Salon de l'Agriculture 2014

Saturday was opening day for the 10-day annual Salon de l'Agriculture fair. It's my all-time favorite event in Paris bar none.

Photo by le DL/J.L. Great beauty, Bella and queen of this year's salon has been flirting with us for weeks in the Metro.

Meeting her in person(?) couldn't have been nicer. What a darling Tarentaise from the Alpes.

The Agriculture salon takes over all of huge convention center Porte de Versailles (near the end of the #12 Metro line but not at the actual Chateau Versailles by the way).

Isn't it nice how they try to make some animals feel at home at the show? I went late yesterday and only hit building 7 (where all the French regional food and wines are on floors 7.2 and 7.3).

Do sheep bite? They looked so benign, but when I went to give a pat, he/she leaped back and looked at me with horror. Evidently some farm animals skipped their pre-show training classes I guess...

I am a huge fan of any kind of bleu cheese. Maybe it's the color factor. I hope to share the Roquefort-nut bread they were demoing here.

And look!

Gustave Doré at the agriculture salon! Or did the D'Orsay co-ordinate their exhibition with the salon? Qui sait?

This time last year I was a vegan in process of becoming a meat-eater post-agriculture salon.

Now all of this looks so yummy...

Demi jambon sec is now a big favorite thing especially cut up small and added to a salad...

Have you had Alsacienne 'pizza'? Called tarte flambée or Flammkuchen it's creme fraiche fromage blanc les oignons les lardons/bacon bits and delicious.

I got some Luques olives this time from the Sud de Provence venders.

But not these tempting vats of olive oil from specific olives...

No tarteflette either yet...

Duck everything in every form is at the salon.

The Basques are out in force. Well every region of France is represented selling their specialties. Could you ask for anything better?

Wines from Burgundy were begging me to taste...

While the cask-making demo was going on...

I discovered flasks identifying the different aromas in Burgundy wines; floral, citrusy, dried fruits, spicy, woody, red fruits...

Simply inhale...wonderful.

As always the Bretons are singing and slurping beer or cider.

And the Breton kouign amann was beckoning. I resisted this time.

Beautiful leeks for your soup from the Loire.

And you could throw in a dash of liqueur from cepes/mushrooms for fun if you like. Intensely flavorful.

Maybe I'll get a dozen escargot today or the oysters. I only hit one floor of the two French regional food floors and only a corner of it. I could not pass by freshly cranked-out coconut ice cream from Reunion without tasting. I don't even like anything coconut but this was heaven. The Salon de l'Agriculture is on through 2 March everyday 9 - 7 pm. If you're in Paris it's a DON'T MISS IMHO. More reports to come. Stay tuned.