Oui oui: the French baguette is now cultural heritage
We eat ourselves absolutely sick on them during holidays in France: baguettes. With Nutella, real French fromage or simply deliciously plain, early in the morning or in the evening with dinner, you can always lure us out of our camping tent with one. Today, this delicious white, crispy bread stick is finally getting the recognition it deserves: UNESCO has declared the baguette cultural heritage.
And they couldn’t be happier about it in France. Last year, the country already asked the UN organisation to recognise the product, and today the moment finally arrived. Fly that (French) flag!
Impressive figures
The figures surrounding the baguette are truly incroyable. Every year, 6 billion (!) baguettes are put into ovens, 10 million of which are eaten by the French every day. (I eat half of that during a single holiday in France). And did you know that a baguette is made with just 4 ingredients? Flour, water, salt and yeast are all you need. That something so delicious can come from them still strikes me as truly magnifique.
This is why the baguette is cultural heritage
Baguettes never taste anywhere like they do in France. That white bread stick you eat while cooking gourmet-style meals doesn’t even come close to the crispy baguette you had during your weekend in Paris. That’s not so strange. Baking a baguette requires very specific knowledge and techniques, which create that authentic baguette-tasting experience. What’s more, the bread has all kinds of cultural aspects that are truly part of what makes a baguette. Millions of French people go to the bakery for one every day, where the bread sticks are displayed in long baskets, and have a quick chat with the baker. It’s something typical of French culture and must be protected, UNESCO believes. We couldn’t agree more, of course. *books trip to Paris*
Source: AD
