It's a debate that has divided France for centuries – what is the name of the chocolate-filled pastry treat?
While most of the country, and visitors to France, might say “pain au chocolat”, a stronghold in the south west has resisted, proudly sticking to the term “chocolatine”.
And then there's the outposts in the north where the locals use the term “petit pain au chocolat” or even just “petit pain”. The map below from linguist Mathieu Avanzi based on his survey of hundreds of French people in different parts of the country, explains all.
READ ALSO: French pastry wars – the story of pain of chocolat versus chocolatine
But now the historic row has spilled over into the chambers of the French parliament where a group of right wing Republican French MPs have tabled an amendment to the new Food Industry and Farming bill aimed at recognising the term “chocolatine”.
The MPs want the Countryside and Fisheries code changed in order “to give value to the customary name and fame of a product”.
In other words they want the popular term of certain local specialities recognised, but the only one they mention in the amendment is “chocolatine”.
“For example, this would be the case for the chocolate pastry whose name has historically been rooted in the Gascon region, and which is the pride of all of southern France: the chocolatine,” Aurélien Pradié, an MP from the south west Lot department who is backing the amendment said.
“This is not just a chocolatine amendment. It's an amendment that aims to protect popular expressions that give value to culinary expertise,” she added.
But given that most MPs in France are from “pain au chocolat” strongholds they may have a tough time getting the amendment accepted.
Ça déconne pas à #Bordeaux. pic.twitter.com/PIBbPSJhCw
— Popi Popi Popipou (@SultanPopi) July 20, 2017
But where does all the confusion come from?
That happened back in 2018, and the amendement was rejected :
https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/occitanie/lot/cahors/depute-lr-du-lot-aurelien-pradie-veut-loi-defendre-chocolatine-1480563.html
Unusually for the French, they must be strapped for something to argue about! One wonders if they’ve re-named that delightfully named pastry – ‘Pet du Nonne’ which one found in northern France for many years. It was a subject of great hilarity to the French and utter astonishment to most British visitors.
I forgot to add that the present day ‘pets’ appear to have changed to small doughnuts. The ones that used to be on sale were actually what the British call cream horns and the pastry was said to refer to the shape of a nun’s headress.