Jacques Génin is a French chef,

cookery book A cookbook or cookery book is a kitchen reference containing recipes. Cookbooks may be general, or may specialize in a particular cuisine or category of food. Recipes in cookbooks are organized in various ways: by course (appetizer, first cour ...

writer, and well-known chocolate and caramel maker in Paris. He supplies

chocolates Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civil ...

caramels Caramel ( or ) is an orange-brown confectionery product made by heating a range of sugars. It can be used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, or as a topping for ice cream and custard. The process of caramelizatio ...

and

petits fours A petit four (plural: petits fours, also known as mignardises) is a small bite-sized confectionery or savory appetizer. The name is French, ''petit four'' (), meaning "small oven". History and etymology In 18th and 19th century France, gas ...

to more than 200 top French hotels and restaurants, including the

Hôtel de Crillon Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel () is a historic luxury hotel in Paris which opened in 1909 in a building dating to 1758. Located at the foot of the Champs-Élysées, the Crillon, along with the Hôtel de la Marine, is one of two identical st ...

, the

Plaza Athénée The Hotel Plaza Athénée is a Brunei-owned historic luxury hotel in Paris, France. It is located at 25 Avenue Montaigne in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, 8th arrondissement of Paris, near the Champs-Élysées and the Palais de Tokyo. The hotel ...

and

Le Meurice Le Meurice () is a Brunei-owned five-star luxury hotel in the 1st arrondissement of Paris opposite the Tuileries Garden, between Place de la Concorde and the Musée du Louvre on the Rue de Rivoli. From the Rue de Rivoli, it stretches to the Rue ...

. His chocolate factory has been described by the New York Times as "a holy site for connoisseurs," and in 2008, he opened a shop selling to the public in the

Marais Marais (, meaning "marsh") may refer to: People * Marais (given name) * Marais (surname) Other uses * Le Marais, historic district of Paris * Théâtre du Marais, the name of several theatres and theatrical troupes in Paris, France * Marais (com ...

neighbourhood of Paris. Genin is not a qualified maître chocolatier under the French system, but is self-taught, and has described himself as a rebel. He began his career in food in a slaughterhouse, opened his first restaurant when he was 28, and at age 33 worked as head pâtissier at the global chocolate company La Maison du Chocolat. In 2010, he was named one of the top French chocolatiers by the

Club des Croqueurs de Chocolat The Club de Croqueurs de Chocolat (literally: "Chocolate Crunchers' Club") is an association of chocolate specialists. Founded in 1981, it publishes a gastronomic guide dedicated to chocolate every year, and awards prizes at the Salon du Chocolat ...

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