Tasting Christmas For the First Time in Amboise, France
- Brooke
- Jan 29, 2019
- 6 min read
Updated: May 31, 2022
Recently, I found myself sitting on my lanai at my house in Hawaii on a mild mid-October afternoon. It had just rained for a good hour, removing any hint of humidity that had been lingering over my town for the few hours prior. Temperatures dipped into degrees that might be considered "chilly," if only for those lucky few of us who call the tropics home. The sun was beginning its slow descent towards the western horizon, clearly visible from my lanai as it cast bright reflections on the Pacific Ocean below.
You may be wondering why a story about Christmas in Amboise, France, a quaint and historic hamlet along the Loire River prompted this above story about a quiet mid-fall afternoon in Hawaii. And though the places seem unrelated, it is because of Amboise that I came to reflect on a culinary discovery that has delighted my life ever since.
You see, that day on my lanai, I was sipping a cup of tea, not something I typically do in the afternoons in Hawaii, as my house faces westwards, meaning we tend to feel the sun's warmth mostly in the late afternoons. Instead, if I have a cup of tea, I do it in the mornings where the tropical sun has not had a chance to make our house too warm, and where the caffeine is a welcome pick me up.
But afternoon tea, despite the fact that this was a bit out of the ordinary, still doesn't make the connection obvious. No, you see, dear readers, it was the kind of tea that brings me back to a little chocolate shop on a well traversed corner in this little town in a country far, far away from my island home. And it was this type of tea that has uplifted my least favorite season into one where I can once again look forward to experiencing the flavors of a secret delight, first tasted a couple years ago in that Salon de Thé in Amboise.
I really hate winter. In fact, I hate winter so much, I moved 6,000 miles away from it to the balmy shores of Hawaii, perfectly content in my mild year long temperatures. The best kind of winter to me is debating whether or not it's cold enough to wear a sweater or pants, but realizing it probably isn't. Give me shorts and flip flops all day everyday, and I'm perfectly content.
The problem arises, though, around the holidays. Growing up in the cold Mid-Atlantic with the occasional snowy Christmas, or at least cold temperatures, Christmas in the tropics just feels unnatural. That isn't to say that Hawaii doesn't give it a real serious go - the Mele Kalikimaka spirit is strong, for sure, but there's just something weird about putting up Christmas lights on my palms and going to the beach on Christmas Day. (There is something really enjoyable about posting pictures of going to the beach on Christmas Day for all the friends and family suffering through the cold back home, though).
That means for about one month of the year, I find myself wishing to enjoy weather that's just a few degrees cooler than my balmy 80º F. And that one month of the year directly follows the American Thanksgiving holiday all the way through New Years. But once January 1st rolls around, back to the tropical weather for me, thankyouverymuch.
A funny thing happened a few years ago, though, that was sort of unexpected. Ben and I found ourselves in France in late November when we stumbled upon the magic surprise of European Christmas markets. This was not planned in advance, but was like stumbling upon a key that unlocks the magic of this special time of the year. The funny thing is that Ben, also known in these parts as the Grinch, does not especially enjoy Christmas. Not having grown up celebrating the holiday, Christmas holds very little appeal to him, and he gives me a hard time every October when I start talking non-stop about Christmas songs, Christmas cookies, how soon is too soon to start decorating, etc. I remain undeterred. No amount of bah humbug will dampen my Christmas spirits. (He wants me to note that he has gotten better in the past year or two, and so I have noted that here). ;)
And yet, the Christmas markets of France cast a spell over him. Packed with food vendors, lights, entertainment, and mulled wine, along with an appropriate slight chill in the air, European Christmas markets are the epitome of Christmas magic that I've always felt, and that Ben began to discover in his mid-30's.
One such place that cast its spell, despite it not having a Christmas market when we visited, was Amboise. Instead, the town's streets were decked out with festive lights, garland, bows and holiday decorations. In other words, Amboise felt like a real life Christmas market, minus the mulled wine stalls.
And there's no better place to experience that hygge (the unbiquitous Danish word roughly meaning "cozy") feeling than Pâtisserie Bigot, a bakery and salon de thé (tea salon, in the same vein as a coffee shop) that is featured in almost every picture of Amboise. Conveniently located near the Amboise castle, it looks as cute in real life as the images portray. And it's been serving some amazingly delicious pastries and warm drinks for over 100 years.
It was one of these warm drinks that has inspired this long-winded post, that a sip on my lanai in Hawaii sent my imagination back to the interior of this little pâtisserie, far away from my home. It sent me on a mission to scavenge the earth for different variations of this precious drink, not a common commodity back home, but big in various parts of the world. That drink? Thé de Noël, or Christmas tea.
With its comforting winter inspired flavors, spices and fragrant aroma, this tea instantly transports me to all of my favorite Christmas memories, from my brother and I waking up much too early and organizing all of the presents into piles for each person, from Santa arriving on a fire truck handing out toothbrushes, to sharing the newest Cabbage Patch dolls with my cousins, to Christmas caroling at my grandparent's neighborhood, to even the awkward Christmas pageants I had to perform in during my Catholic school years. (My big role as the inn-keeper's wife, with my classic "No room" line, is perhaps, my biggest staring role to date).
That evening sip of my first taste of Christmas tea was a revelation - I scoured the French countryside for different variations, bringing them back to my home in Hawaii. I've been gifted and sourced my own variations since, accruing more Christmas tea than one person could reasonably drink not just in one holiday season but many.
And it's my go-to drink to sip when I want to feel that sense of hygge, even if the visions outside remind me nothing of a cold, dreary winter's day back on the East Coast. No, instead, a few sips transport me across two oceans and a continent to a town far away, caught in a place between the past and present, capturing hearts with its quaint and cozy environs, and not least of all, its flavors.
Amboise Details
Located on the banks of the Loire River, Amboise is about a two and a half hour drive from Paris. A great place to make your home base for all your Loire Valley explorations, Amboise has plenty of dining, sight seeing and accommodations, as well as nearby wine tasting.
We stayed here and had a very pleasant stay at this house we found via AirBnB. The hosts do not speak fluent English, but if you know a little, and/or can pantomime the rest, it will be no problem - they were great, the house was in a wonderful location, and it had everything you would need for a relaxing stay.
For other things to do in Amboise, like visiting the chateaus and the farmer's market, visit my other blog postings.
Amboise official website (in French)
And last, but certainly not least:
Patisserie Chocolaterie Bigot à Amboise Facebook page
Thé de Noël
(Image from here)
Looking for a really delicious Christmas tea? Like I mentioned above, I've sampled a fair share, but my favorite is the Espirit de Noël from the Mariage Frères company. I am not getting paid to endorse them - I just really really enjoy their tea. They make a variety of Christmas teas, but the Espirit was my favorite. (Their Marco Polo tea is also amazing - just a quick FYI for all you tea lovers out there). :)