By now, the macaron has already made the rounds in Asia - from permeating bookstores (Japanese pastry chef Hisako Ogita published I Love Macarons in 2009) to iconic macaron shop Ladurée opening up a Hong Kong branch in December with half a dozen macarons going for HK$180 ($23.20) -  so it's no surprise that the waferish wave of macarons is hitting Beijing, albeit a little after the fanfare has quieted elsewhere around the world. 

The store now synonymous with macrons, Ladurée, based in Paris, first traveled around Europe before popping up in Asia and North America. Though Beijing has yet to see the debut of its own store, that doesn't mean the city doesn't have its own take on the classic Parisian desert.

"Last year, [during the CCTV Spring Festival Gala] when Taiwanese magician Lu Chen used our macarons for one of his tricks, [there was an] increase in macaron sales for a few months which was pretty incredible," said Melanie Caruso, the marketing manager of Comptoirs de France Bakery in Beijing.

Take a gander through Beijing's larger malls, and you'll notice the colorful little confections sprucing up otherwise run-of-the-mill sweets stands. Beard Papa's, a Japanese chain known for piping fresh cream puffs, recently started selling 14 flavors of macarons at 10 kuai a piece ($1.60). The batch is made every two days, according to the staff at the Shin Kong Place branch on Xidawang Lu.

With the brightly colored swatches of dough everywhere, it seems the macaron has nestled a place for itself in Beijing.

Recipe for success

First things first: macaron is pronounced mack-ah-rohn, not to be confused with macaroon with two o's, the latter being a completely different treat.  The double-o cookie is an American invention that is much more dense and often made with sweetened coconut. Meanwhile, the delicate European confection in question has a crisp outer shell and a soft center, resembling a dainty dessert sandwich with a variety of flavors and filling in the center, from chocolate to rose.

This slightly sweet meringue-based confectionery treat is made of egg whites, powdered sugar and almond powder flavoring, then filled with a ganache, butter cream or jam.

Another possible reason for its popularity: each macaron seems to weigh almost nothing, which might encourage those watching their diets to dive into the seemingly innocuous and less calorie-laden treat.

While simple in ingredients, the arduous task of making your own macaron is probably not something a normal person would tackle as a culinary project; it involves whisking, piping and transferring heaps of egg whites and sugar to the oven.

Beijing bakes

In Beijing, the go-to place for macarons is Comptoirs de France Bakery, which sells the most authentic macaron in 13 flavors from its 11 Beijing stores.

"Comptoirs de France [has been] selling macarons since the opening of its first shop in 2006. We are now working on a seasonal collection of macarons," said Caruso. 

Other bakeries have caught on as well. Colibri, a cupcake shop in Sanlitun North, sells multi-colored macrons neatly packaged in a see-through container for 45 yuan a half dozen. But perhaps presentation is more important than taste in this case, as they were a bit dry upon biting in.

One of the best deals in Beijing can be found at Kuno Coffee, a Korean-operated coffee shop with two stores in Beijing, in Wangjing and Jianwai Soho. They sell brightly colored and slightly larger macarons for 5 yuan a piece.

Meanwhile, The Sweet Spot, a gourmet cake shop in the China World Hotel sells macarons at 45 to 65 yuan for 100 grams, the price variation attributed to different packaging.

Local takes

Then there are the near misses: Maiquer, a bakery chain, sells six macarons to a box, priced at 40 yuan. The store manager said that they sell five boxes on an average day at the CBD shop.

"I think they're good. I actually haven't really tried them though," she added, dubiously. 

When asked how often they make fresh batches, the store manager said not until the previous batches have sold out.

"They keep for weeks," she assured me. (This is only true, however, when they are frozen.)

Though the macarons trend has come to Beijing later than other global metropolises, the scent may linger long after the fad fades. As opposed to other Western treats, the macaron does seem to be a strong contender as the next big pastry mainstay, although it is too early to tell if it will ever win over the dan ta, or egg tart. The latter is so ubiquitous in Beijing and China at large that even fast food chain KFC sells them, as does popular expat pizza joint, Gungho Pizza.

But not everyone is enthused about this possibility.

"I don't know if I want to pay that much for a small cookie," said Chinese resident Huang Zixiang, who was at the counter of Colibri, eyeing the cupcakes. He says he has a sweet tooth for Western pastries, though, and would sample them nonetheless. "And it seems trendy," he added.