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, yeast 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 staple 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 bakers 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. Marine 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 formerly 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 baker 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.
Title: French Baguette Gets UNESCO Recognition
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5723/A6.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='French Baguette Gets UNESCO Recognition' data-article-id='6326'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='10917'>UNESCO, the cultural organization of the United Nations, voted this week to recognize the importance of the French baguette.</span> <span data-start-time='10917' data-end-time='27104'>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.</span> <span data-start-time='27104' data-end-time='33563'>The baguette is a long, narrow tube-shaped bread. </span> <span data-start-time='33563' data-end-time='41271'>It is made of simple ingredients: water, flour, yeast and salt. </span> <span data-start-time='41271' data-end-time='46042'>It dates back a few hundred years in its early form. </span> <span data-start-time='46042' data-end-time='55458'>But, the baguette grew wildly popular during the 1920s and became a staple in French kitchens.</span> <span data-start-time='55458' data-end-time='64625'>However, France’s cultural agency has warned that the country’s bread making tradition is failing. </span> <span data-start-time='64625' data-end-time='73313'>About 400 bakeries have closed every year since 1972, the agency reported.</span> <span data-start-time='73313' data-end-time='88833'>At the start of 2022, French bakers and farmers criticized Leclerc, a large food store group, for making low-cost, low quality bread.</span> <span data-start-time='88833' data-end-time='103000'>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.</span> <span data-start-time='103000' data-end-time='107500'>Marine Fourchier lives in Paris. </span> <span data-start-time='107500' data-end-time='113646'>She said it is easy now to get a bad baguette in the city.</span> <span data-start-time='113646' data-end-time='119688'>“It’s the traditional baguette from the traditional bakery that’s in danger. </span> <span data-start-time='119688' data-end-time='124354'>It’s about quality not quantity,” she said.</span> <span data-start-time='124354' data-end-time='132313'>Audrey Azoulay leads UNESCO and formerly served as France’s culture minister. </span> <span data-start-time='132313' data-end-time='138458'>She said buying and eating baguettes is a “daily ritual” in France. </span> <span data-start-time='138458' data-end-time='143417'>Ten billion are sold in the country each year.</span> <span data-start-time='143417' data-end-time='152833'>“It is important that such craft knowledge and social practices can continue to exist in the future,” she continued.</span> <span data-start-time='152833' data-end-time='165188'>The French government will start a yearly baguette event, called “Open Bakehouse Day” to expand public understanding of the bread making tradition.</span> <span data-start-time='165188' data-end-time='172896'>Asma Farhat is a baker at Julien’s Bakery near the Champs-Elysee in Paris. </span> <span data-start-time='172896' data-end-time='178375'>She said “you can’t have a proper meal” without a baguette.</span> <span data-start-time='178375' data-end-time='193063'>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.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' 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happens daily or regularly'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5723/an_activity_that_happens_daily_or_regularly.wav'><span>an activity that happens daily or regularly</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5723/carried_out_accessed_or_stored_by_means_of_a_computer_especially_over_a_network.wav'><span>carried out, accessed, or stored by means of a computer, especially over a network</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5723/pleasingly_graceful_and_stylish_in_appearance_or_manner.wav'><span>pleasingly graceful and stylish in appearance or manner</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5723/showing_courage_and_resolve.wav'><span>showing courage and resolve</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=19082 data-hint-location='27104' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5723/which_best_describes_the_shape_of_a_baguette.wav'>Which best describes the shape of a baguette?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='long, narrow tube-shaped'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5723/long_narrow_tubeshaped.wav'><span>long, narrow tube-shaped</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5723/short_wide_pyramidshaped.wav'><span>short, wide pyramid-shaped</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5723/long_wide_cylindershaped.wav'><span>long, wide cylinder-shaped</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5723/short_narrow_cubeshaped.wav'><span>short, narrow cube-shaped</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=19083 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5723/unesco_the_cultural_organization_of_the__blank__nations_voted_this_week_to_recognize_the_importance_of_the_french_baguette.wav'>UNESCO, the cultural organization of the <span class='blank'>United</span> Nations, voted this week to recognize the importance of the French baguette.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='United'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5723/united.wav'><span>United</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5723/untied.wav'><span>Untied</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5723/uncle.wav'><span>Uncle</span></div><div 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