Dorie Greenspan’s 10 Favorite Baking & Pantry Essentials to Buy in Paris

Dorie Greenspan—the beloved author of 13 cookbooks—splits her time between America and Paris, France. So when the baking aficionado returns to Paris, the first place she often finds herself is G. Detou, a speciality épicerie in the city’s 2nd arrondissement. It’s here that Dorie could easily spend hours milling through the stacked shelves, rifling through packages of French dried fruits and bottles of intensely dark vanilla extract. 

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G. Detou has long been a staple for Parisians, a destination for locals and chefs to pick up tins of sardines, bags of dark, milk, and white chocolate, and jars of mustard—the kinds of speciality items not often found in traditional grocery stores. The name of the store is actually a play on words: G. Detou may look like someone’s name, but when said in French, it sounds like “j’ai de tout,” which translates to, “I have everything.” And it’s true: G. Detou does have everything. 

Next time you’re in Paris, here’s everything Dorie recommends stocking up on if you find yourself roaming the cozy, tight quarters of G. Detou.

Chocolate

As a baker, Dorie’s absolute favorite corner of G. Detou is the chocolate section. From rounds to chunks and pearls, chocolate comes in all percentages, shapes, and sizes. Find it online here.  

Coffee Extract

Just like vanilla and almond extract, coffee extract can be used in a myriad of baking projects. Find it online here.  

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Sardines

Even if you don’t like sardines, Dorie guarantees that you’ll fall in love with the colorful and eclectic packaging. G. Detou boasts a small collection of squat sardines tins, primed to be chopped into Caesar salad dressing or slung onto pizza. Find it online here.     

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Pistachio Oil

Pistachio oil is often hard to come by—and it’s pricey—but it’s a potent oil that lends itself well to salad dressing or simply drizzled on top of an avocado. Find it online here

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Espelette

A red pepper from le Pays Basque, espelette is a hot, yet sweet, pepper that can be ground into a powdered form or sold as a purée or jelly. Find it online here

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Mustard

Mustard is a must-buy in France, and Dorie is particularly a fan of the brand Edmond Fallot. Squeezed into glass jars are a kaleidoscope of colors and flavors, like pain d’épices, a gingerbread-flavored mustard that complements liver and chicken breasts. Find it online here

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Dried Fruit

A slew of dried fruit can be found at G. Detou—which Dorie folds into cakes or simply snacks on—from dried cassis to mirabelles (a plum found only in France) and figs and prunes. Find it online here

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Nuts

Stock up on bags of grilled and salted almonds and bright green pistachio nuts, ready to be whisked into the likes of cookies and salads. Find it online here.  

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Pepper

There’s no need to purchase plastic pepper mills every time you run out of pepper. Instead, purchase a reusable grinder that can be refilled with pepper—like black pepper from Penja, Dorie’s favorite. Find it online here

Fleur de Sel

Dorie recommends a fleur de sel that’s hand-harvested from Brittany, flaky nubs of salt filled in large sacks that’ll last even the most busy of chefs a long time. Find it online here