French Macaron

The culinary world is just like the trendy realm of celebrities and fashion. A certain dish or ingredient can rise to stardom and just as quickly become dated, cliché, and boring. The longevity and strength of a food trend depends solely on the temperamental tastebuds of the hungry public. Foods that have gained the adoration of chefs and foodies rise to celebrity status, becoming the hip new thing. Chic foods appear on food blogs and magazines and soon everyone wants a taste. Such is the case of the French macaron.

Colorful macaroons by Shebeko on Shutterstock

Do not make the mistake of confusing the macaron with its chewy, coconut-based cousin the macaroon because that second "o" makes a huge difference in the pastry world. The macaroon is a dense cookie commonly made with shredded coconut. The macaron is a cute, little confection consisting of a flavorful filling made of butter cream, ganache, or jam sandwiched between two delicate cookie-like shells.

According to some culinary historians, the French macaron can trace its lineage to Italy, where monks made a meringue cookie made of ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites. The cookie was called "macaroon", deriving its name from maccherone, an Italian word meaning "fine dough". In 1533, Catherine di Medici and her pastry chefs introduced the macaroon to France. The name and pronunciation changed from "macaroon" (mac-a-roon) to "macaron" (mah-ca-rohn).

laduree Canvas Print

The modern macaron was not invented until the 1930s. Pierre Desfontaines of the French bakery Ladureé had the ingenious idea to combine two plain macaron cookies with a ganache filling. The concept made the macaron and Ladureé famous, sparking the beginning of the macaron movement that now grips the world.

The appeal of the French macaron is obvious to those who have encountered it, but to the uninitiated, it is hard to fathom why people so easily fall in love with a mere cookie.

For some, it is a matter of love at first sight. Imagine strolling by a quaint French bakery and spying a glass display case filled with an array of little cookies resembling vibrant, pastel-colored hamburgers. The sight alone is enough to seduce curious eaters, but it takes a taste to convince them in joining the macaron movement.

The macaron is essentially a blank canvas for pastry chefs to explore the endless variety of flavor. Regardless of your personal tastes, there is likely to be a macaron with a flavor that you will enjoy. There are classic flavors that never go out of style like vanilla, chocolate, caramel, raspberry, and hazelnut; as well as exotic flavors like orange blossom, rose, anise, saffron, matcha green tea, and earl grey. Some flavors are seasonal like pumpkin spice and gingerbread and the availability of flavors is completely dependent on the bakery. For the more daring eater, adventurous pastry chefs have devised macarons with such flavors as bacon, foie gras, and truffle.

Within the past couple years, the French macaron has popped up everywhere. Like its predecessor the cupcake, macarons have effectively infiltrated the media. Food and wedding magazines dedicated articles to the macaron and Oprah Winfrey notably raved about the treat in her magazine "O". The macaron craze has also spread to television and film. Despite the historical inaccuracy, director Sofia Coppola incorporated macarons into a scene of her 2006 film "Marie Antoinette" and the beloved treat was featured in an episode of "Gossip Girl". The recent release of the cookbook I Love Macarons by Japanese pastry chef Hisako Ogita, created a stir amongst anxious and ambitious home bakers who wish to replicate the magic of the macaron in their own kitchens.

Aside from the buzz generated by the media, macarons are becoming more visible in cities around the world. Bakeries and cafés specializing in macarons have appeared in metropolitan cities including New York, London, Tokyo, and San Francisco; but the mecca for macaron-lovers is Paris. There, the macaron has achieved such fame that chain restaurants like McDonald's and Starbucks have cashed in on the hype and started selling their own brand of macarons. In the United States, frozen macarons have become a welcomed rare find at Trader Joe's grocery stores and Whole Foods Markets has started offering macarons as well.

As more Americans become privy to this food fad, the macaron movement will continue forward, but the future of these enchanting snacks may be in danger. News of McDonald's macarons caused distress amongst macaron-lovers who fear that cheap, super-sugary macarons will degrade the treat's integrity. In response, foodies are now questioning if the macaron has become too popular. Regardless of whether macarons become mainstream or not, it is ultimately the stomachs and tastebuds of the hungry public that will decided the future of the French macaron.

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