Author: Xia Jin
Wearing a beret and a sea soul shirt, holding red wine in one hand and a French baguette in the other – this is probably the world-recognized image of the "typical Frenchman". As one of the symbols of French culture, baguette is not only the basic element of French table culture, but also a microcosm of French people's daily life, and embodies a unique French traditional craftsmanship and culture.
On November 30, along with "Traditional Chinese Tea-Making Techniques and Related Customs", "French baguette-making techniques and culture" was officially inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which delighted the whole of France, and President Macron excitedly praised baguettes as "the magic and perfection of daily life, a symbol of the French art de vivre".
baguette
1. "250 grams of magic and perfection"
What characteristics should a perfect baguette have? Parisian baker Pricia Ayerz, who has run a neighborhood bakery called "La Fael" in the 18th arrondissement of Paris since 2009, believes that baguettes should have a golden crunchy skin, make a crisp cracking sound when kneaded lightly, and the inside is soft and elastic, covered with milky white honeycomb pores, and you can smell yeast fermentation when you get closer.
Regarding the definition of baguette, in fact, there is no explicit rule, but the traditional baguette is generally 6~7 cm in diameter, 55~65 cm in length, and weighs about 250 grams, and the raw materials for making it are only flour, water, salt and yeast. These four ingredients are stirred and kneaded in proportion to form a dough at a suitable temperature (dough temperature is about 23 to 25 degrees). The dough is fermented to produce the aroma unique to French baguettes. After fermentation, the dough is cut into 250 grams of dough. After the dough has been allowed to sit for a while and reach the right degree of softness, the baker will knead the dough into a stick shape. These "long sticks" are then placed on sackcloth for final fermentation. After fermentation, the baker will use a long strip-shaped panel to transfer these fully expanded "long sticks" one by one to the special tray for the oven, and then use sharp utensils to make several parallel cracks diagonally on the "long stick". These scratches are like a signature left by a baker with a personal touch, so the French baguette handmade by each baker is different. The oven in which baguettes are baked is made of refractory bricks and must also have a steam function to ensure an attractive golden brown crust. After 20 to 30 minutes, it is removed and then cooled in a dry and ventilated room, and a baguette is obtained.
However, even the most experienced bakers can easily make mistakes when making baguettes. In 2019, Parisian baker Jean-Yves Boullier explained in an interview with AFP: "The production of baguettes is very dependent on weather conditions, since the temperature of the dough, water and oven must be taken into account. "Ideally, the weather should be warm, but not more than 22 degrees Celsius, and the air should be moist, but not too humid, otherwise, the dough will loosen and the bread will become too soft.
The baguette in Pissarro's Still Life
2. The legend of "where did it come from"
There are many different versions of urban legends about the origin of the French baguette.
According to some, baguettes come from Austria. Around 1835, Austrian baker August Zanger opened a bakery on rue Richelieu in the heart of Paris, selling the same long strips of bread as in Austria at the time. Another version is that the earliest baguettes were baked by Napoleon's bakers in the early 19th century, as rations of this shape were easier to stuff into soldiers' backpacks. There is also a theory that baguettes were invented at the beginning of the 20th century on the construction site of the Paris Metro. At that time, there were frequent incidents between workers, and most of the "murder weapons" in the fight were knives used to cut bread at lunch, so the foreman asked the bakers to make a bread that could be broken open without a knife to avoid workers carrying "murder weapons", and baguette came into being.
However, these anecdotal legends cannot be verified. In fact, about the origin of the French baguette, the French historian Bruno Loriou gave the answer. He believes that baguettes do not have an exact birth time, nor are they invented by someone, but are formed by the continuous development and evolution of Parisian bakers' long-standing production techniques. Since the 18th century, Parisian bakers have been demonstrating their skill by making bread of various shapes known as "fun bread". Among these breads, there are long strips of bread, which is the "ancestor" of baguettes. In the mid-19th century, bread delivery workers in Paris began delivering long loaves shaped like today's baguettes to wealthy families.
From the first half of the 19th century, a large number of newspapers and travelogues outside France also recorded the connection between France and the loaf. In 1852, in a Boston magazine called Today, American politician Charles Hale described a breakfast he ate in France consisting of a boiled egg, a cup of coffee, and a "long loaf of bread leaning against a mantelpiece."
The American journalist David Ross Locke, in his book on his travels in Europe, also described in detail the slender bread in Paris and the process by which it was made: "After a long period of full kneading, the dough is kneaded into long strips five or six feet long and no more than six inches in diameter, which are put into the oven and come out of the oven into the crunchy and delicious bread ever." ”
According to Leuk Binassis of the European Institute of Food History and Culture, the term "baguette" appeared in the early 20th century and did not become a household name until between the two world wars. Roik Binassis says baguettes were considered a luxury when they first came out, and ordinary people ate village bread that lasted longer. Later, the consumption of baguettes became more and more common, and by the 60s and 70s of the 20th century, baguettes were also popular in the French countryside.
