4 ms·

In Paris, look for the little old ladies carrying half-baguettes and go in the direction they're coming from.

JumpCrisscross 1y ago
You also want to know when they’re fresh. Good bread, particularly in the unseasoned French style, stales rapidly once cool.
- jraph 1y ago
  Yeah, buy one baguette once for the folklore, and then buy good (whole, optionally levain-based) organic bread that lasts days.
  - williamdclt 1y ago
    Like many people, I like baguette and I don't like whole bread (especially levain-based). Baguettes aren't for show/tourism, it's a staple of french food. It does mean you want to buy it on the day, which is fine for many people.
    - jraph 1y ago
      > Baguettes aren't for show/tourism, it's a staple of french food Indeed. So much so it's often a pain to find good whole bread outside cities. I was being a bit facetious. More seriously, the issue with baguette / white bread, aside from drying very fast, is that it's rapid-absorption carbohydrates that are not very healthy and not very filling. Add jam and you have it all. Taking white bread for breakfast every day is not a very good habit. It increases the risk of having a crash in the middle of the morning and of making you nibble. For this reason, it's a shame it's so spread. Bread used to be whole in France in the past. White bread and baguette appeared in France only at the end of 19th / beginning of the 20th century apparently. So, it's been a French staple, but only quite recently. Of course I won't argue with taste. Especially that I understand both "sides" here. I used to prefer baguette / white bread and now I largely prefer whole bread (and like anything whole, you should buy it organic; if you don't, white bread might still be the lesser evil). It took some time to get used to whole bread. I still like the taste and the texture of white bread very much, but I don't like the consequences.
Scoundreller 1y ago
it's a bit harder, but if you find a local walking out of their home, and pass 6 or 7 boulangeries until going into one, you're probably at a good one (or at risk of a stalking accusation)

You also want to know when they’re fresh. Good bread, particularly in the unseasoned French style, stales rapidly once cool.

jraph 1y ago
Yeah, buy one baguette once for the folklore, and then buy good (whole, optionally levain-based) organic bread that lasts days.
- williamdclt 1y ago
  Like many people, I like baguette and I don't like whole bread (especially levain-based). Baguettes aren't for show/tourism, it's a staple of french food. It does mean you want to buy it on the day, which is fine for many people.
  - jraph 1y ago
    > Baguettes aren't for show/tourism, it's a staple of french food Indeed. So much so it's often a pain to find good whole bread outside cities. I was being a bit facetious. More seriously, the issue with baguette / white bread, aside from drying very fast, is that it's rapid-absorption carbohydrates that are not very healthy and not very filling. Add jam and you have it all. Taking white bread for breakfast every day is not a very good habit. It increases the risk of having a crash in the middle of the morning and of making you nibble. For this reason, it's a shame it's so spread. Bread used to be whole in France in the past. White bread and baguette appeared in France only at the end of 19th / beginning of the 20th century apparently. So, it's been a French staple, but only quite recently. Of course I won't argue with taste. Especially that I understand both "sides" here. I used to prefer baguette / white bread and now I largely prefer whole bread (and like anything whole, you should buy it organic; if you don't, white bread might still be the lesser evil). It took some time to get used to whole bread. I still like the taste and the texture of white bread very much, but I don't like the consequences.

Scoundreller 1y ago

it's a bit harder, but if you find a local walking out of their home, and pass 6 or 7 boulangeries until going into one, you're probably at a good one (or at risk of a stalking accusation)