Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Sep 01, 2025

Baguette to battle for UNESCO cultural protection as bakers warn of 'imposter' threat

Baguette to battle for UNESCO cultural protection as bakers warn of 'imposter' threat

The take over by supermarkets has seen boulangeries in decline, with 30,000 closing since the 1950s.

The humble baguette will battle against Paris rooftops and a wine festival to join the UNESCO listing of cultural treasures.

Purchasing a baguette has long since been a daily ritual for French people with around six million sold in France every day.

However, Dominique Anract, President of the Confederation for French Bakers, has warned "the cultural habit is under threat" as traditional craft loaves are pushed off shelves by frozen breadsticks.

Boulangeries in France have been hit hard by COVID-19 restrictions over the past year.


Bakers say a UNESCO listing would "protect a know-how that has passed through generations and shield the baguette from imposters around the world".

To be added to the United Nations rankings of Intangible Treasures, the baguette will have to battle it out against two rivals: the zinc-plated rooftops of Paris and the Jura region's Biou d'Arbois wine festival.

France's culture minister will recommend one to the president in March.

The UNESCO "intangible heritage" marker recognises "oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals and methods of traditional craftsmanship".

To date, the craft behind 1,500 or more beers brewed in Belgium have made the list, as have the Neapolitan art of pizza swirling and the ancient methods of making flatbread in Iran.

A 1993 French government decree states traditional baguettes must be made of nothing more than the four classic ingredients, while fermentation of the dough should last 15 to 20 hours at a temperature between 4 and 6 degrees celsius.

Boulangeries in France have been hit hard by COVID restrictions over the past year.

Mickael Reydellet, the owner of eight bakeries, said the title would "comfort bakers and encourage the next generation".

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
×