Fatal Attraction—A Fresh, Warm Baguette
What's with the French chomping off the end of their baguette in broad daylight as they exit the boulangerie?
It's A Relationship Thing...
All right, we French ARE WEIRD.
If you’ve been to France, or if you are planning a visit, you will definitely see our amazing bakeries everywhere—nos merveilleuses boulangeries….mmmmmmm…..
And the star of la boulangerie is, of course, la baguette! You know our dear friend la baguette—this uniquely French product with which we have such an intimate relationship; this wonderful, crusty, long, golden bread with its uniquely soft and delicious crystal white mie inside! Yes, that’s it, la bagueeeeeette!
So, when a francais exits the bakery—before they even reach their car—they always face a terrible dilemma—
Do I, Or Do I Not, Munch On The Crusty End Of My Wonderful And Still Warm Baguette?
Guilt and our mothers, of course, would tell us that we absolutely should wait—that our family needs this bread for dinner tonight; that we're not really so hungry, and that it's gauche to eat a two-foot-long loaf of bread in public. But the attraction of a fresh baguette is powerful stuff.
“This could be your first fatal step to a lifelong addiction!"
Despite all the guilt, I admit, you will often see les francais (me too!) look around, open wide, and shamelessly crunch straight away on the closest end of the baguette—in public! Or, for those of us who have slightly more savoir faire, you’ll see us break the crusty end off with our fingers and then greedily munch it down. After that, you'll hear an "mmmmmmm..." followed by a sigh, and then an ear-to-ear smile.
So don’t judge us! Rather, try it yourself! A fresh, warm baguette is an incredible experience—almost as memorable as seeing the Eiffel Tower. But beware! This could be your first fatal step to a lifelong addiction!
PS : Of course, we often see the same thing occur with croissants—those boulangeries are magic! They make us lose all of our sense of French élégance! But don't give up on French élégance yet. We actually have trendy, luxury handbags for our baguettes! Baguette bags!
Next time, we’ll talk about SALUT and BONJOUR. There are actually social rules about using greetings, too!
If you liked this blog, subscribe or become a member by clicking on the Log In/Sign Up icon in the right upper corner. After signing up you can hit the down arrow in the Log In space to fill in your profile and upload your photo if you wish. You'll get an email notification and link for each new blog post. And, as a member, you'll be able to create your own profile, comment on blog posts, and make contact with other like-minded members. Become a member now! It's quick and easy.