The traditional French bread loaf – baguette – at the meeting of the 17th Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO was registered in the representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The committee voted unanimously to recognize the artistry and culture of the baguette.
“A great pride,” commented Dominique Henract, chairman of the National Confederation of French Bakery and Confectionery, who was present at the vote.
On such an occasion, the government’s reaction was not long in coming. The Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul-Malak, pointed out the importance of this “emblem of French cultural heritage.” “In its various forms, traditional or reinvented by our artisans, the baguette has set the rhythm of French daily life – morning, noon and evening – for several centuries and has been exported to many countries,” she said.
The Minister-Delegate for Small and Medium Enterprises, Commerce, Crafts and Tourism, Olivia Gregoire, welcomed the “recognition of the baguette-making culture, which we must preserve and protect to ensure the transmission of this heritage.
