History is alive, and freshly baked, in Port Aux Choix at the French Rooms Cultural Centre.

The French Bread Oven Program is offered Monday to Friday where traditional french bread is baked and served to visitors.

Millie Spence, the team leader at the centre, says the interactive program brings the history of the French influence on their communities to life.

She says from 1713 to 1904, French had the exclusive right to fish on the French shore, the area that is now Cape Bonavista to Point Riche.

When the men left for the boats in the morning, they would have the bread ready to bring with them, fresh from a french oven.

The bread is still being made every weekday at the centre in a replica oven built in 2004.

Spence says five days a week they light the fire at 11:30a.m. and they take the embers out around 2 p.m. Then they bake the bread, allowing visitors to watch the process.

She says although it takes a long time to warm the oven, the bread only needs about five minutes to bake completely.

Spence says it is served with homemade NL berry jam and molasses.