Balancing on the boundary between spicy and sweet, with unusual taste combinations, Jean-Paul Hévin is a French chocolate virtuoso in all of its nuances of flavour and variety. Chocolate with Roquefort cheese, for example, which can also be served as a snack, is one of his most original masterstrokes. It seems that he's able to embody all of the era's trends, including eco style and adventurous taste experiments, in one little piece of chocolate. That's why Hévin has earned France's best master of chocolate title a number of times. His chocolate shop on the rue St. Honoré reminds one more of a miniature design temple, where high-heeled shoes and other objects are also on show...in more than 40 different varieties of chocolate.
Hévin calls his chocolates "black pearls", as each piece is made from the highest quality ingredients that he himself seeks out and tests. He doesn't trust anyone else with the tasting of the chocolate and is constantly travelling, selecting the best cacao beans. In order not to lose the unique features of its flavour, no chocolate stays in the Jean-Paul Hévin shop for more than three days. He also encourages his customers to eat their chocolates within two weeks, adding that they should always be savoured at room temperature - "like a great red wine or a cake".
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