Nov 30, 2022 - World

UN adds French baguette to world heritage list

Ivana Saric

A baker holds a freshly baked baguette inside a bakery on October 26, 2021 in Paris, France. — Baguettes in Paris. Photo: Chesnot/Getty Images

France's staple bread, the baguette, was added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list on Wednesday following a vote by the body to recognize the "artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread."

The big picture: The U.N. cultural body defines intangible cultural heritage as not only monuments or collections of objects but also "traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants."

Other foods and culinary cultures already on the list include Arabic coffee, the making of Neapolitan pizza and kimchi, per CNN.
The traditional tea-making practices of China and cold noodles from North Korea were also added to the list on Wednesday.

What they're saying: The inclusion of the baguette on the list "celebrates the French way of life: the baguette is a daily ritual, a structuring element of the meal, synonymous with sharing and conviviality," UNESCO director-general Audrey Azoulay said of the decision, Reuters reported.

The French delegation jubilantly celebrated the vote by hoisting baguettes in the air.

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UN adds French baguette to world heritage list

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