25 April 2021 | UNESCO , Gastronomy, Bakeries, Patisseries
UNESCO heritage status for the baguette
The baguette has been part of daily life for hundreds of years, yet it only officially got its name in 1920 when a new law specified its minimum weight must be 80 grams and its maximum length 40 centimetres.
It is thought that Napoleon ordered bread to be made into stick shapes so that it was easily carried by soldiers.
10 billion baguettes are consumed in France every year.
Now, the Ministry of Culture is calling for recognition of the baguette which has been nominated as a candidate for UNESCO intangible heritage status. This body is composed of intangible heritage elements that are considered to require urgent measures to keep them alive.
The Ministry of Culture stated, "The inscription of the baguette would allow for the appreciation that this food practice, that is part of daily life, shared by the great majority and taken for granted, constitutes a heritage in its own right."
A decision will be made in 2022. Among aother candidates submitted - a grass-mowing competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina.