Fun Holiday – Croissant Day

The crescent shaped flaky and buttery pastry made by layering and rolling out leavened dough. While it is usually consumed plain, many variations of the pastry exist. In many parts of the world, bakeries bake croissants with chocolate, fruits, meat, vegetables, and cheese. Many people use croissants to make sandwiches. Some popular croissant sandwiches include egg salad sandwich, tuna sandwich, and cheese and ham sandwich.

Not French

Contrary to popular belief, croissants are not French in origin. Food historians believe that the Austrian kipferl is the ancestor of the present-day croissant. Legend has it that kipeferl, which is the German word for crescent, was created by some Viennese bakers as a way to celebrate the defeat of Ottoman invaders by the soldiers of Vienna. The bakers according to the story, fashioned their new creation in the form of the crescent they saw on the enemies flag.

It is thought that the pastry was popularized in France by Marie Antionette, the last queen of France.

How to Celebrate?

• Have croissants for all your meals. Start with a plain croissant for breakfast, a croissant sandwich for lunch, and end the day with a chocolate or custard-filled croissant.
• Try making croissants at home from scratch. Don't forget to share with friends, family, and co-workers.

Did You Know…

…that a cronut is both a croissant and a doughnut? The pastry was created by New York Chef Dominique Ansel.