Paris, France (The 14th District)
I Carried the Best Baguette in Paris Home
Paris crowned its best baguette, out of 143 loaves. I bought one and tried to carry it home without eating the end.
Paris has crowned its best baguette. Bakers entered 143 loaves, judged on their look, taste, bake and the holes inside. The winning bakery, in the 14th district, gets €4,000 and a year of making bread for the French president’s palace. I bought one and walked it home.
The Walk Home
Minute 1. A warm baguette under my arm. I look extremely Parisian.
Minute 3. The end is calling to me. The crispy end. I ignore it, with great strength.
Minute 5. I eat the end. Everyone does. It’s tradition, I’ve decided.
Minute 9. I eat the other end, for balance.
Minute 14. The baguette is now a medium baguette.
Minute 20. I arrive at my hotel holding the best bread roll in Paris.
My Review
The crust: crackly and golden. The inside: soft and full of holes, like a cloud with room for butter.
If the president gets bread like this every day for a year, he’s a lucky man. I had one baguette for twenty minutes, and I’m a lucky man too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it rude to eat the end on the way home?
In Paris, I'm told, it's practically a tradition. I'm a very traditional man.
How many loaves were entered?
143. I tasted one, and I'd say I was just as thorough as the judges.