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France issues scratch-n-sniff baguette stamp

Stamps - Level 4

The French Post Office (La Poste) issued a special stamp to honour the baguette – France's national bread. The stamp is covered with tiny capsules that release the smell of fresh bread. It shows a baguette decorated with a red, white, and blue ribbon. A shopkeeper who sells the "scratch-and-sniff" stamp said it had a "bakery smell". The stamp had a print run of 594,000 copies. La Poste said French bakers bake six billion baguettes every year.

The baguette is close to the hearts of French people. France's president called it, "250 grams of magic and perfection". La Poste called the baguette, "the symbol of our gastronomy, the jewel of our culture". It said the bread was popular because it promises a delicious taste experience, and "it seduces with its golden crust". It added that the baguette's "toasted scent whets the appetite". The baguette was given UNESCO heritage status in 2022.

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Stamps - Level 5

The French Post Office (La Poste) has issued a special postage stamp to honour the baguette – France's famous bread. The stamp is no ordinary issue. It is coated with tiny capsules that release the fragrance of fresh bread. The stamp shows a baguette decorated with a red, white, and blue ribbon. A Parisian shopkeeper who sells the "scratch-and-sniff" stamp said it had a "bakery smell". The stamp was launched to celebrate the patron saint of bakers. It had an initial print run of 594,000 copies. La Poste said French bakers bake more than six billion baguettes every year.

The baguette is close to the hearts of French people. France's president once described it as being "250 grams of magic and perfection". La Poste called the baguette, "the bread of our daily lives, the symbol of our gastronomy, the jewel of our culture". It explained the baguette's popularity, saying: "It is the promise of a [delicious] sensory experience. On view, it seduces with its golden crust.…Fresh from the oven, its toasted scent whets the appetite." The baguette was given UNESCO heritage status in 2022. La Poste called the bread, "an ambassador of the bakery craft".

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Stamps - Level 6

The French Post Office (La Poste) has issued a commemorative postage stamp to honour France's famous bread – the baguette. The new stamp is not a run-of-the-mill issue. Its surface is coated with tiny capsules that, once broken, release the fragrance of freshly baked bread. The €1.96 stamp depicts a baguette decorated with a red, white, and blue ribbon. A shopkeeper in the heart of Paris that sells the "scratch-and-sniff" stamp said it had a "bakery smell". The stamp was launched on Thursday to celebrate the day of the patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs. La Poste said it had an initial print run of 594,000 copies. It also said French bakers bake more than six billion baguettes every year. The baguette is very close to the hearts of French people. France's President Emmanuel Macron once described it as being "250 grams of magic and perfection". La Poste wrote about the French loaf on its website. It called the baguette, "the bread of our daily lives, the symbol of our gastronomy, the jewel of our culture". It explained why the baguette was so popular. It said: "It is the promise of a delectable sensory experience. On view, it seduces with its golden crust…Fresh from the oven, its toasted scent whets the appetite." The baguette was given UNESCO heritage status in 2022. La Poste called the bread, "an ambassador of the bakery craft". It said the baguette, "transcends borders to become an international icon".

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