The Mountains: High-Altitude Baking

Alps: Sustaining the Slopes

Alpine breads built mountain communities. Pain de seigle valaisan crosses from Switzerland, showing how mountain cultures share more than borders. Dense, aromatic, lasting—perfect for shepherds and skiers alike.

Nepalese-French baker Pemba Sherpa brings Himalayan wisdom to Alpine baking: "Mountains teach patience. My bread rises slowly in thin air, develops flavor from waiting. I add tsampa (roasted barley) to rye—Everest meets Mont Blanc."

Pyrenees: Between Two Worlds

Pyrenean breads blend French and Spanish influences. Tortillons, twisted breads similar to Spanish roscos, show how borders blur in ovens. Catalan-French baker Montserrat Puig maintains traditions from both sides: "My grandmother crossed these mountains fleeing Franco. She brought recipes in her memory. Now I bake them in freedom she couldn't imagine."