A Paris baker of Sri Lankan origin said he “cried” when he heard he had won best baguette in the French capital this week and would be delivering the bread to the presidential palace.

“I cried because we are foreigners and we came here to lea how to make traditional French bread,” Tharshan Selvarajah told AFP on Thursday.

“I am very happy to have won the prize.”

Fifteen baguette connoisseurs on Wednesday selected Selvarajah’s version of the iconic French bread as the best among 175 anonymous contenders.

Members of the jury, including six ordinary Parisians, had to rate dozens of baguette on their taste, crust, crumb, air bubbles, and overall aspect.

“Don’t drink at the start or you won’t be able to make it to the end of the tasting,” Paris official Olivia Polski wa ed judges before they started.

A video she shared on Twitter shows her then ringing up the baker based in easte Paris to tell him the good news.

Selvarajah told AFP he always makes his long loaves “with love”, while “smiling, laughing and singing”, and the result is well-cooked, delicious and crusty.

He has won 4,000 euros (RM19,500) and the opportunity to supply baguettes to the presidential palace.
(COURTESY: TheStar)

The stakes are high in the world of Parisian baguettes, and one baker has won it all. 'I cried,' says Tharshan Selvarajah, a baker of Sri Lankan origin, describing the moment he found out that his stick had won the title of Best Baguette in Paris. pic.twitter.com/JkXOaV8wrZ

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) May 11, 2023