As the French celebrate their National Day – also known as Bastille Day – our thoughts have turned to French cuisine. And one of the most famous delicacies recognised worldwide is the baguette. This long, golden-brown bread loaf has a distinctive taste, colour and crust. It can be savoured plain, slathered with butter, cheese, chocolate, jam or paired with soups, salads and numerous other dishes. But the baguette is much more than bread. It is a symbol of French culture, French culinary expertise, and so much more. In November 2022, the baguette was inscribed into the United Nations’ list of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). To mark Bastille Day 2023, discover some more interesting aspects of the baguette’s history and popularity:
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Here Are 6 Incredible Facts About Baguette, The Famous French Bread:
1. There’s a law that governs the making of French bread.
Photo Credit: iStock
Bread is such a significant part of French life that the French Parliament passed a Bread Decree in 1993. Known as the “Decret Pain,” this law dictates that “traditional” French bread can only be made with four ingredients: wheat flour, water, salt and yeast. This applies to bread sold under the name “pain maison” (roughly translates to homemade bread). The decree also states that bread needs to be kneaded, shaped, and baked at the same place – the point of the final sale to the customer. It is widely considered that this decree was meant to protect the authentic French method of making baguettes.
2. You can find baguette ‘vending machines’ in France.
It is said that the French cannot do without bread, and it is hard to dismiss it as a stereotype. Especially when one finds out that they have vending machines that dispense baguettes 24x 7! Given the constant rush at bakeries and the common habit of eating bread throughout the day, this amenity is undeniably convenient. However, many feel like nothing can ever replace the charm of freshly bought bread from a neighbourhood bakery.
3. Baguettes were created to avoid worker disputes (according to one theory)
There are many theories surrounding the invention of the baguette. According to France Culture, one legend concerns the workers involved in the construction of the Paris Metro, who were not always friendly with each other. Coming from different parts of the country, the labourers would often get into fights. Some would carry knives (to cut bread), and the management was worried that they would be used as weapons. Since the slender form of baguettes didn’t necessarily require knives, the workers’ supervisors requested bakers to make such bread.
Another theory credits Napoleon with the idea. He allegedly ordered that a thinner, more portable form of bread be baked. This would make it easier for soldiers to slip them into their uniform pockets and carry them around.
4. The crustiness of the baguette is a subject of much contention.
People have individual preferences when it comes to the crust of the baguette. Photo Credit: iStock
Although the main ingredients of the baguette remain constant, the exact way of baking them can vary. And the French tend to have individual preferences regarding the same. While some prefer their baguette “bien cuite” (well-cooked/ browned), others prefer it “blanc” or “pas trop cuite” (not overdone or whitish). The former is said to be crusty, and the latter has a softer texture. Reports suggest that the French have begun to lean more and more towards an affinity for the whitish version. This has become a subject of serious public debate in recent years, with wide-ranging opinions offered by bakers, nutritionists and other experts.
5. There’s an annual competition for making the best baguettes in Paris.
Competitors are judged on the basis of specific criteria. Photo Credit: iStock
Every year, a competition for making the ‘Best Traditional French Baguette’ is held in Paris. Organised by the CNBPF, it gives the winner the honour of officially supplying bread to the kitchens of the Paris City Hall and the Elysee Palace for a year. The winner also wins the coveted title along with a cash prize (in 2023, it was 4000 Euros). A grand jury composed of professionals in the sector as well as a few Parisians, judge the candidates’ creations based on their baking technique and the crust, taste, smell and appearance of the bread.
6. “Baguette” doesn’t always refer to bread in French.
If you’re reading a magical story in French, you might find witches and wizards brandishing “baguettes.” (Just imagine Harry Potter swinging around a long bread loaf against Voldemort!) Baguette is also the word used for a wand in French. It can mean a rod, baton or stick too. Thus, baguettes can refer to chopsticks, drumsticks as well as the small baton used by music conductors. Interestingly, the term baguette was not officially used to refer to the bread until 1920, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica.
This article has made us hungry. We are now off to find the closest approximation we can to a French baguette in India. What about you?
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