The aroma of a croissant fresh from the oven is a characteristic scent of Paris. Especially in the morning, even though it is increasingly eaten at any time of day, the croissant is the basic Parisian breakfast par excellence, eaten in a hurry while drinking coffee (at the counter), on the street at the entrance of a bakery, or at the office while your computer is booting up. It’s a good way to start the day.
Due to the Parisian woman’s increasing distrust of everything industrial, there is a new generation of pastry chefs in Paris. With quality products and traditional methods, they are stimulating consumers to demand ever higher standards of quality. Beware of pastry chefs who offer croissants that are soft and flat, full of air, too greasy, or over-cooked and dry.
A “croissant tour”
A delightful way to discover Paris. Many neighborhood bakeries make delicious croissants, and it’s up to you to judge the color, crispness, lightness, and quality of the ingredients. My favorites are those of Gérard Mulot in Saint-Germain-des-Prés—fabulous and just minutes from home. You need only smell them to recognize the exceptional quality—an indescribably crisp pastry with the authentic taste of pure butter and a golden brown crust. The croissants from Paul are also excellent (photo). The Ispahan croissant from Pierre Hermé is original yet very good.
It is said that Marie Antoinette imported the croissant from Vienna about 1780 and that they were first made in Paris in a bakery on the rue Dauphine. The recipe was described in 1906 in Auguste Colombié’s culinary encyclopedia, where they are called “bakery croissants” and are described as a light puff pastry.
In conclusion, how to recognize this good Parisian croissant
Generally, croissants made with vegetable fat take the form of a crescent while a butter croissant has a longer shape. However, bakeries that make only butter croissants prefer the half-moon shape. If in doubt, don’t hesitate to ask. Just between us, there’s a little trick for identifying fresh, homemade croissants: in the pastry shop, ask if you can “freeze” the croissants you want to buy. If they are honest and their croissants are “industrial,” they will tell you not to freeze them.