Is it a Macaroon or a Macaron?
Imagine walking into a pastry shop and becoming overwhelmed with all the delectable looking treats and enticing smells. You wander over to the cakes and cookies and your mouth starts to water, then you gaze upon the eclairs and you can barely hold yourself back. Finally, you come across something that you just cannot pass up: macaroons.
The light, coconut flavored treats that satisfy your sweet tooth, but don’t leave you with a bellyache. After asking the kind lady for a macaroon, she grabs a box, reaches her hand into the glass case and pulls out a treat that looks similar to a macaroon, but is shaped more circular, like a tiny sandwich. When you try to correct yourself by restating that you wanted a macaroon, she insists that a macaroon is sitting in the box. What is the treat inside of the box and what caused this miscommunication?
The Italian word maccherone meaning “fine paste” has caused much confusion in the pastry world, as two similar desserts use maccherone as the root of their name. Most people do not understand the difference in pronunciation of these two words; they are not both pronounced like “macaroon.” Macarons are French, and anyone who has studied the French language knows that the French do not have the “ooh” sound in their language, but rather an “aw” sound, as in the word “gone.” Therefore, macaron is pronounced macar-AWN.
Macarons and macaroons are so commonly mixed up not only because of their similar names, but also because they both use meringue as the base. In macarons, the two outside layers are meringue based, while the creamy filling varies in flavor. Macaroons are fully meringue based and have coconut throughout, whereas macarons do not have coconut, unless, of course, they are coconut flavored.
If you are looking for a delicious macaroon, Freedom a la Cart has got you covered. The chocolate drizzled coconut goodies are a popular treat amongst customers, and have become a trademark dessert in the Freedom kitchen. Pistacia Vera is the local home of the macaron, and may just get you hooked on the French pastry.
Now that you understand the difference between these two treats, tell your friends. Not only will they be impressed with your meringue-based pastry knowledge, but you will help to eliminate the confusion between the two desserts.
French absolutely does have the “ooh” sound — it’s just not formed using two “o”s, but usually “ou”. Think “douze” or “vous”.
Love the insight Lauren! Thanks for sharing.
Thank u for that article! It cleared a lot of my questions up.
I agree with Lauren. Also, after your whole explanation, your picture is wrong.
Macaroon is and always has been the anglicised version of the french word macaron, which is itself from the italian maccherone, as you say. It means and always has meant a small meringue based confectionery, as you say. What the French call macarons, English speakers sometimes do, and always have, called macaroons. It really is just a translation. If you want to call a particular version of it a macaron and another a macaroon, that’s up to you, but insisting that people use the words you like to use is just a little arrogant, and ignorant. Somewhat similarly, in England the word fillet is pronounced”fill it”. Wrong, you say? No, because that’s the way it came into English in the 11th century. Saying “fillay” is fine if you’re in a language community that uses that pronunciation, but if we insist that people use that pronunciation, because that’s the modern french way, we would be wrong. Language isn’t monolithic. Something can have different names in different places for different reasons. So if people say macaron in your community, great, but please don’t insist that others use your preferred words.
I love this! If I pronounce something incorrectly, I expect to be corrected (Mama taught me as her Mama {an English major} taught her) but I try to understand different accents. Mama cringes when I say I want a “Fill-it mg-non” but she understands I do it as a play on the spelling. Regional dialect changes a lot of pronunciations. (California girl living in Canadian & Down East influenced Maine)
I beg to differ. My experience as a Brit living in Brussels and bilingual from the age of 4.( Oh and with a fondness for both macaroons and macarons) would say that the macarons which have become very à la mode over the past few years , originating in France , the most famous made by La Durée in Paris.but now sold everywhere are indeed called macarons everywhere. It is the correct term and shouldn’t be translated. The same goes for spaghetti, ravioli, tiramisu etc etc. Another good reason is that a macaroon is totally different from a macaron. It’s not sandwiched with cream in the middle, They are usually about a centimetre high and the size of a cookie and often made with almonds. I find your comments pretentious and arrogant as well as misguided.
Or maybe you’re taking Brexit a little too far?!
Thank you for the very clear and simplified explanation, I always appreciate some education.
Now this Southern Georgia Girl is confused and I make both these. I just always pronounced them the same. Oh well they taste good. I’ll have to system ignorant while loving my cookies. 🤣