Your ultimate guide to French gluten-free grocery shopping
Whilst dining out is always an experience in the gastronomic capital of Paris, sometimes you just feel like the comforts of a good, home cooked meal.
So when the fancy strikes, here are some places you and your trusty shopping basket can trot off to to find gluten-free ingredients.
Un Monde Vegan
Only newly opened, Un Monde Vegan is a supermarket that caters for the lentil-munching, egg-evading community of Paris, but also has quite a comprehensive gluten-free section containing all manner of vegan, gluten-free goods. Among other tempting titles, they also stock the Orgran brand which, if you are intolerant to anything, will become a dear friend.
64 rue Notre Dame de Nazareth 75003
Causses
Causses is a luxury grocer in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, which supplies the bobo community with every bio, free range and gluten-free goodie that their hearts could ever desire. With produce artistically displayed about the shop floor, Causses is more reminiscent of a food gallery than a mere store.
Here, you will find a dedicated gluten-free section, but also whole foods and unprocessed ingredients that are naturally gluten-free. A visit to Causses may cause one to alter their recipe just as an excuse to try some of the previously unheard-of and exotic ingredients.
55 Rue Notre-Dame de Lorette 75009
Claus
Whilst Claus also serves as a restaurant, this may be a fact that is easily over looked, as a visit to Claus is not dissimilar to walking into the sparse, and modern kitchen of a designer’s loft. There is an island bench, a sink, and some of that ubiquitous kitchen flooring, but the cupboards and shelves are filled not with cups and saucers – though there are some of those, too – but with glorious produce.
Some of it is pre-made, like the scrumptious cakes that lie in wait beneath glass cake cloches, and some of it requires your effort. Like the various riz au lait D.I.Y kits, featuring delectable flavours such as rose, caramel and mango. Whilst Claus do a mean breakfast, you could go a meaner, and gluten-freer riz au lait with these little aids.
14 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau 75001
Bio-Moi
Whilst Paris is not short of a good health food store, between the Naturalia and Biocoop franchises, Bio-Moi is definitely one such store you should not miss. With an impressive range of all things gluten-free, and exhaustive customer service that is unheard of in Paris, this really should be the first place you and your little basket visit.
Bio Moi stocks quite a few gluten-free brands that you will not find in the supermarkets or other specialist stores plus many, if not all, of the old favourites.
Also, Bio-Moi is just down the road from a Rose Bakery, which will provide the perfect, post-shop pit stop for a piece of their famous polenta cake.
35 Rue Debelleyme 75003
The local supermarché
You will find an ever-increasing range of gluten-free produce in your local supermarché these days, with many stocking the Schär and Gerblé brands as well as their own, home-branded gluten-free versions of pasta, breads and biscuits.
Just head to the bio aisle and see what awaits you. If the choice is not to your liking, never hesitate to fill in a suggestions form at the supermarket reception – after all, to faire la grève is terribly French.
Where do you go for your gluten-free ingredients? Share your secrets below…
Image credits:1. Ride in the Shopping Cart, by Caden Crawford via Flickr.
2. Un Monde Vegan, by Tiphaine P. via Yelp.
3. Causses, by Charlotte du Genestoux.
4. Claus, by Stephen L. via Yelp.
5. Bio-Moi, by Mélanie P. via Yelp.
6. Causses, by Charlotte du Genestoux.
Great post! So many new finds here!
I also found that the Naturalia shop had a nice selection of gluten-free items, particularly cereals (and ones that I can’t get here in Canada, sadly).