Chocolate Truffle Factoid

Was flagging by the end of the day yesterday - and understandably, from walking around Paris with an indefatigable Eveready bunny in the flesh- my dear friend Beth. So I ducked into Jeff de Bruges to buy some chocolates for a dinner party and for a much-needed bitter cocoa boost. This, in the form of one of my faves-chocolate truffles. No yucky milk chocolate for this girl-bleagh.

However, much to my dismay, I was having trouble locating the truffles. And surprise! to discover that there is actually a season for truffles-as they have to be refrigerated at lower temperatures, they are not made before November.

Now that I think about it, isn't that silly? My aunt in Philadelphia could be forgiven for believing that the French don't use ice cubes because they don't yet have refrigeration.

And come to think of it, global warming does not bode well for truffles. On the other hand, if France continues to have summers like this past one, they will be serving truffles on the beaches of St. Tropez in August.

And where is Marie Antoinette when we need her, "Let them eat chocolate truffles-yeah!'

But wait, there's more. For those of you who think (like me) one of the all-time great food combos is ginger confit with a thick coating of bitter chocolate, this also turns out to be seasonal, but with no particular rhyme or reason. If you have a year-round craving for choco/ginger, you would find yourself on a patchwork hop through Paris, Jeff de Bruges around St. Valentine's Day, and Jadis et Gourmande (in my mind, one of the best chocolatiers of Paris), makes them available for Easter.

Umm, does anyone see an opportunity here?