When you think of France, you probably imagine wine, cheese, and the baguette. These are familiar symbols of French culture, but one stands out more than the others. That would be the traditional baguette. You’ll often see someone walking down the street carrying a fresh loaf under their arm, or perhaps a few. Sometimes, if you wake up early enough, you can smell the bread before you see it! Baguettes are everywhere; you can find one in almost any French bakery, known locally as a boulangerie. If you’re from Boston, it’s like having a Dunkin’ Donuts on nearly every corner, or how Wawa is a familiar sight in other parts of the United States. Local staples are kinds of places that become part of a community’s identity, like the baguette. The baguette goes beyond what people eat; it’s deeply rooted in French culture.
Moreover, the baguette is an example of intangible cultural heritage. Unlike historical landmarks, which can be preserved physically, intangible cultural heritage depends on people continuing to practice and pass the tradition down to the next generation. In 2022, UNESCO recognized the artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread as part of the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This recognition highlights what goes behind the scenes of making the baguette such as the traditional techniques used to make it and the social practices surrounding its consumption. UNESCO.
Making traditional bread isn’t as simple as one might expect; it requires a lot more skill and patience. Although it is made with only a few basic ingredients, including flour, water, salt, and yeast or sourdough starter, the process involves multiple stages and takes time. First, the bakers have to make the dough by mixing the ingredients together and kneading it to develop its texture. This process needs to be precise in the amount of ingredients, temperature, and time. Then, once the dough has been made, it’s left to ferment before shaping it into a long, thin form. After resting and rising again, the bakers are finally ready to score the surface and place the loaves in the oven to be sold. To meet traditional French standards, a baguette must be golden, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. As UNESCO explains, these baking skills are preserved and passed down through professional training and apprenticeships, where students learn both in classrooms and hands-on at local bakeries. Experienced bakers play a vital role in mentoring the younger generation. It’s the continuous cycle of shared knowledge that qualifies the artisanal craftsmanship of the traditional baguette as an intangible cultural heritage.
Which brings up a question of; will this tradition remain alive in the feature? Yes, I think the traditional baguette will remain for feature generations to come. In France, I don’t think it will disappear anytime soon because it’s deeply rooted in French culture. Even with modern lifestyles, changing consumer habits, and competition such as AI, I believe the baguette will remain an important part of French culture. It’s so deeply rooted in everyday life that it is difficult to imagine France without it. Taking away the baguette would be like taking away sugar, oil, or salt from the kitchen; it is a staple that people rely on every day. Furthermore, traditional bakeries provide livelihoods for many people, giving communities another reason to preserve this practice. However, while the baguette itself is unlikely to disappear anytime soon, the traditional skills and techniques used to make it still need to be passed down to future generations. After all, keeping the baguette alive is not just about continuing to eat bread, but also about preserving the craftsmanship and cultural traditions behind it. Overall, I’m not too concerned, as the French pride themselves on artisanal work.
As consumers, we can also help preserve this tradition by supporting local bakeries. By doing so, we allow younger generations to have the resources and opportunities to continue practicing this technique. There’s also so much history behind traditional French bread, including its connection to the French Revolution.
Ultimately, the French baguette demonstrates cultural heritage that is hard to represent in a museum, palace, or historical monument. It can be found right in front of us, in everyday experiences like buying bread. The baguette connects the past with the present that continue to shape the French lifestyle. Its recognition by UNESCO reminds us that even familiar traditions deserve protection. Preserving intangible cultural heritage means ensuring that future generations can not only enjoy these traditions but also learn, practice, and pass them on.
Reference: UNESCO. “Artisanal Know-How and Culture of Baguette Bread.” UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2022, https://ich.unesco.org/fr/RL/les-savoir-faire-artisanaux-et-la-culture-de-la-baguette-de-pain-01883
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