Paris Bread Festival
Bread Festival – Fête du pain
Don’t miss the Fête du pain or Bread Festival! This food festival begins on the Monday preceding May 16, the day of Saint-Honoré the patron saint of bakers, and ends the following Sunday. This local event is not your standard local tourism destination. However, as a bread connoisseur I consider this a must for sightseeing destinations.
French bakeries were recreated on the square in front of Notre Dame much to our delight! The bakers demonstrated the art of making baguettes, a technique that dates to 1120. Their movements were quick and agile. I could easily imagine the amount of baguettes they could make in a morning!
Bakers gave demonstrations that enchanted the old and young alike. In addition, the bakers invited children to participate. They clearly enjoyed themselves as much as we did watching them!
Children helping the bakers
Paris Bread Festival
Paris Fête du Pain
We had the opportunity to sample freshly baked baguettes, as well as cheese (fromage) and other wonderful French food.
A selection of fromage (cheese) to try
How does someone earn this designation of an ‘artisan baker’ or ‘artisan boulanger‘? In France, he/she strictly adheres to the standards of making French bread. In order for a shop to use the name Boulangerie bread must be baked on site, never frozen and definitely not baked at a remote location.
I can’t imagine anyone making bread so quickly!