Click the "play" button ▶️ above to listen to the text read by Elisabeth
Pain au chocolat or chocolatine?
You certainly know about the French love of gastronomy.
For years, a "grand débat" has been raging across France. This debate is about a single vocabulary word. French people simply cannot agree on the name of a famous pastry.
In southwestern France, like in Bordeaux or Toulouse, the word "chocolatine" is used. Everywhere else, the French say "pain au chocolat".
Does this conflict seem silly to you? Yet it's very real! For the people of southwestern France, it's a matter of genuine regional pride! They want this name to be recognized throughout the entire country.
Just for fun, some bakeries in this region charge a little more to customers who order "un pain au chocolat" instead of une chocolatine. On social media, there are also regular jokes and debates about this topic.
So consider yourself warned if you come to France on vacation - not all French people eat "des pains au chocolat".
Jour 15 – Mon carnet de français