(CNN) – The baguette – a mixture of wheat flour, water, yeast, salt and a pinch of savoir-faire and just as much a symbol of France as the Eiffel Tower – could soon join UNESCO’s list of cultural treasures.
Bakers say the traditional craft bread, the purchase of which at the local bakery has been a ritual in French daily life for decades, is even being pushed off store shelves in France by frozen breadsticks made on giant assembly lines.
“There is no one secret to making a good traditional baguette,” said Mickael Reydellet, owner of eight bakeries. “It takes time, a savoir-faire, the right way of baking, good flour without additives.”
The Confederation of French Bakers has submitted the application to add to the UN rankings of intangible treasures.
The baguette stands against two competitors for the French bid: the corrugated iron roof of Paris and the Biou d’Arbois wine festival in the Jura region. France’s culture minister will make her recommendation to the president in March.
Bakers say the UNESCO listing will protect the knowledge that has been passed down through generations and protect the loaf of bread from fraudsters around the world.
The UNESCO “Intangible Heritage” marker – intended to recognize oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals and methods of traditional craftsmanship – covers all the old methods of making flatbread in Iran and Kazakhstan.
The craftsmanship behind 1500 or more beers brewed in Belgium has been recognized, as has the Neapolitan art of pizza spinning.
A decision of the French government of 1993 stipulates that ‘traditional’ baguettes should be made from nothing more than the four classic ingredients. Fermentation of the dough should take 15 to 20 hours at a temperature between 4 and 6 degrees Celsius.
France’s bowling alleys have been hit hard by COVID-19 restrictions in recent years. Reydellet said: “This title will comfort bakers and encourage the next generation.”
About 6 million baguettes are sold daily in France. However, Dominique Anract, president of the bakers’ federation, said the cultural habit was threatened. About 30,000 bakeries have closed since the 1950s when supermarkets took over.
“The first instruction we ask of a child is to go and buy a baguette at a bakery.” Said Anract. “We owe it to ourselves to protect these habits.”