The French delegation is waving baguettes at the UNESCO headquarters and the reason is quite tasty

French Cuisine is one of the most celebrated ones across the world. We all love indulging ourselves in croissants, chicken confit, ratatouille, and baguettes. One of these has recently earned an important position in the food culture history, reports Good Morning America. On Wednesday, the United Nations organization UNESCO agreed to add the French baguette to the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The decision by UNESCO experts meeting in Morocco this week followed a warning from France's cultural ministry about a "continuous decline" in the number of traditional bakeries. In the last 50 years, almost 400 bakeries have shut their doors. Furthermore, the chief of the United Nations Cultural Agency, Audrey Azoulay, stated that this designation rewards more than just baguette since it honors the "savoir-faire of artisanal bakers" and "a daily ritual." She said, "It is important that these craft knowledge and social practices can continue to exist in the future." 

Dominique Anract, head of the National Federation of French Bakeries and Patisseries, was the driving force behind the baguette's inclusion on the UNESCO list. She told The New York Times, "It’s good news in a complicated environment. When a baby cuts his teeth, his parents give him a stump of baguette to chew off. When a child grows up, the first errand he runs on his own is to buy a baguette at the bakery."

A French delegation greeted the news, made on Wednesday in Rabat, Morocco, by waving baguettes and exchanging "la bise," the traditional two kisses, one on each cheek. On Twitter, French President Emmanuel Macron reacted to the news by calling the baguette "250 grams of magic and perfection in our daily lives." He included a famous shot by Willy Ronis of a grinning boy sprinting with a baguette almost as tall as he is tucked under his arm.

Despite being just one of several breads available at a normal boulangerie, the baguette is by far the most popular in France. According to the federation, more than six billion are sold in the nation each year for an average price of roughly one euro. It is a staple part of everyday life in France and even has an important part to play in history. It was allegedly invented by Napoleon's bakers as a lighter and more portable bread for the troops; Parisian bakers were reported to have made it rippable to prevent knife clashes between factions building the city's subway system.

UNESCO gave a proper explanation of what Intangible Cultural heritage actually means. They said, "Cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collections of objects. It also includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants. While fragile, intangible cultural heritage is an important factor in maintaining cultural diversity in the face of growing globalization."

The importance of it is the "wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next." The French government has announced intentions to create an artisanal baguette day named "Open Bakehouse Day" in order to better link the French with their history and culture.