France decided to present the characteristic long and narrow bread, the baguette, Unesco to be included in the list of Intangible Heritage, a way to recognize all the tradition and professional experience behind one of the hallmarks of the country’s gastronomy.
In a statement released Friday by Le Parisien, Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot announced that her government had chosen to defend the baton’s candidacy before the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which would not be pronounced until the autumn. of the year 2022.
France has long thought about submitting the candidacy or opting for the tradition of building and repairing typical zinc roofs in Paris, which eventually lost the game.
“The wand is a living element of our heritage. It is alive but fragile because it is based on the exceptional experience of bakers,” Bachelot said.
The minister emphasized that “it is a simple and false simple product”, because, although it is made with a few ingredients, it takes “years” to get a good result.
“It’s a product that unites us and that’s why we chose it,” he added.
The head of state of France, Emmanuel Macron, had already advanced in January his intention to defend the baton in front of UNESCO: “We will propose it with all its characteristics and with the 250 grams of perfection and magic”.
The president of the National Confederation of Bakery and Confectionery, Dominique Anract, was very happy with what he called “a victory”, but acknowledged that, after four years of work, there is still a long way to go.
The wand became popular in Paris in the early twentieth century and spread to the rest of France after World War II. The ingredients are always the same – flour, water, yeast and salt – but each baker puts his own touch to reach his characteristic crispy crust.