But eschewing the crusty comfort of a fresh-
baked baguette has become significant, too —
a small sacrifice in this new era where sacrifices
are being asked of many. For some, not buying
bread daily and instead staying indoors to
try to stay healthy has become an act in
itself, a gesture of solidarity with the doctors
and nurses fighting to save lives in stressed
emergency wards.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes
mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and
cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For
some, especially older adults and people with
existing health problems, it can cause more
severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
Trying to steer a path between their love of
bread and beating the virus, some in France
are now buying baguettes by the armful
and freezing them. That would have been
a gastronomic no-no in normal times. But
defrosting and reheating is now a pragmatic,
civic-minded and health-conscious compromise,
certainly better than no baguette at all.
The French have baked long loaves for
centuries and coined “baguette” — or stick
— around 120 years ago in Paris. Millions of
French consume billions of baguettes each
year, and not just as fuel. Diners use hunks
of bread as tools for pushing food around
their plates and onto their forks. The crust
makes the bread easy to grip; its airy internal
sponge soaks up sauces and the bloody
juices of cooked meats. A baguette’s saltiness
accentuates flavors, while its doughy neutrality
tames the tang of the most pungent cheeses.
“It’s indispensable. You need bread to push your
food stuffs, to give them taste, for nourishment.
Image: Francois Mori