The French baguette receives global protection when the classic long narrow bread now takes its place on the UN agency UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage.
It’s not just about the baking tradition itself, but about the lifestyle associated with the French baguette. Dominique Anract, president of the bakery association in France, explains: “When children get their first teeth, parents give them a piece of baguette to chew on. As the children get older, their first errand on their own is a trip to the bakery to buy a baguette. For the elderly, buying a baguette at the bakery can sometimes be the only social activity of the day.”