Croissant’s layered history
Croissant, the globally popular French pastry, has complex origins with roots tracing all the way back to 13th century Austria. The Austrian Kipferl, a buttery, dense pastry traditionally topped with sugar or almonds is said to be the croissant’s less refined predecessor.
Written records acknowledge the kipferl’s presence in Austrian culinary traditions centuries before the introduction of the croissant. Though thinner and denser than the modern croissant, both culinary favourites share the iconic crescent shape, a detail that would go on to define their identities.
One of the most enduring legends claims that a version of the kipferl was created in 1683 to commemorate Austria’s victory over the Ottoman Empire post the Siege of Vienna. According to this tale, bakers working in cellars heard enemy troops tunneling and raised an alarm, playing a crucial role in foiling the attack.
To celebrate this victory, these bakers are said to have shaped their pastries into crescents, a nod to the crescent moon on the Ottoman flag. However, most historians dismiss this story as apocryphal, with evidence showing the kipferl predated the siege by at least a century.
From kipferl to croissant
The kipferl made its way to France in the 19th Century, not through royalty as often claimed, but by Austrian artillery officer turned baker, August Zang. In 1838, Zang opened Boulangerie Viennoise at 92 Rue Richelieu in Paris, introducing Parisians to Austrian-style pastries.
Zang’s bakery quickly became a sensation. Using innovative techniques like eye-catching window displays and newspaper advertising, he popularized the crescent-shaped kipferl, which Parisian imitators soon adapted, calling it by the French name croissant, meaning crescent.
Though Zang’s bakery closed after only two years, its influence was profound. His Viennese-style pastries sparked a wave of French experimentation, eventually leading to the flaky, layered, and leavened version we now recognize as the croissant.
Today, the croissant has become a symbol of French culinary finesse. However, its journey, from medieval Austria to modern global ubiquity, spans over 800 years. Its evolution is a testament to cultural exchange, innovation, and the enduring power of good pastry.
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https://www.puratos.in/en/blog/the-curious-history-of-the-croissant#:~:text=As%20the%20story%20goes%2C%20Viennese,at%2092%20Rue%20Richelieu%2C%20Paris
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