Typical French Food La
Baguette
What to eat : food in Paris
Typical French Food La Baguette : French bread
stick
The
most typical French food la baguette - is a French bread stick. Ever
seen those photos of French people with a beret on their head, and a
long bread stick under their arm? That bread stick is called a baguette.
The
French live differently from Americans and Australians and many other
nationalities. The baguette is a perfect example - it's purchased just
before you need to eat it, and you would never use it on the second day
[unless you don't mind really stale hard bread which is as hard as a
brick]. They're cheap enough to simply buy a fresh one whenever you
need them, and the bakeries [boulangeries] are everywhere. Paris food
I have
a funny story to tell. The first time I lived in Paris, an Australian
friend [Steve] was living in Paris for 3 months, and was doing the
'starving artist' routine. He wasn't actually starving, just enjoying
Paris as an artist, on a 3 month scholarship which included a small
studio [atelier] to live and work in.
Steve's a quirky guy, and
there was something about left-over baguettes that he sympathised with.
He couldn't bring himself to throw them out. So he painted them -
that's right, nice bright acylic colours. And then he nailed them to
the walls of his studio in creative designs. :-)
Sounds funky and funny, doesn't it? Well, we
thought it did ... until the landlord had a look, haha, what a scene
that was!
So
- before I tell you more about the baguette, promise me you will not
keep your old half-eaten ones, it only leads to trouble. :-)
The Meaning of Baguette
The
literal meaning of the word baguette is stick-shaped loaf. The long
thin bread loaf became popular in the early 18th century in London, its
recipe was brought from Paris by travelling Englishmen. The French
word, with a diminutive ending added to the root, came from Latin word
'baculum' meaning a'‘stick'.
The Half Baguette is a Bastard - well, a Batard,
actually
No,
no - please don't think I'm swearing. If you buy a half-size baguette,
it's known as a 'batard', which is the French word for 'bastard'. I'll
see if I can find out why and let you know.
Tip! La baguette bread is not a close relation of
the baguette diamond.
:-) Buying food in ParisBuying a baguette in Paris is
very easy. You can already say "baguette", so if you want one
only, you ask for, "une bagette" [pronounced like, "Oon bag-ett"].
Of course you want to be polite, so you need to add 'please' to
the request: "Une baguette, s'il vous plait." = "One baguette, please"After
you've paid, don't forget to say, "Merci!" or even, "Merci bien!" =
"Thanks!" or, "Thanks a lot!". You may even want to say, "Merci
beaucoup," with a smile, which means, "Thank you very much."
Buying food in Paris was never easier.
How to eat a baguette
As
typical French food la baguette is simple to eat. Break off a portion,
spread with jam for breakfast, ham and salad for lunch, or
paté for
cocktails. Such a versatile piece of food!
If there is a baguette
on a table, you will not normally be provided with a bread and butter
plate, or butter. Simply break off a portion of the bread over the
tablecloth, and rest it on the table near your plate.
Baguettes can differ from town to town, region to
region, and you will find specialty baguettes in different parts of
France.
What is la baguette made from?
Cornflour,
yeast, salt and water. There are strict rules regarding the traditional
baguette-making process without additives or additional substances of
any kind.
Would you like to recommend a great place to buy
great baguettes in Paris?
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