Every year, Paris holds the Grand Prix de la Baguette to find the city's best baguette. Recent winners include bakers with origins far from France, highlighting the multicultural nature of the competition.
The French consume 320 baguettes every second, according to the Bread Observatory. The competition, running since 1994, sees about 200 bakers submit two baguettes each. Only those measuring 55-65cm and weighing 250-300g proceed to judging.
A 14-member jury evaluates the loaves on baking, appearance, smell, taste, and crumb. The crumb should be tender, springy, and have irregular holes from slow fermentation. Last year's winner, Mahmoud M'Seddi, at 27, was the youngest ever champion.
M'Seddi grew up in his father's bakery, learning the trade from a young age. His father, originally from Tunisia, abandoned engineering studies to become a baker. M'Seddi now runs three Parisian bakeries with his father, waking at 4am to prepare dough by hand.
He keeps his recipe secret, but attributes his success to passion. 'You could have exactly the same recipe, and if one person is more passionate than the other, they'll have a better result,' he said. The winner receives a gold decal for their bakery window.
