"One of the great symbols of French gastronomy is under siege," lamented The Wall Street Journal this week after bakers admitted that customers often ask for the baguettes that slightly under cooked.
So why are the French now craving a half-baked version of their national treasure?
Some claim that a properly cooked baguette can be too hard on the teeth. Others say that a doughy loaf is much easier to reheat at home. Some, meanwhile, simply prefer the taste.
For baguette experts however the news is nothing to celebrate. Cornell University professor Steven Kaplan, who has even penned several books on French bread said: "The baguette is gradually morphing into something else," he told Europe1 radio.
"I'm seeing in front of my eyes, the eclipse of one of the great objects of French national heritage."
The baguette, which literally translates to "wand" or "baton", has been a staple diet in France since at least 1920, although references to long loaves of bread date back centuries.
One bewildered Parisian baker in the 16th arrondissement even claimed that if it were up to him, he'd keep all baguettes in the oven for two to three minutes longer.
"But that's not my call – it's the customer's," he told the paper.
The baguette, which literally translates to "wand" or "baton", has been a staple diet in France since at least 1920, although references to long loaves of bread date back centuries.
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