Macaroons can trace their story back to Italy, where the flourless and unleavened cookies were originally made with almond paste (in Italian, these cookies are called amaretti).

Where was the macaron invented?

Macarons, like the croissants and eclairs that took "trendy pastry" honors before them, are distinctly European—distinctly French, really—in their affect. The cookies were born in Italy, but made their way to France in the 1530s—by way of, some scholars believe, Catherine di Medici.

What country has the best macarons?

Paris, France

Perhaps the most revered macaron of them all hails from Paris institution, La Dureé. Though it started as a small bakery in 1862 on 16 rue Royale, the high-end confectionary is now a chain with shops from New York City to Japan.