Macaron, France: The macaron that we know today is a little different from the original Italian macaron: an almond meringue cookie, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The Italian macaron came to France in 1533, when the pastry chefs of Catherine de Medici, who were seeking refuge during the French Revolution, earned their housing by baking and selling macarons. French macarons, light and crisp cookies that melt in your mouth, were invented in the 20th century by Pierre Desfontaines Ladurée, who thought to join two meringues and fill them with ganache. Today, macarons come in all kinds of colors and flavors, such as raspberry, pistachio, chestnut, basil lime, and rose and white chocolate — the flavor options are limitless. But the original French macaron combined two almond meringues, filled with chocolate ganache.