Why did baguette eventually replace country bread as the main type of bread eaten by the French? Bruno Llorio said that with the development of urbanization in France, people no longer live in large families with many members living in cities, and people no longer need to buy enough country bread for a family to eat for several days, but have developed the habit of buying fresh baguettes every day. This view is also confirmed by the American historian Steven Kaplan, who wrote in his book: "People in the city need fresh bread several times a day, and the country bread weighing between 1.2 kg and 2 kg is too large." ”
Thus, in the 20th century, delicious and light baguettes became one of the most important staple foods of the French. Since 1957, the French National Institute of Statistics has used the price of baguettes as an important indicator to measure changes in prices and purchasing power. Today, baguettes are still the number one type of bread consumed in this country.
The long bread in Cézanne's Still Life with Bread and Eggs
3. Social attributes and "taste of childhood"
For the French, going to the bakery is a joy and a social habit that adds a cheerful rhythm and rhythm to their daily life. According to statistics, an average of 12 million French consumers push open the doors of bakeries every day, and more than 6 billion baguettes are served out of the oven by bakers every year...
In France, many foreigners are surprised that the French grab baguettes directly from their hands in the bakery. French sociologist Eric Birlouet analyzes that for many foreigners, this is a culture shock, because they will think that when taking bread, it should be wrapped in bread tongs or a tablecloth, and must not be directly carried by hand. However, there is a unique "physical contact" between the French and baguettes, who not only walk the streets with baguettes in their bare hands, but also often eagerly nibble on them while walking out of the bakery. As the French anthropologist Veronica Pardo said, "baguettes, people always hold in their hands, and it is perhaps this intimate contact that gives this bread a special power in French society".
Going to the bakery to buy baguettes is also an important part of French daily life, especially for some empty nesters, the bakery is a place to generate social connections. It is very important for them to go to the bakery and buy a baguette, chat with the baker, and compliment each other on their hairstyles and dress. In rural and remote France, artisan bakers are often seen driving their own pick-ups and selling baguettes from house to house to those who have difficulty getting out. It can be said that whether it is a bakery in a city block or a bakery in a rural area, it is a bond that maintains interpersonal relationships. Neighbors often meet and greet each other naturally; Some people also leave the keys to their home with the bakery owner in case they need it; Some people also post small advertisements in bakeries such as finding things or renting apartments.
The bakery is also often the "must-go" for children to grow. French baguettes are something that most French people buy alone for the first time. Many French adults look back on their childhood and think that the fact that their parents gave them money to buy a baguette is the most important memory of their childhood, because it was their first independent consumption experience. Veronica Pardo explains, "Going to the bakery alone and buying a baguette gives a sense of accomplishment to many children because it means they bring home something very important. ”
For every Frenchman, baguettes have become an essential part of their daily lives since childhood. Eric Bierlouet says that in addition to milk, baguette is the first food that many French children come into contact with. So, for all French, baguettes have a "taste of childhood".
Whether men or women, young and old, the French have three meals a day and even snacks, which are inseparable from baguettes. Many French people will tell you that every morning, breaking a hot baguette just bought from the bakery and dipping it in milk coffee is a blissful taste. Others say that spreading butter and jam on a baguette and taking a bite will refresh the morning.
"Ham and butter baguette sandwich" is also a classic way to eat baguettes that are popular with the French. According to statistics, the "ham butter baguette sandwich" sells 1.2 billion in France every year. Many French people living abroad, the first thing they do when they return to France is to go to the bakery and buy a "ham and butter baguette sandwich", which makes them feel "home".
4. The "circle of friends" of baguettes
It can be said that the French have a soft spot for baguette, it is the most consumed type of bread in France and the food that the French miss the most outside of France. Abroad, baguettes have become one of the symbols of France and its culture.
After World War II, baguettes gradually spread out of France. With the flow of people, cultural exchanges and diversification of tastes, the "circle of friends" of baguettes is also growing, and it has found fans in Europe, America, Asia, and the Middle East.
The introduction of baguette culture into Asia began in Japan, where French master Professor Raymond Calwell came to Japan in 1954 to promote French bread. Then, his student, Professor Philippe Vigo, known as the "Godfather of French Bread", flew to Tokyo in 1965 to demonstrate the handmade craftsmanship of traditional baguettes.
Professor Raymond Calwell went on to Japan more than 30 times to find the fermentation time and production method of the baguette that best suited Japan's local climate. In 1986, his friends and students co-founded the "French Bread International", which continued the bread exchange between France and Japan. They strive to adapt the production of baguettes to the local climate and customs without losing their original flavor.
Subsequently, many French bakery shops appeared in Asia, and soon spread throughout China, South Korea and other places. Most of these bakeries belong to large chain groups, not only the bread making process is French, sometimes even the raw materials come from France, and the name of the shop is also in French. While teasing the taste buds of diners from all over the world, baguettes also arouse their interest in French culture.
