VOA文化艺术2022--法棍正式被列为人类非物质遗产

French Baguette Gets UNESCO Recognition

UNESCO, the cultural organization of the United Nations, voted this week to recognize the importance of the French baguette.

The international experts gathered in Morocco to discuss the French bread and other subjects, including a traditional Japanese dance and the drink called rum from Cuba.

The baguette is a long, narrow tube-shaped bread. It is made of simple ingredients: water, flour, yeast¹ and salt. It dates back a few hundred years in its early form. But, the baguette grew wildly popular during the 1920s and became a staple² in French kitchens.

However, France's cultural agency has warned that the country's bread making tradition is failing. About 400 bakeries have closed every year since 1972, the agency reported.

At the start of 2022, French bakers⁴ and farmers criticized Leclerc, a large food store group, for making low-cost, low quality bread.

They said the store's bread, which cost just 30 cents, was not as good as the bread from traditional bakeries where it costs about a dollar.

Marine⁵ Fourchier lives in Paris. She said it is easy now to get a bad baguette in the city.

"It's the traditional baguette from the traditional bakery that's in danger. It's about quality not quantity," she said.

Audrey Azoulay leads UNESCO and formerly⁶ served as France's culture minister. She said buying and eating baguettes is a "daily ritual" in France. Ten billion are sold in the country each year.

"It is important that such craft knowledge and social practices can continue to exist in the future," she continued.

The French government will start a yearly baguette event, called "Open Bakehouse Day" to expand public understanding of the bread making tradition.

Asma Farhat is a baker³ at Julien's Bakery near the Champs-Elysee in Paris. She said "you can't have a proper meal" without a baguette.

In addition to the rum, the Japanese dance and the bread, UNESCO honored many more traditions in places including Hungary, Greece, Guatemala and South Korea.

Words in This Story

ingredient – n. one of the things used to make a food product

staple – n. an important food eaten often

ritual – n. an activity that happens daily or regularly

practice – n. something done often, or a usual custom

proper – adj. correct or following traditional standards

1 yeast   

n.酵母；酵母片；泡沫；v.发酵；起泡沫

参考例句：

• Yeast can be used in making beer and bread.酵母可用于酿啤酒和发面包。
• The yeast began to work.酵母开始发酵。

2 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

3 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

4 bakers   

n.面包师( baker的名词复数 )；面包店；面包店店主；十三

参考例句：

• The Bakers have invited us out for a meal tonight. 贝克一家今晚请我们到外面去吃饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The bakers specialize in catering for large parties. 那些面包师专门负责为大型宴会提供食品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

6 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。