Paris’ New Upper Crust

Tunisia hasn’t been a French colony since 1956, but one essential baking skill has apparently lingered. For the second straight year, the baguette deemed the best in Paris was produced by a Tunisian-born baker. In fact, 5 of the last 10 winners have been Tunisian.

Makram Akrout, 42, who entered France as an illegal immigrant 19 years ago and now owns Les Boulangers de Reuilly, beat out 171 other bakers to win the Prix de la Meilleure Baguette de Paris and, according to The Times of London, “shook with emotion after learning he had won the coveted prize, which gives him the right to supply bread to the presidential palace for a year.” Akrout described “a mixture of happiness, pride and fear. What a responsibility! Delivering [bread] to the Élysée. We’ll have to be up to it.”