When should the ends of a loaf of bread be eaten?

[underahedgerow]

26. They are necessary to keep the interior bread from growing stale. I don't buy that kind of

bread anymore (ruined by baguette and country loaf, viva la France), but when I did, it was critical to keep them in place, as I have a staleness phobia.

Did you know that baguette has a shelf life of just 6 hours? After that it's just stale, and after a whole day, is suitable for an assault weapon. I just can't eat stale bread, not even toasted. I do cheat however, and wrap mine up firmly in plastic bags so I can have it toasted in the morning.

And, in decent sized cities like Paris, there are usually several boulangeries to every block. Each boulangerie has different techniques and their breads have their own particular taste. I find that I will sample each one over time and get a preference for one shop over another. Some are more crisp, some are a touch saltier, some are more tender. There are many kinds of baguette, the 'tradition' being my favorite as it has a crispier crust, is a bit shorter and pointed, not rounded ends.

The ultimate victory for an ex-pat is when the boulangerie ladies like you and treat you with preference. At my last local favorite place, the ladies came to love my doggie and let me have him in the shop while waiting in line. They would give him his treats with great affection and were very kind familiar and friendly to me.

Also, the boulangeries work together in a cooperative for holidays as they can only operate X amount of hours in a week. So if one is closed on a Sunday, the other will close on Monday so the residents can always rely on their fresh bread. They do the same with holidays. If one is closed on one holiday, the other will stay open, and then they trade off. We must have our bread!!!!

Bread rant over. Merci!