Global Influence, Local Impact

Baguette Diplomacy

French baguettes spread globally, adapted everywhere. In Japan, shokupan-baguette hybrids emerge. In Senegal, baguettes are hollowed and filled with café Touba. These aren't corruptions but conversations.

"When I see Tokyo bakers perfecting baguettes, Dakar vendors creating new sandwiches, I feel proud," shares Malian-French diplomat-turned-baker Amadou Traoré. "The baguette is France's gift to the world. What the world does with that gift makes it even more beautiful."

UNESCO Recognition

In 2022, UNESCO recognized the baguette as Intangible Cultural Heritage. But whose culture? "The baguette belongs to everyone who makes it, sells it, eats it daily," argues Moroccan-French cultural critic and baker Yasmine Benali. "That includes immigrants, overseas territories, anyone who breaks bread in French territory. UNESCO recognized OUR heritage—all of us."