5. Challenged "hegemony"
With the popularity of thousands of households in France, baguettes cannot escape the fate of industrialization. Large-scale machine production and competition from distributors such as supermarkets have severely affected artisanal bakeries and pastry shops in France, with their numbers drastically reduced and the traditional baguette making process threatened to disappear. According to statistics, an average of 400 artisanal bakeries have disappeared every year in the past 50 years or so. In 1970, there were about 55,000 artisanal bakeries in France, or one per 790 inhabitants; today there are only 35,000 artisanal bakeries in France, or one per 2,000 inhabitants.
In order to protect traditional bakeries and artisanal bakers, in 1993, the French Parliament passed a bread decree that clearly defined the process of making "traditional baguettes" - kneading, forming and baking - and also required that the production process must be carried out in the place where it was sold, that is, the bakery, and prohibited the use of additives and could not be frozen, which legally distinguishes baguettes made by traditional crafts from baguads mass-produced on industrial lines.
Despite this, sales of baguettes are still declining, which is not unrelated to the change in the eating habits of the French. Now, there are many fewer people eating breakfast than before, especially among teenagers, and many people do not have the habit of eating breakfast. According to the survey, from 2003 to 2010, the number of 13- to 19-year-olds who ate breakfast every day fell from 79% to 59%. At the same time, sweets such as biscuits and cereals are replacing baguettes as a breakfast staple for many people.
In addition, the status of baguettes in France is also challenged by foreign food. The competition between American hamburgers and Turkish barbecue buns has shaken the "supremacy" of the "ham and butter baguette sandwich" in the French fast food industry. Since 2017, hamburgers have sold 1.5 billion in France, surpassing the "ham butter baguette sandwich" with 1.2 billion sales.
In addition, new dietary concepts have put baguettes in jeopardy. People think eating baguettes makes people fat, so many people who lose weight through a gluten-free diet quit baguettes. Many people prefer to choose sourdough and whole grain bread compared to baguette because they are more attractive from a nutritional point of view. According to the survey, in the nine years between 2007 and 2016, adult bread consumption fell by 24% globally, while baguette consumption decreased by 33.6%.
6. Bread Festival and Bague Museum
In order to protect the craftsmanship and culture of French baguette making, France has planned many events to promote baguette, the most important of which is the "French Bread Festival". The "French Bread Festival" has been held since 1996 and many French cities participate in it every year around May 16. The "French Bread Festival" is an event in the French food scene, with live teaching workshops to engage children in learning. The highlight of the festival is the "National Competition for the Best Traditional Bagra", where a jury of professionals selects and awards handmade baguettes made by bakers. Through the competition, bakers exchanged skills and exchanged ideas to improve their baguette-making.
In addition to this, there are many baguette-related competitions in France, such as the "Grand Prix of French Bague in Paris". The competition has been running since 1994 and the winner receives a one-year order for bread from the Presidential Palace. There are also competitions that place greater emphasis on baguette-making, such as the "One of the Best Workers in France" competition, which focuses on the mastery of traditional baguette kneading, plasticity and roasting techniques. The "Bread World Cup" is also an important competition.
In addition, there are some museums in France dedicated to the preservation of baguette-related collections, such as the "Wheat and Bread House Museum" in Saône-et-Loire, the "Bakery Museum" in Vaucluse, and the "Alsatian Bread House Museum" in Lower Rhine, which contain long wicker baskets in bakeries for dough to be released, and specific shovels used to send baguettes to the oven.
In some baker training schools in France, baguette making is a basic training component. Trainer Olivière Dublay explains: "This is because baguette is the most sold type of bread in France, so every trainee must master this skill. Dublay's students come from all over the world and range in age, ranging from 20-year-olds to 60-year-olds. Trainee Machu da Silva said that he learned to make French baguettes because he "hopes to pass on the joy of making baguettes to consumers, so that consumers can experience the same happiness when they taste them".
The teachers of the French bakers' training school are also the protectors and inheritors of the French baguette-making craft. Students learn the essentials of baguette making in the baker training school, practice repeatedly, and then go to the bakery to practice, and constantly improve their skills through practice over and over again.
Whether it is French artisan bakers who have emigrated abroad, or more and more foreign artisan bakers who are attracted to the traditional French bread baking method, the traditional craftsmanship and culture of French baguettes are spreading. The success of this inscription is of great significance to the protection and inheritance of this traditional skill. As Dominique Allak, president of the National Federation of French Bakers and Pastry Chefs, said, the baguette is a symbol of French bread, part of the daily life of the French, which unites the French and represents the "identity" of the French. Therefore, the traditional craft and culture of baguettes are cultural heritage worthy of preservation.
(All images are profile pictures)
Guang Ming Daily (December 15, 2022, version 13)
Source: Guangming Network - Guangming Daily