La Baguette

Before I came to France, bread was just the means to an end, a vehicle to transport other, more delicious foodstuffs into my mouth. But in the past six months I have learned to appreciate the joys of a plain piece of bread.

And there's no shortage of it in Paris. The city has pain of every variety, but the ultimate symbol of French culture is undoubtedly la baguette. These delicious carbohydrate sticks can be seen in the window of every boulangerie and, yes, French people really do buy one or two every day for dinner.

My love affair with baguettes began when I checked my bank balance and realized that my pastry habit was hurting more than just my BMI. Since then I've been substituting 0.85€ baguettes for 3€ sandwiches. Most people in the U.S. associate French bread with the traditional plain baguette, but they come in different varieties. My favorite is the baguette aux graines from the boulangerie near my program center. It's crusty on the outside, but soft on the inside, and studded with grains and seeds that give it just the right crunch. I order one almost every day (warm, if I time it right) and tote it off to eat it on my program's rooftop terrace.

Consuming a baguette is a blood sport (you think I'm kidding, but I needed a Band-Aid after an encounter with a particularly crusty speciman next week). The first option is to gnaw off giant hunks like some sort of ravenous animal, leaving nothing but a cloud of crumbs and dust. This method is best employed when you are alone, although it will get you lots of entertaining looks on the Metro. The second method is a more civilized dissection process, which involves finding and pulling apart the softer veins of bread amidst the crusty ridges. And if you want to be really French, adopt method #3 and eat your baguette with a knife and fork (no, I've never seen anyone do this. But considering they eat their hamburgers with silverware, it's not that far-fetched.)

Whatever your method of choice, popping into a Parisian boulangerie is a must for anyone who wants to understand a little more about French daily life. After all, happiness is a warm baguette.