A Flight Away from Flakey Goodness
Sure, curved croissants look fancy, but did you know that straight croissants are the way to go? In fact, there are strict laws in France about straight croissants vs. curved croissants. Seriously!
Legally, you can not roll out a straight croissant unless it has 100% butter. Curved croissants can be a mixture of fats but mostly consist of margerine. France is no fluff when it comes to the quality of their food. They demand transparency especially when it comes to a pastry that date all the way back to the 1600’s!
History Lesson
Before you butter that croissant lets talk history! In the 1683 during the Battle of Vienna, the croissant made its first debut. The people of Vienna were at their whits end in their struggle to defeat the Ottoman empire. When the bakers of the city awoke early one morning to bake their last grains, they heard people shoveling beneath their feet. Immediately, they alarmed the authorities to intercept and that they did. With this intel and the help of the Polish army Vienna reigned victoriously.
In celebration of this win the bakers of Vienna made a crescent shaped pastry very similar to the crescent represented on the Ottoman flag. They named it kipferl which means crescent moon in Austrian German language. Since then, the croissant has not only evolved in its name but also its contents. The flaky and light croissant we all know to this day started as a much heavier pastry very similar to brioche.
Ready, Set, Break!
Here are some helpful hints for ensuring you have freshest and tastieset croissants while visiting France. You are almost guaranteed a fresh croissant first thing in the morning and again mid-afternoon. Whatever you do just don’t go hunting for the perfect croissant on a Monday. Most boulangeries (bakeries) are closed on this day of the week.
Check out our go to list below for the most scrumptious, flakey croissants in Paris:
- La Maison d’Isabelle.
- Mamiche.
- Du Pain et des Idées.
- Liberte Boulangerie.
- Fou de Patisserie.
- La Patisserie Cyril Lignac.
- Des Gâteaux et du Pain.
- Maison Carton Paris.
Another fun fact you might want to know when exploring the french food scene is restaurants in France cannot claim to thave the “best croissant” or best anything unless they have entered the competition for craftsmen called Meilleur Ouvrier de France. They don’t compete against eachother but to attain a standard and in return receive a medal and a title that lasts a lifetime. When visiting these restaurants you may also find the chefs wearing the colors of the french flag on their uniforms to also signify their achievement. We hope after this blog and your free trip consult you find your way to the perfect croissant!
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