Bored Panda reached out to French travel and culture blogger Phoebe Thomas, who runs Lou Messugo Blog, to learn more about why the French are so obsessed with baguettes.
Baguettes are a quintessential part of French culture and cuisine, so we asked Phoebe to share what makes them special to her personally. She shared: “I guess I first encountered baguettes as a kid on a French exchange from school. I was impressed that French kids got to eat a few pieces of chocolate stuffed inside some baguette for goûter (afternoon tea/snack around 4 pm) every day. Baguettes are made of such simple ingredients but pack in so much texture and flavor.”
Phoebe Thomas, on her blog, shared that she has two passports, British and Australian, but has no particular hometown. Now Phoebe lives in the south of France, where she runs a vacation rental called Lou Messugo. As someone who has experienced quite a lot of that part of France, we wanted to know whether she has come across any unique or funny anecdotes related to baguettes there or if that is just an internet thing.
Phoebe Thomas wrote: “Not sure I can think of any funny anecdotes, but I do love it that many French people take their baguette so seriously they will get a fresh one twice a day, one for lunch and one for dinner. Any leftovers get eaten the next day for breakfast, toasted. In some parts of France, especially in rural areas, baguettes are delivered daily, though this is becoming rarer as many villages now have a baguette vending machine that is filled by a local baker.”
Baguette-related humor often plays on stereotypes about French culture. We were curious to learn how Phoebe views these jokes, whether they promote cultural understanding or create misconceptions.
“In general, I don’t think baguette jokes do much harm. They are usually very clichéd, but cliché is usually based on truth. It really is true that many retired French will cycle with a baguette strapped on the back of their bike or under their arm. I wouldn’t go as far as saying they promote cultural understanding or misconceptions but they do hint at how important daily bread is to an average French person, which in itself can help understand cultural importance.”
And lastly, we asked Phoebe Thomas if she has ever incorporated baguette-related experiences or themes for her guests. She wrote: “No, I don’t incorporate any baguette-related activities, but I certainly tell my guests where to find the best bread locally!”
From this interview, we got to understand that baguettes and bread are an important part of French culture, and some of these memes actually show us the daily reality of a regular French person.
