In keeping with the theme of this week’s So French It Hurts issue, we are honoring the macaron. We assume, of course, that you watched Gossip Girl religiously and therefore know 1) what a macaron is and 2) which flavor is Blair Waldorf’s favorite (pistachio). But we digress. Here are 4 of the best macarons in the world.

Laduree

Laduree is the Hall of Fame of macarons.  This treat originated in 1791 by two nuns, who baked them as a way to pay for their asylum.  Today, we can say the rest is history.  The French Parisian bakery Laduree is the original mainstream baker of the famed macarons. When they started, they didn’t even have a logo, but today they sell at least 15,000 macarons daily.  It’s an experience from start to finish at Laduree.  You know you’ve arrive at their stunning tea rooms, based on the lines outside.  The beautiful packaging, and of course, to those delicious macarons, makes a perfect special gift.

Bouchon Bakery in Yountville

Some people are just good at everything they do.  That sums up Thomas Keller’s macarons at Bouchon Bakery in Yountville.  Favorites are the vanilla flavor and if you’re into experimentation, the robins egg blue with chocolate filling.

 Atelier Ortega Jackson, Wyoming

We didn’t know how much we liked macarons, until we had the rendition at Atelier Ortega.  This is not a Parisian bakery, but rather a chocolatier in Jackson, Wyoming, which makes it even more of a surprise.  We came across Atelier Ortega when we were at Amangani, which is 7 minutes away from the chocolatier.  It’s worth the drive, every morning.  The flavors are unique – from peanut butter which is a special, to orange caramel and blueberry.  We especially love the gelato flavor, which are dipped in dark chocolate.  We know we can’t play favorites on a top list but………

Sadaharu Aoki

You know a macaron is good, when the Parisians line up at a bakery, that’s not French.  Award-winning baker Sadaharu Aoki creates the most modern version that fuses French and Japanese flavors.  Think way out of the box like wasabi, yuzu and red bean, that are meant to push boundaries.