Advances in technology have made it possible for people as far away as Japan to enjoy the best of France's chocolate delights.
"We can send our product quickly by airplane and it will arrive in just two or three days," says Clément Groisne, managing director at the Japan office of Parisian chocolate maker Hugo & Victor. "Unlike in the past, we can instantly freeze chocolate the moment we're done making it. We can easily preserve the quality of the ingredients, and it's hard to tell the difference in taste between fresh chocolates and chocolates that have been frozen."
However, despite the availability of a freezer and a short plane ride, importing chocolate in time for Valentine's Day still gives Groisne a headache every year. Department stores' strict standards on everything from the quality of the chocolate to the packaging make it difficult for even the best patisseries in Paris to break into the Japanese market.