Australia's greatest culinary tradition takes France by storm - The Tim Tam

One of the brilliant things about being an ex-pat in Paris is that there is an ex-pat Australian group (on the “meetup” website) that keeps you connected to your homeland (Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi Oi Oi!).

So while reviewing the recent posts on the Aussies in Paris site, I came across a post that was about to change our lives forever.

Someone had found Tim Tams for sale at one of the big supermarket chains. 2 euros 99 a packet.

The timing couldnt have been better.

You see, Mum had sent a couple of packets of Tim Tams to M for his birthday at the beginning of the year. At first, he eyed the packets with suspicion – “What are these things you call “Tim Tams”? What is this amazing deliciousness you speak of? How could it possibly be better than the hundreds of years of French culinary tradition and sophistication?”, he seemed to say.

There was nothing left to do but rip open the packet and shove an entire chocolatey biscuit in his mouth.

At this same moment, his head chakra opened up and shot out a white beam of light, the clouds parted and God sent a host of angels to fly around M’s ears and I had the distinct impression that he levitated. And then his head exploded with joy. And joyness. (Ed: Nice Charlie the Unicorn reference if I do say so myself

The Tim Tam was an absolute revelation.

And then we did some “Chocolate Straws” with coffee and he made a face that I really wish he’d make sometimes when we’re in bed together (wink wink).

Life is now measured by BTT and ATT (Before Tim Tams, After Tim Tams).

The 2 packets lasted less than a few hours, leaving M to rock back and forth and scratch his forearm nervously, asking for just one more.

And then a few weeks later, I saw the announcement on the Aussies in Paris site.

I called M and gave him the good news. He begged me to go to our local “Monoprix” and see if they were there too.

Sure enough, there they were. 2 glistening rows of original flavour.

I bought 6 packets, thinking this would be enough to satisfy my Frenchman’s needs.

When he arrived home and discovered there were “Only 6?”, he mumbled some excuse about needing to buy some sugar and that he’d be back shortly.

20 minutes later and he had another 8 packets under his arm.

The day after he raided the rest of the stock. 30 packets.

Our cupboard now holds more Tim Tams than all our other food put together.

And he is churning through 2 packets daily (one for breakfast, one for dessert).

Although, to be fair, he has been introducing chocolate straws to his (French) work colleagues, so not all of them are ending up in his stomach. This too has been causing a commotion and now his colleagues are following the craze.

So to all my Australian visitors, please, as you’re packing your bags for Paris, can you please just add in a couple of non-original flavour Tim Tams to your luggage? I want to see M’s head explode again.

Culinary Games Scorecard

Aussies: 1. Frenchies: 1000.

Yes!