Anyone who knows me knows I am in an on-going love affair with all things French, particularly their daintiest delicacy, the macaron, not to be confused with their coconutted half-cousins, macaroons! These tiny little meringue sandwich cookies are crunchy on the outside, with a soft and chewy center. Consisting of mostly almond flour, sugar and egg whites, these flavorful morsels are a textural delight too! They are so petite and perfect, and they come in the widest array of flavors, from fairly standard flavors like lemon, strawberry, and chocolate, to more adventurous mixtures like lavender, rose and licorice.
I’m not exaggerating when I say my love for them knows no bounds. I have watercolor paintings of French macarons, wrapping paper, a keychain, a Christmas ornament, and my personal favorite, macaron erasers! You could say I’m a little obsessed with these little works of art. I’ve tried my hand at making them before, and with about a 50% success rate, I decided it’s best to leave it to the professionals these days. No trip to France is complete without gorging myself on these tiny little masterpieces. I've already started setting aside my macaron budget for my upcoming trip to Paris.
I’m not alone in my macaron love. Pop culture pays homage to the macaron on an almost daily basis. The macaron is synonymous with class, elegance and culture. For that reason I want to go down the macaron-crazed rabbit hole and find out where they came from, and why we can’t get enough of them.
Today I want to talk about some fun facts dealing with the world’s favorite cookie: the macaron.
#1 Macarons aren't even French in origin
*GASP*
I almost ditched this blog upon learning this fact, but bear with me, because their origin is actually pretty cool. They came from Italy originally, and were brought to France at the request of Catherine de Medici, queen of France (who, like the cookie, hails from Italy). They are said to have been brought over as early as 1533 and have been a staple ever since. Legend has it that Catherine was kept alive from starvation by consuming them. I don’t know what kind of crisis she was in, but sign me up!
#2 Macarons have their own holiday
All across the world, March 20th is celebrated as world macaron day. From London, New York City, to Paris and everywhere in between, bakeries will set aside a portion of their cookies and give them out for “free.” When their supplies run out, percentages of the proceeds raised from selling the additional cookies go towards various charities. So quick recap, not only are macarons good for you (they’re gluten free ya’ll), they are good for the community too!
#3 They are flown all over the world
In Dubai, macarons are such a hot commodity that they are flown in regularly from France. This certainly makes the already pricey cookies even more valuable. Travelers can find beautiful windows displaying these gorgeous creations in all sorts of designs and arrangements. My personal favorite I’ve ever encountered featured mini golden-flaked macarons spiraling up a huge Christmas tree.
#4 They have a secret recipe
Macarons began to gain fame in France when two Carmelite Nuns seeking asylum during the French Revolution are said to have baked and sold them to pay for their housing. The recipe is said to have been kept a secret and is still used in some macaron manufacturing to this day.
#5 Macarons didn't always look this way
It wasn’t until the 20th century that the cookie took on its current form. Prior to that, it was merely the outer cookie shell in a single layer. Pierre Desfontaines, creator of my personal favorite patisserie, Laduree, is sometimes credited with the creation of the cookie as we know it today. Two crispy meringue cookies with ganache, buttercream or spice filling. Praise the macaron gods for putting these two things together! Well done!
If these fun facts don’t get your mouth watering for macarons, nothing will! Next time you find yourself in France (or heck, any culture-loving, pastry-craving part of the world), grab yourself a macaron or two, and enjoy a taste of the sweet life!
Happy travels everyone!