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INTERVIEW
On the streets of Avenue de l’Opéra, one establishment stands out with its chic gold exterior, sweet scent of chocolate and fine artistry. Opened in November of 2022, Jade Genin and her chocolatier have already captured the hearts of chocolate enthusiasts and connoisseurs worldwide.
From a young age, Jade Genin discovered her passion for chocolate with her chocolatier father and her admiration for the culinary world from quality fine dining in the city. For her, the craft of chocolate has always had a special spot in her heart.
Photos: Thomas Duval
In droplets of pyramidions, Genin presents a divine and gastronomic chocolate journey. It is a crystallisation of her love for craftsmanship, chocolate and heritage. From fruit notes and floral scents to the shine and light textures, Genin pours herself into every creation.
1. How did you discover your passion for chocolate?
From my childhood. Thanks to my parents, I understood at the youngest age the beauty of the food and the cuisine. It helped me in finding my true calling. My parents always brought me to the finest restaurants and always thought me to prefer quality over quantity. I also discovered chocolate with my dad, who is himself a chocolatier. At the age of four, I discovered this perfect ingredient which is not like any other.
When I work with chocolate, I have no notion of time passing. I forget everything, fears and regrets, appearances and futility... I abandon myself to it, I become completely absorbed... with chocolate, everything that constitutes me is fully occupied. My hands, mind and senses are all focused on the creative process.
However, I did not embrace my true calling until the age of 26. I did not embrace my chocolate career right away. I first studied law at La Sorbonne, I was a trained attorney at the age of 24. I joined Latham & Watkins as an associate in Mergers and Acquisitions for two years. During these two years, I felt something was missing in my life. It was chocolate. And I dumped everything to go back to my first love.
I had to do it all over again, I would not skip this part. It was a crucial step in the development of my brain and my organisational skills. It’s the best training you can hope for!
2. What does chocolate mean to you?
Chocolate is my everything: my passion, my job, and most importantly the way I express myself and my feelings. It is also my favorite sugary food in the whole world. Since I was a kid, I cannot remember a day without eating chocolate. It’s my addiction.
Today, it is also my business. I’m not only a chef. I’m also an entrepreneur, handling my business on my own.
3. Congratulations on your chocolaterie Jade Genin. How has the experience been since opening?
Since opening in November 2022, it's been a lot of work! I have no day off and my mind is constantly absorbed by my project. I have to think about my creations, handle the production at the atelier but also supervise and train the sales people, be the office administrator, the accountant and the CEO! Opening a business on your own is a lot of work. But it's such a reward when your products are understood and appreciated!
Photo: Mathusian Belt
"Chocolate is my everything: my passion, my job, and most importantly the way I express myself and my feelings."
– Jade Genin
4. What made you open your chocolaterie in Paris' Avenue de l’Opéra?
Paris is my birth town and my favourite place in the world. It’s a central place for gastronomy and my parents live in Paris. I could not have opened anywhere else!
Avenue de l'Opéra is where thousands of steps mix the nationalities of the whole world. I immediately recognised myself in this colourful and cheerful cosmopolitanism. In a straight line, the perfect symmetry of the Opéra Garnier. To this magnificence, I respond with the elegant sobriety of her chocolate shop, while keeping the slenderness of the lines that echoes the rhythm of the pillars of the Palais Garnier.
Wrought iron, marble bands and basket-handle windows: I was immediately seduced by the facade of the 33, avenue de l'Opéra. 33... The love affair continues inside the site. I like ideas to flow and I discover a place that intersects: the main entrance is on avenue de l'Opéra and the workshop entrance is on rue Danielle-Casanova. The joy of the stroller who will discover from the street, with happiness, the gestures which give birth to chocolates! The two spaces are connected by a curved corridor, one drawing the horizon of the other. A side stage and backstage ... which is not without evoking the Comédie Française, nearby.
It's a place of transparency and continuity, which perfectly resembles me.
5. What do you wish to bring to the patisserie/chocolate scene of Paris?
My conception of chocolate is quite unique.
First of all, I use only natural and raw products: I forbid any kind of additives, aromas or preservatives in my atelier. I work only with fresh products: fresh mint leaves, cinnamon sticks, fennel seeds, real vanilla beans. Everything that goes in my chocolate candies can be eaten with a spoon right out of the bag. For the same reason, I do not use any white sugar. I only choose top quality ingredients.
Also, I do not use any cream, butter or milk in my chocolates (and no vegan alternatives such as soya cream as well). According to me, they are unnecessary in chocolate candy. Chocolate already has the sugar, the fat of the cacao butter and eventually the milkiness if it’s milk chocolate. All you have to add is a nut, a fruit, a spice, a flower or a combination of them! This also allows my chocolate candies to be very pure and concentrated in the aroma. Their perfume is not diluted by cream, butter or sugar.
Finally, the format of my chocolate candies is quite special. They are very small, because I conceived them as a tasting experience. I want the customers to eat 5 or 10 in a row to really enjoy the flavor associations (on which I work a lot) and go through the journey I have prepared for them!
"I want the customers to eat 5 or 10 in a row to really enjoy the flavour associations (on which I work a lot) and go through the journey I have prepared for them!"
– Jade Genin
6. What do you hope to achieve with chocolaterie Jade Genin?
A lot of happiness, sharing and a life full of surprises!
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All imagery is provided by Emma Lab.
Address: 33 Avenue de l'Opéra 75002, Paris 2, France | Website: jadegenin.fr | Phone: +09 8707 1779 | Instagram: @jade.genin