The bakery products sold in shops today come from many different countries, and France is the birthplace of many that people know well. Here are some popular bakery items of French origin.
1. Baguette
Better known to many as "French bread", the baguette's French origin is obvious. "Baguette" means "stick" in French, after the bread's distinctive shape: over 2 feet long like a stick, 2–3 inches in diameter, with a hard, crisp crust and a soft, chewy, airy crumb. To eat a baguette, cut it into slices along its length. It can be eaten plain or with meat or pickled vegetables.
2. Croissant
A bakery item with a distinctive crescent-moon shape; in fact, "croissant" literally means "crescent" in French. A good croissant has a crisp outside, small air pockets inside, and a light, soft, fragrant texture.
Today the croissant is so popular that every bakery has to sell it, and each shop has its own signature style. Some bakeries even create croissants with fillings that ooze out.
3. Macaron
A sweet for café lovers, the macaron is made of small cookies sandwiched with various fillings, like a tiny sweet hamburger. Macarons originated in France during the French Revolution, when Italian missionaries looked for a way to make a living by whipping almonds, sugar and egg whites together and baking them. The treat developed over time, until two macarons were sandwiched together with a filling in the middle.
Today macarons are popular in many cafés because they come in many flavours and beautiful colours, which attract younger customers.
4. Crêpe
Crêpes come in savoury and sweet versions. Their signature shape is a triangle, made by folding a round, thinly spread batter over and over. Traditional French crêpes are soft, spread with butter and sprinkled with sugar, or filled with fruit, mushrooms, cheese and ham. Traditionally, crêpes are enjoyed with a drink such as apple soda or kiwi soda.
Today crêpes come with all kinds of fillings, and they have even been adapted into a cake, called crêpe cake, or chilled crêpes filled with different flavours of ice cream.
5. Mille-Feuille
Another truly French treat. "Mille-feuille" literally means "a thousand leaves" in French. It is made of thin, crisp sheets of puff pastry layered with whipped cream or jam, and decorated with icing sugar and chocolate lines. Today mille-feuille comes with sweet fillings such as cream cheese and custard, or tangy fillings such as lemon cream, strawberry cream or berry cream.
Each of these French treats has its own look, flavour and character. Most people have surely tried them, as they are easy to find and still very popular.
