The origin of the croissant or croissant is based on various legends and stories. For many it is the perfect complement to any snack or breakfast, or in France, it is one of the best-selling and most desired foods by bakery customers.
If we go to the RAE, it defines it as: “puff pastry in the shape of a half moon” which means for many a food that is easy to prepare and with a multitude of ways to eat. But what is really known about its origin?
The most accepted story about the appearance in Europe of the croissant dates back to 1683.
A war that originated the croissant
Every time we look back, war conflicts take over a large part of the books and information we have. In 1683, the Ottoman Empire advanced unopposed throughout Europe . Once it took control of Constantinople, part of Hungary, Poland and the Balkans, the empire set its objective in Vienna, where the Great Turkish War would begin, and for which the Ottoman Empire would begin to lose territories.
To seize Vienna, the Ottomans had 20,000 men capable of defeating any army under the command of the vizier Kara Mustafa. After failing to break through the city walls, the soldiers took a new strategy.
They would enter Vienna undermining the ground and thus enter under the walls and at night. When they began to make the holes, the bakers working at night realized the strategy from the noise and alerted the armies of Emperor Leopold I.
The Austrians achieved victory thanks to the announcement of the bakers who were honored by the authorities. At a town party, the bakers prepared two kinds of bread: one with the name “Emperor” and the other with the name “Halbmond,” which means “half moon” in German, and which somewhat mocked the crescent of the Ottoman flag.
Arrival in France
Although in the origin of the croissant this bread roll was always known as Kipferl, the truth is that this bread, very distinctive from France, did not reach the Gallic country until 1838 . Although it was cited as a common bread roll for years before, and in the French dictionary it was already defined as a small piece of bread, the truth is that the first croissant recipe in France is described in 1891.
This recipe was made with a different dough, since the first time a recipe for a croissant with puff pastry was written dates back to 1905. Since 1950 it has been a typical breakfast food in the Gallic country.