In a country celebrated for its haute cuisine, delicious cheeses, and iconic baguettes, a humble chocolate muffin has unexpectedly stolen the spotlight at the Paris Olympic Games.
ADVERTISEMENTIt all began on 26 July when Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen posted a TikTok reviewing meals he’d eaten so far in the Olympic Village.
The athlete, who has already competed in this year's men’s 800-metre freestyle and will be making waves again in the men’s 1500-meter freestyle on 3 August, gave the pesto pasta and pork skewers a solid 7/10 and the shrimp dumplings and chicken gyozas an 8/10.
But it was a humble "choccy muffin" that received his highest score: an unprecedented 11/10. And thus, a legend was born.
From that moment on, Christiansen's love affair with the chocolate muffin has become a full-blown viral sensation, attracting millions of views and engagement on social media, and even some fan-art.
Since his first food review video, Christiansen has posted more than 10 more videos dedicated to the Olympic Village chocolate muffin - and people can't get enough.
In one especially popular video, which has racked up more than 8.5 million views, a teammate teases, “I feel like you’re just here for the chocolate muffins,” before the camera cuts to Christiansen devouring one of the muffins. “What?” he responds with chocolate smeared on his face.
In another TikTok, Christiansen is caught in the act of sneaking muffins from a secret stash by his bed. And in a third, he proudly proclaims, “I HEREBY DECLARE MYSELF AS THE OLYMPIC MUFFIN MAN."
But Christiansen isn't alone in this muffin mania. Many other athletes, including swimmers Enkhkhuslen Batbayar, Freya Anderson, and Jasmine Schofield and Filipino-American gymnast Aleah Finnegan have jumped on the bandwagon.
“I understand the hype of these chocolate muffins in the village,” Finnegan captioned her TikTok, reacting to a bite with enthusiasm.
A muffin mystery
As muffin fever reached a peak, an online scavenger hunt quickly emerged. Fans were desperate to get their gnashers on the elusive sweet treat that had become the talk of the Olympic Village.
Sodexo Live, the French catering company serving the Olympic Village, remained very tight-lipped about the exact recipe and source of the snack. We at Euronews Culture even reached out for comment, but our inquiries were met with silence.
Suspicious... What could they possibly have to hide?
The mystery surrounding the muffin's origin sent online sleuths into overdrive. Some attempted to identify the muffin's exact supplier while others experimented with their own recipes in a bid to replicate the tasty treat.
However, finally, after a flurry of online snooping and wild conspiracies, the mystery has been solved.
French food supplier Coup De Pates took to LinkedIn to unveil the truth: the beloved Olympic muffins are their “Maxi Muffin Chocolat Intense.”
ADVERTISEMENT"We knew our Maxi Muffin Chocolat Intense was something special... but we didn't expect it to spark such a chocolate storm!," the company stated.
And with that, the case is officially closed. The world can finally rest easy - though we can’t help but hope that Henrik Christiansen scores a big-money sponsorship deal from Coup De Pates, or at the very least a lifetime supply of their chocolate muffins.
After all, he is the muffin man.
