Story highlights "The baguette is envied in the whole world," the French leader says

UNESCO designates certain foods to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list

(CNN) French President Emmanuel Macron said he wants the traditional baguette -- that delicious doughy delicacy -- to be protected as a world treasure by UNESCO.

In an interview Friday with Europe 1 radio, Macron said that "the baguette is envied in the whole world."

"We need to preserve its excellence and know-how. This is why it needs to be (classified) as heritage," he said.

Earlier Friday, Dominique Anract, president of the National Confederation of French Bakers, had asked Macron to support the group's bid to the UN agency "to protect the quality of traditional baguette" against "the increasing weight of big supermarkets and convenience stores in the retail of bread."

Read More