In this episode, we tackle the most stereotypical French topic of all time: La Baguette. We explore its surprising history (did Napoleon really invent the shape for his soldiers' backpacks?) and why a true Parisian baker will interrogate you about exactly how crunchy you want your crust.

If you want to master the unwritten rules of French bakeries, this episode is for you. We compare the lunch-focused French Boulangerie (and the classic jambon beurre) to the hardcore, traditional world of a German Bäckerei. Plus, we discuss the ultimate restaurant culture clash: getting kicked out of a Berlin restaurant after exactly two hours versus sitting in a Parisian café all night with unlimited free bread and tap water.

Words you’ll learn (and actually remember):

• Bien cuit vs. pas trop cuit (How to order your baguette like a true Parisian: crunchy/well-done vs. soft/white)
• Le quignon / Knust (The fierce international debate over what to call the end piece of the bread—and why you must eat it on the way home)
• Saucer (The French art of cleaning your plate with a piece of bread—and the modern slang for hyping someone up!)

Also: 1919 French labor laws, the intense "Best Baguette of Paris" contest for the President, and why serving the bottom half of a German Brötchen is considered highly impolite.

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