Created by the International Union of Bakers (UIB), World Bread Day is celebrated every October 16th.
Baguette, country bread, multigrain, whole wheat, or with olives… We know that regardless of its form, bread is part of French heritage. Ask a foreigner what image they have of the French, and they will likely say a person with a beret and a baguette in hand. So, is it a cliché, or truly an essential part of French culture? Let’s take a closer look.
The French and Bread by the Numbers
Although bread consumption has been declining in France over the past few years, according to a study conducted by QualiQuanti in 2021, 87% of French people say they always have bread at home. They base their selection criteria on taste, freshness, and also traditional production – in fact, 73% of the French find it important that the flour comes from France.
In 2016, the bread observatory noted that bread consumption increases with age. The biggest consumers are people aged 55 and over, with more than 122.4 grams per day.
Another typically French thing: 71% of us say we nibble on bread right after buying it!
The Baguette: A Candidate for UNESCO Heritage
Clearly, the most “French” bread is indeed the baguette, so much so that last March, the Minister of Culture Roselyne Bachelot decided to present the baguette’s candidacy for UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage.
The French and the baguette is a real love story: 61% consume it, and it is the favorite bread of 41%. The traditional baguette is the most consumed bread in France, ahead of the classic baguette and then country bread (QualiQuanti, 2021).
We will have to wait until autumn 2022 to know if it will officially enter UNESCO’s heritage, but for the French, it’s as good as done since 96% of them think bread is an “essential part of French heritage” (QualiQuanti, 2021).
