Baguette – the long, crispy bread characteristic of France has been recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage. In addition, this organization has acknowledged baguette bread as an essential part of human culture. This title will help draw more attention from the French to this bread, especially as the status of baguette is fading even in its homeland.
Baguette – the long, crispy bread characteristic of France.
The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, stated that the recognition will help baguette bread receive the acknowledgment and protection it deserves. Additionally, this title aims to honor “tradition,” “craftsmanship,” and ensure that “traditional baking methods” will be “passed down to the next generation.” This is a way to keep this bread alive through time.
Approximately 6 million baguettes are sold daily in France.
Azoulay shared: “There is always a bakery near you selling baguettes in France; you can buy bread at an affordable price and meet people, chat with bakers, which is also part of social bonding.”
It is known that France took about 6 years to gather all necessary documentation before submitting its recognition request to UNESCO. “This may surprise many, as few realize that this ordinary bread contains many valuable elements, encompassing the history and culture of a nation. It is important to let people and French citizens understand this so they can take pride in it.”
Despite the fact that approximately 6 million baguettes are sold daily in France, the consumption of bread has significantly decreased over the past 100 years. This decline has led to about 30,000 bakeries closing since the 1950s. Instead of fresh baguettes, people are increasingly opting for frozen bread produced en masse that appears on supermarket shelves. This has prompted the federation of bakers in France to apply for inclusion on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage.
There are many types of baguette bread.
In fact, there are many types of baguette sold in bakeries, with the best being called traditional baguette. A decree from the French government in 1993 stipulated that traditional baguettes should only be made from 4 classic ingredients without any additions. Additionally, the fermentation process of the dough should last from 15 to 20 hours at temperatures between 4-6 degrees Celsius.
Along with baguette bread, Neapolitan pizza, kimchi, Belgian beer culture, “Mediterranean diet,” and Arabic coffee were also recognized in this year’s heritage list. Meanwhile, this year, UNESCO did not recognize anything from the United States in the intangible cultural heritage list.
