Croissant, A Goldish Cake That Doesn’t Get Messy When You Eat It

Ilustrasi croissant (Unsplash / Jonathan Wiemer)

JAKARTA - When talking about French cuisine, Croissant must be one of the first things that comes into your mind. Cited from VOI, Thursday, February 25, Croissant was contested by two countries, namely French and Austria.

There are various versions regarding the history of croissants. The most stressful thing about Croissant is the debate regarding its origin and authenticity. Cited from Paris Unlocked, de facto France explores how to make the correct shape of a croissant.

Then a global standard was set on how croissants should be made. It is widely considered the Austrian kipferl cake to be the ancestor of the croissant. This delicious pastry cake is commonly found in Vienna. First served in 1963 to celebrate the defeat of the Ottomans.

The legend about the two cakes is very vague because there are various versions. However, it is recorded that the baker Adam Spiel's name heroically distributed a crescent-shaped cake called Hörnchen to celebrate the victory.

Illustration of a bakery display (Unsplash / Dana Marin Amsterdamian)

Although actually, kipferl has spread throughout Eastern Europe since the 13th century. It was often at that time that pastries were juxtaposed with rugelach. Kipferl is made from five ingredients, including milk, wheat flour, sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt.

Of the five ingredients, some of them are processed and they look like bagels. Barbara Van Melle wrote a book on croissants and kipferl searches. It turns out that based on texture and taste, they are different. Kipferl is sweeter, denser, and less buttery.

Food historian Jim Chevallier notes that in 1683, the time of the Ottoman siege of Vienna was the meeting moment of the two cakes. Most likely, croissants were introduced to France at a bakery in Paris called the Boulangerie Viennoise in 1837.

Historians also say that croissants were popular in France during the 19th century. Meanwhile, in the 20th century there were many bakeries displaying croissants as one of their menus. Although there are also frozen croissants with low quality, this cake has become a big icon in the city of fashion, Paris.

Illustration of croissant etiquette (Unsplash / Mariana Medved)

Because of the large flow of croissant development from Vienna to Eastern Europe to Paris to America, there is an etiquette in enjoying this baked cake. In order not to fall apart, this golden cake is held 'pretty' with the index finger and thumb.

Spoon over peanut butter, chocolate, or other toppings to complete the buttery's elegant taste and doesn't get messy to eat.