French baguette fights off for Iran bread UNESCO status

France seeks to register French traditional bread, the baguette, on a UNESCO list bearing the name of Iranian flatbread Lavash as a heritage. 

The baguette is being considered by UNESCO to be inscribed on its  Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

This comes as Iranian traditional bread Lavash gained UNESCO heritage status in 2016. Flatbread making was jointly registered on the list as an intangible cultural heritage for Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey.

Lavash bread involves at least three people, often family members, with each having a role in its preparation and baking. It is traditionally baked in a cylindrical clay or metal oven known as Tandoor. Besides regular meals, the flatbread is given away at weddings and funerals as well as during various holidays and prayer ceremonies.

The baguette and Lavash are among the most popular bread types in France and Iran, respectively.

UNESCO will announce its decision on the possible inclusion of the baguette in late 2022.

AG/AG