The French Baguette Vocabulary and Etiquette
When you think about France, one of your first thoughts is most likely a croissant or a crusty baguette!
In this post, I will be sharing French vocabulary related to the French baguette, the expressions you can use in a boulangerie, but also tips to choose and serve your baguette as well as other information on this iconic symbol of France that has just been awarded heritage status by UNESCO.
-French baguette: Unesco recognition in December 2022
-How to choose your baguette
-The best baguette: baguette tradition
-Baguette French vocabulary
-Useful expressions to buy your baguette in a boulangerie
-Serving your baguette
-History of la baguette
French Baguette: Unesco recognition in December 2022
The baguette is a mixture of wheat flour, water, yeast, salt, and a pinch of French savoir-faire, and just like the Eiffel Tower, it is a symbol of France.
A baguette is a typical French bread loaf. The word baguette is feminine so ask for une baguette. It’s usually a bit long and thin, although different shapes are possible.
On Wednesday December 30th, 2022, La baguette Française gained UNESCO recognition "artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread" on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which means it was inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants."
The Best Baguette in Paris Competition, “Grand Prix de la Baguette de Traditional Française de la Ville de Paris” is a yearly competition held in Paris to find the best baguette. The lucky winner receives a cash prize.
The best part of the prize is that the baker supplies the President of France at the Elysées Palace with baguettes for one year. The winner in 2022 was the boulangerie Frédéric Comyn (chief baker Damien Dedun) in Paris 15. Keep your eyes open for the Best Baguette sign in boulangeries around Paris.
12 million French people eat baguettes on a daily basis in France. 6 billion are sold a year in France. Artisanal bakers say they need protection from industrial baguette makers who use not-as-good quality ingredients.
Baguettes usually cost between 1 euro and 1.30 euros.
How to choose your baguette ?
Tradition, Flute etc… with all the different varieties of bread available, it is often difficult to make a choice. To buy the baguette of your taste, let your senses guide you.
You should be able to hear a light cracking of the crust under your fingers. The bread should emit a good smell of wheat. The crust should be nicely golden and crumbly.
The best baguette: baguette tradition
In my opinion, the best baguette to order is the “baguette de tradition” because it must be made using traditional methods. In 1993 the Bread Decree was passed. This French law dictates that a baguette de tradition can only contain four ingredients (wheat flour, water, salt, and yeast), it must be baked on the premises, and cannot contain any additives or preservatives. It cannot be frozen at any stage of production.
In addition the “baguette tradition” is a truly artisanal product, baked with skill and love on the premises of the boulangerie.
Baguette French vocabulary
Une baguette : baguette ( feminine gender !)
Une tradition : traditional baguette A tradition must be made using only flour, yeast, salt and water – the recipe specified in the French government's 'bread decree' of 1993. You can also ask for Une baguette à l’ancienne
Une baguette bien cuite: If they ask how you like your bread cooked, say “bien cuite” for well-cooked and crusty
Une baguette pas trop cuite: “pas trop cuite” for under-cooked and soft.
Une demie-baguette: half a baguette
Une ficelle or une flute: like a baguette but smaller and/or thinner with a thin loaf
Une baguette sarmentine: French loaf with 4 ends (quatre croûtons )
Une baguette viennoise : Sweet baguette with chocolate or natural Half the size of a baguette and rather sweet. Usually eaten for breakfast or as a snack.
La baguette épi: It is basically a baguette shaped into a wheat stalk. Epi in French describes the flower of a wheat stalk and pain means bread.
Le crouton: croûton is a small piece of rebaked bread that you can add to a salad or a soup
La mie: doughy part of the bread
La croute : crust
Croquant ( e ) : crusty
Useful expressions to use in a boulangerie
Je voudrais une baguette bien cuite : I would like a crusty baguette
Je vais prendre une baguette pas trop cuite : I would like an under cooked baguette
Je voudrais une demi-baguette s’il vous plaît : I would like half a baguette
Est-ce que vous avez une baguette viennoise ? Do you have a viennoise baguette ?
Est-ce que vous avez le sans-contact ? : Do you accept contactless ?
Désolé, je n’ai pas de monnaie : Sorry, I have no change
J’ai seulement un billet : I only have a note
Baguette etiquette
The crunchy “quignon” - also called “croûton” which is the rounded, or pointy, end of the baguette poking out of its paper bag, can be eaten on the way home!
When you start eating a baguette start with twisting off the crouton. It’s crunchy and delicious.
At home, baguettes are very rarely cut on a chopping board. You will usually see a French person cutting them ‘in the air’ or tearing pieces off by hand. If pieces are cut, they are usually about 5 cm wide. Bread is served alongside savory dishes and never on side plates.
In a restaurant, the baguette will be served already cut in slices in a breadbasket.
History of la baguette
The experts don’t all agree on its origins:
Origin 1: Austrian Influence
In the early 19th century, an Austrian officer-turned-baker, August Zang introduced the city to pain viennois and the croissant. Furthermore, some sources even credit him with originating the baguette.
Origin 2: Napolean Bonaparte
One famous origin story even credits Napoleon Bonaparte. It’s been told that he ordered locals to make bread into a longer and more slender shape so that soldiers could easily carry it in their arms.
Origin 3: Fewer Weapons on the Metro
A fourth origin tells of how workers would carry knives during their morning commute in order to cut their bread. This led to many violent occurrences in the Parisian metro. So the metro management asked bakers for bread that could be torn by hand. And so the baguette was born, the need for knives was removed, and the potential for violence lessened.
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