H I S TO RY
The humble baguette? If France has its way, the French baguette will soon be sitting alongside the likes of UNESCO accredited Couscous, Falconry, Transhumance and Turkish coffee, clearly demonstrating its significance to its country. France put the baguette forward for UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage status in March 2021, partly because it is a national treasure but, also, to protect French bakers and their artisanal methods. We should know if the bid has been successful by the end of 2022 but, what is in absolutely no doubt, is the popularity of this staple and, some might say, quintessential French food.
FACT OR FICTION? With a history that is hard to trace, the baguette’s origin is surrounded by
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myths. We do know that long, wide loaves were made at the time of King Louis XIV but when and why did they become longer and thinner? One myth suggests that Napoleon started the trend for long, thin sticks as they were easier for his soldiers to carry. Then there is the “Bread of Equality” theory following a decree that required bread to be accessible to both rich and poor after the French Revolution. Another claims that arguments between workers on the Paris metro construction site in the late 19th-century prompted
the shape, making it easier to tear the bread and share, rather than using knives which could provoke violence. Or perhaps it was when an early 20th-century law prevented bakers from working before 4am. As a result, it became impossible to bake traditional round loaves in time for breakfast and the thinner, longer shape solved the problem. This last theory contradicts the 1898 description by Louis Charles Elson who wrote, as part of his European Reminiscences, Musical and Otherwise,
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