You may have read this post last year but when I saw the date, I couldn’t resist the chance to republish!
I couldn’t miss the opportunity to wish you ‘Happy National Croissant Day’! January 30th is International Croissant Day. This is a new celebration for me. One which comes from the States, apparently.
Although, to be honest, I’m more than happy to celebrate croissants every day. Especially if they happen to be almond croissants!
The croissant was originally created in Austria. The shape is based on a crescent moon which features on the Turkish flag. Why? Travel back to 1683 when the Ottoman Empire laid siege to Austria. The Turks decided to tunnel beneath the city walls.The Viennese bakers who were working in the basement, heard the sound of digging and alerted the army who defeated the Turks. In celebration, they baked their bread in the shape of a crescent moon—the symbol of the Ottoman Empire – and created the Kipferl. This croissant arrived in France in 1770. Marie Antoinette, who was Austrian, was feeling homesick. The French bakers decided to make her favourite pastry which became known as the “croissant”.
Of course, it’s difficult to know exactly how much of this is fact and how much is fiction!
Are you a croissant lover? Do you have a favourite croissant? Savoury, perhaps? Or are you a purist who prefers a classic, butter croissant? Are you a dunker? I’m definitely not!
My first job was working in bakery making croissants… https://mrmatthewruddle.com/2017/01/06/baking-off/
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Thank you for commenting, Matthew. I love your post about working in a bakery and making croissants. In fact I love your blog. That’s one of the great aspects of blogging, I think, reading other people’s words that are not normally on one’s radar. I love the way you write so honestly and, often, movingly.
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Thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate it. I agree that discovering other people’s writing is one of the great benefits of blogging. I’m happy you enjoyed my writing, I’m always striving to be better!
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Love this history…whether true or not quite true…makes eating croissants even more delightful. 🙂
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Thanks for visiting and it is an interesting story, even if it may have been embellished over the years!
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Classic for me. Filled with cheese and perhaps a bit of pickle. I’d never thought about the origin of croissants….but now I know!
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I’ve had a cheese and ham croissant but never cheese and pickle…yet! This version sounds a bit like a ploughman’s croissant?!
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Haha, it sounds a bit downmarket for a croissant, doesn’t it? More of a chutney rather than Branston!
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Interesting bit of history, June. I love croissants, but, seldom eat them. They usually come stuffed with too much food, in cafes and bakeries, with tomato. I have a tomato allergy, so i seldom get to eat them. And I agree that one of the nicest things about blogging, is other peoples’ blogs.
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Thank you. I don’t think I’d like a croissant stuffed with tomato!
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I love croissants but I rarely eat them as I love to slather them in butter and jam! Lovely post June – croissants remind me of the romance of France…..even when I have Weetabix in France!
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Thanks for your comment. I don’t like butter or jam on my croissant but my husband definitely does!
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I’m with you June, I loooove almond croissants but I also like them plain with maybe some jam or marmalade . I didn’t realize they originated in Austria, how very interesting.
Merci pour l’astuce! Off to check out Matthew’s blog. x
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Love this! That almond croissant looks good. I like butter croissants plain or with a little jam or Nutella. But if it’s a chocolate croissant, I eat it as is!
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