Thought I'd reprise this since this was the only direct answer to the poster's original question:

Just about EVERY organic product sold in France is available at Les Nouveaux Robinsons, a BIO mecca just beyond the Porte de Vincennes. (Actually in Montreuil). The #9 metro goes there, the stop is "Robespierre".

This place is just a paradise for organic shopping! If you need organic (BIO) THIS IS THE PLACE IN PARIS!! They also carry non-allergenic non-food items, such as paper, linens, makeup, etc.

Les Nouveaux Robinsons: Place de la Republique, 93100 Montreuil-sous-Bois. Open Mon – Sat. 10am-8pm.