What is a fougasse, you may ask? Well, you're probably familiar with its Italian cousin, the foccacia. Hailing from Southern France, the fougasse is a savory bread hand-shaped to resemble an ear of wheat. It is usually seasoned with herbs, and may have other ingredients added such as olives or diced cured meat. Its festive shape makes it especially popular around holiday seasons. Recently, restaurant Italienne in New York launched a social media campaign where it encourages diners to snap photos of its fougasse around town.
When asked why, General Manager and Proprietor, James King, told us that he first got the idea when he walked out to make a phone call in nearby Madison Square Park and grabbed a fougasse to snack on. It attracted so much attention and curiosity from passers-by because of its usual shape that Italienne decided to encourage people to snap photos and #followthefougasse. So far, it has been to:
The Flatiron Building
Columbus Circle
Times Square
Sipped some malt whiskey at Coppersea Distillery
And has even traveled to Chicago
What a lovely way for locals to showcase their city on social media and for people living elsewhere to get glimpses of the Big Apple? After all, the some of the best memories are created through food, right?
Where will you take your fougasse?