A baker from Sri Lanka has won the award for the best baguette in Paris this year, beating dozens of bakeries in the city, according to the 'Telegraph'. The baker, Sethamparappillai Jeyathipan, 43, works at the 'Fournil Didot' bakery located in the 14th arrondissement of the French capital and also has two assistants from his home country, Sri Lanka. He was awarded the 4,000 euro prize, which comes with the additional privilege of supplying the Élysée Palace, the official residence of the French President, with fresh baguettes every morning. The winning baker said the award was a surprise to him, as it was his first time participating in the competition, adding that he feels great pride in this achievement. The City of Paris, in cooperation with the Grand Parisian Bakers' Union, has been holding an annual competition since 1994 to select the best traditional baguette in the capital. This year, 29 bakeries were disqualified from the competition. Furthermore, a judging panel of experts, specialists, and tasters samples hundreds of baguettes from around 1,100 Parisian bakeries before selecting the winner. Pascal Brillon, a member of the jury, a former winner of the award, and vice president of the Grand Parisian Bakers' Union, explained that the evaluation is based on five main criteria: appearance, baking degree, crumb structure, taste, and aroma. He added that the best baguettes are characterized by a crispy crust and a uniform, honeycomb-like interior with small, evenly distributed holes, as well as a light golden color that indicates slow fermentation that preserves the flavor and fragrance. Nevertheless, the art of baguette-making, according to Brillon, is closer to a professional secret, as each baker leaves their own mark on this craft that resembles 'chemistry'. For Jeyathipan, winning the award represents the fulfillment of a long-held dream. 'Perhaps the Élysée Palace should be reminded of that,' he said. The bakery has not yet started supplying baguettes to the palace, although the palace usually orders between 20 and 25 baguettes every morning. Despite mastering one of the most prominent symbols of French culinary traditions, Jeyathipan has not yet obtained French citizenship. Teacher Odie Marshall said the bread from this bakery is distinguished by its crispy crust and light, soft crumb, while classical musician Martin Duchamp (41) said: 'The award is completely deserved.' Competitors undergo a series of strict standards: the baguette must weigh between 250 and 270 grams, be 50 to 55 centimeters long, and its salt content must not exceed 1.4 grams per 100 grams. His current branch sells about 600 baguettes a day at a price of 1.30 euros per baguette, and the bakery's attendance has increased significantly since his win. The baker attributes part of his success to the slow fermentation technique, where the dough is left in the refrigerator at 5 degrees Celsius for 14 hours after mixing and kneading before baking. He also pays special attention to the five cuts carefully made on the baguette's surface, noting that their absence could cause the crust to burst during baking. His victory has resonated widely among the bakery's customers. 'It's a pleasure for the eyes and all the senses,' he said, jokingly adding: 'But you have to eat it quickly, because its value drops a lot after 5 hours.' He said, 'My application is under processing,' expressing hope that this award will help speed up the procedures. 'The baguette is golden in color and very beautiful.' After arriving in France in 2003, he started working in the pastry industry, specializing in macarons, before later switching to bread-making. In 2018, he founded his own venture and over time honed his skills until he now owns two bakeries.
