The Croissant is Not French

As identifiable with France as the Eiffel Tower, the butter-rich croissant surprisingly is not French in origin.  The croissant’s ancestry can be traced back to 13^th century Austria where it was then called a Kipferl.  The crescent-shaped Kipferl was brought from Austria to Paris in the mid-1800’s, but it wasn’t until the Boulangerie Viennoise (“Breadmaker from Vienna”) opened just after the turn of the 20th century that this morning pastry became a huge hit among the Parisians.   French bakers began immediately to make copycat products and named their version “croissant” in reference to its crescent (croissant) shape.   

Stay tuned for a future posting on my favorite spots in Paris for mind-blowing croissants.