Seeking UNESCO's recognition for the baguette法棍面包申遺

河南 關 克

The baguette is a mix of wheat flour,water,yeast and salt.Like the Eiffel Tower,the baguette is also a symbol of France.Also,it may soon join UNESCO's listing of cultural treasures.

Bakers say the traditional craft loaf,whose purchase from the local bakery has for decades been a must-eat food in French daily life,is being pushed off shop shelves,even in France,by frozen bread sticks.

“There's not one single secret to making a good traditional baguette,”said Mickael Reydellet,owner of eight bakeries.“It requires time,techniques,the right way of baking,and good flour without additives （添加劑）.”

The Confederation of French Bakers has officially presented its application to be added to the UN rankings of intangible（無形的）treasures.Bakers say the UNESCO listing would protect a know-how that has passed through generations and protect the baguette from false baguette around the world.

The UNESCO “intangible heritage” marker,which aims to recognize oral traditions,performing arts,social practices,ceremonies and methods of traditional craftsmanship,already covers ancient methods of making flat bread in Iran and Kazakhstan.

A 1993 French government declares that“traditional” baguettes must be made from nothing more than the four classic ingredients.Fermentation（發酵）of the dough should last 15 to 20 hours at a temperature between 4 to 6 degrees Celsius.

France's boulangeries（面包房）have been hit hard by COVID-19 over the past year.Reydellet said,“This title would comfort bakers and encourage the next generation.”

About 6 million baguettes are sold daily in France.But Dominique Anract,president of the bakers'federation（聯合會）said the cultural habit was under threat,with some 30,000 bakeries closing since the 1950s as supermarkets took over.

“The first thing we ask of a child is to go buy a baguette from a bakery,”Anract said. “We owe it to ourselves to protect these habits.”

Reading Check How long does it take to ferment the dough before a baker begins to make the baguette?

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