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The history of the croissant, or the French have a word for it.
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Les Delices French Bakery, 5303 Leetsdale, Glendale
French pastries are the subject of today’s post. And to kick it off, here’s a brief history of the croissant, that flaky, delicious crescent-shaped pastry that we all love slathered with butter for breakfast, or stuffed with meat or cheese as a lunch sandwich.
The croissant, oddly enough, originated in Austria. The country was at war with Turkey in 1686. A valiant group of bakers heard the Turkish army tunneling under their kitchens and raised the alarm. Their quick reaction led to the defeat of the Turks and to this reward for the bakers: they were permitted to create a pastry to commemorate their patriotism and they began making croissants, in the shape of the crescent on the Turkish flag, out of a rich bread dough.
In the early twentieth century, the French improved on the croissant by making it from layers of buttered puff pastry and voila! – le croissant.
I sampled a croissant and several other delectable French pastries at a little bakery called Les Delices de Paris on at 600 S. Holly in Glendale. The bakery is closed for a couple of weeks in March, but when it reopens, visit for some fabulous pastries.
BTW, does anyone know what those delectable pastries you can see in the case are called? The ones at bottom right with the raspberry filling and the two holes that look like (hint) eyeglasses?
(Answer: They are called lunettes, which means eyeglasses in French. )
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