My Normandy | The Best Salted Caramels in Honfleur
There is a lot to say about the quaint harbour town of Honfleur in Normandy. You could talk about the carousel’s organ music that floats through the air as you walk around the picturesque harbour with its striking architecture, how it feels to get lost in the lovely medieval streets with cobblestone and brightly painted facades, or the ethereal feeling of walking down the aisle of the towns famous church, Saint Catherine’s, as the organist practices.
But I want to take this opportunity to tell you where I love to get salted caramels.
Because, dear friends, this is the big stuff.
Okay, okay. No, I guess it’s isn’t really. The other stuff wins, but you can find those things out just by wandering around. Everyone that visits Honfleur will intuitively know those same things with minutes.
But knowing where to get the BEST homemade caramels in town is something only someone who has walked throes streets many times and tried many caramels can tell you.
You may only have one day there—so you won’t have time to pick the wrong ones. And when I say wrong, I mean so chewy your fillings are gonna pop out!
But if you take my advice, you’ll be wandering around town with a bag of the softest and sweetest homemade caramels in France.
The tiny shop is about a three-minute walk from the Cathedral. You’ll work your way through skinny alleys and cut through some passages to get to the right street... but actually, it’s so easy, so don’t worry.
The shop you’re headed to is a little storefront smushed between a few antique shops. Look for a few bottles of cider that are cutely arranged on the street and a sign for Le Comptoir de Normandie. Inside, you’ll find local goods- but bowls of individually wrapped homemade caramels available to fill a bag.
The caramels are €5.99 per 100 grams. They’re not cheap—a little under €1 each—but you get what you pay for. They’re fresh, soft and exactly what you’d want when on the quest for Norman caramels.
There are a few flavours—vanilla, apple, lemon, etc.—but I stick the the classic: salted butter caramel. You can’t beat the real thing, baby.
(Okay, I typically do toss in a vanilla one or two, too.)
But you’ll be doing your part to support an independent shop (go on, be a hero) and walking out with a true local treasure. The dairy from Normandy is hard to beat- it’s the home of so many of the worlds best butters and cheeses (Camembert, anyone?), so it’s no surprise that homemade caramels would be lovely, too.
Le Comptoir de Normandie | 35 Rue Haute, 14600 Honfleur | +33 2 31 81 36 06
Headed to France? You’re so lucky! Find more of my favourite places in Normandy here to help plan your trip.
*Images original to Aspiring Kennedy.