The Austrian Croissant: A Breakfast Delicacy's Origin Story

The croissant is a French pastry that has become a staple of French breakfasts and is enjoyed by people all over the world. However, the history of the croissant began in Austria. The modern-day croissant is said to be inspired by the Austrian kipferl, a crescent-shaped pastry that dates back to the 13th century. The kipferl is denser and sweeter than the modern croissant and is often filled with nuts or other fillings. The kipferl is also said to have originated as a celebration of the Austrian victory over the Ottoman Empire at the siege of Vienna in 1683. The curved shape of the kipferl is said to mimic the crescent moon on the Ottoman flag.

The Austrian kipferl, the predecessor of the croissant, is said to have originated in 1683 to celebrate Austria's victory over the Ottomans at the siege of Vienna

The Austrian kipferl is the predecessor of the croissant, with a history that dates back to the 13th century. The kipferl is said to have originated in 1683 to celebrate Austria's victory over the Ottomans at the siege of Vienna.

The kipferl is a crescent-shaped pastry, denser and sweeter than the modern croissant. It is made with a generous amount of butter or lard and sometimes topped with sugar and almonds. The curved shape of the kipferl is said to mimic the crescent moon on the Ottoman flag, paying tribute to the spirit of a city that resisted a powerful invading force.

Legend has it that Viennese bakers, who often worked in cellars, were up early one morning and heard the Ottomans attempting to tunnel into the heavily walled city. They sounded the alarm, and the Austrians were able to fight off their attackers. To commemorate their heroism, the bakers created the kipferl.

However, the kipferl existed long before the Ottoman siege of Vienna. A poem mentions it as one of the Christmas treats presented to Duke Leopold in 1227, and moon-shaped breads date back even earlier.

In the early 1800s, the kipferl was introduced to Paris by August Zang, an Austrian artillery officer who founded a Viennese bakery in the city. The French version of the kipferl was flakier than the traditional Austrian pastry, and it became known as the croissant, the French word for "crescent." By the time Zang's bakery closed in 1840, there were already a dozen imitators baking the crescent-shaped delicacy, and it soon became a staple of French breakfasts.

The kipferl is a crescent-shaped pastry, made with a generous amount of butter and often topped with sugar and almonds

The kipferl is a crescent-shaped pastry, a precursor to the modern croissant, with roots in Austria that date back to the 13th century. Also known as kipfel, it is made with a generous amount of butter and often topped with sugar and almonds. The kipferl is denser and sweeter than the modern-day croissant, with a brioche-like dough.

The kipferl is said to have originated in 1683 to celebrate the Austrian victory over the Ottoman Empire at the siege of Vienna. Legend has it that a baker, up early to make bread, heard the Ottomans attempting to tunnel beneath the city and raised the alarm. The curved shape of the kipferl is said to mimic the crescent moon on the Ottoman flag. However, the kipferl existed long before the siege of Vienna, mentioned in a poem as one of the Christmas treats presented to Duke Leopold in 1227.

The kipferl was introduced to Paris in the 19th century by Austrian entrepreneur August Zang, who founded a Viennese bakery in 1838. Zang's bakery, located at 92 Rue Richelieu, served Viennese specialties, including kipferl and the Vienna loaf. The French version of the kipferl was flakier than the traditional Austrian variety and was named "croissant" by the Parisians, after its crescent shape.

The kipferl is considered to have become French when it started being made with puff pastry, a French innovation. Today, if you order a kipferl in Austria or Germany, you are likely to be served a crescent-shaped cookie.

The kipferl dates back to the 13th century and came in various shapes and sizes

The kipferl, a precursor to the modern-day croissant, dates back to at least the 13th century in Austria. The German word "kipferl" means crescent and these pastries came in various shapes and sizes. They were often filled with nuts or other fillings, and are also considered a form of rugelach, a Jewish pastry of Ashkenazic origin. Kipferl are denser and sweeter than modern croissants.

A poem mentions the kipferl as one of the Christmas treats that Viennese bakers presented to Duke Leopold in 1227. Moon-shaped breads, in general, date back even earlier.

The kipferl is believed to have originated in 1683 as a celebration of the Austrian victory over the Ottomans at the siege of Vienna. According to legend, Viennese bakers, who often worked in cellars, were up early and heard the Ottomans attempting to tunnel into the city. They sounded the alarm, leading to the defeat of the Ottoman forces. To commemorate their heroism, the bakers created the kipferl in the shape of a crescent moon, resembling the symbol on the Ottoman flag.

However, the kipferl existed long before the Ottoman siege of Vienna, and the story of its origin is shrouded in myth. Experts claim that the kipferl or its relatives can be traced back to the 13th century.

The French word 'croissant' means 'crescent' and is named after the shape of the Austrian kipferl

The croissant is a French pastry made from puff pastry in a crescent shape. The French word 'croissant' means 'crescent' and is named after the shape of the Austrian kipferl, which dates back to the 13th century. The kipferl is a denser and sweeter pastry, often filled with nuts or other fillings, such as sugar and almonds. It is made with a brioche-like dough, which is less flaky than the modern croissant.

The kipferl is said to have originated in 1683 as a celebration of the Austrian victory over the Ottoman Turks at the siege of Vienna. The curved shape of the kipferl is believed to mimic the crescent moon on the Ottoman flag. However, the kipferl existed long before the Ottoman siege of Vienna, as it was mentioned in a poem as one of the Christmas treats presented to Duke Leopold in 1227. Moon-shaped breads also date back several centuries earlier.

The modern croissant was developed in the early 20th century when French bakers replaced the brioche dough of the kipferl with a yeast-leavened laminated dough. The French version of the kipferl became known as the croissant, derived from the French word for 'crescent', due to its crescent shape. The French innovation of puff pastry is what truly transformed the kipferl into the croissant.

The introduction of the croissant to France is often attributed to the French Queen and Austrian Archduchess, Marie Antoinette, who is said to have been homesick for the taste of her native Vienna. However, this legend is disputed by some scholars, who find it surprising that there are no references to the croissant in France before 1850. Instead, the arrival of the croissant in France is more accurately attributed to August Zang, an Austrian entrepreneur who opened a Viennese-style bakery in Paris in the early 1800s. Zang's bakery served Viennese specialties, including the kipferl, and his unique products and marketing acumen made his kipferl a sensation in Paris.

The first verified evidence of the croissant in France is attributed to Austrian entrepreneur August Zang, who opened a Viennese bakery in Paris in the 1830s

The origins of the croissant are steeped in legend, but the first verified evidence of the pastry in France can be attributed to Austrian entrepreneur August Zang. In 1838 or 1839, Zang founded a Viennese bakery in Paris, called Boulangerie Viennoise, which was located at 92, rue de Richelieu on the Right Bank. The bakery served Viennese specialties, including the kipferl and the Vienna loaf, and quickly became popular.

Zang's marketing prowess, including newspaper advertising and lavish window displays, drew Parisians to his bakery to sample his native Viennese treats. The bakery's popularity was also bolstered by Zang's patented steam oven, which gave the pastries a lustrous sheen. The French version of the kipferl, which was flakier than the traditional variety, became known as the croissant, named for its crescent (croissant) shape.

Zang sold his bakery a few years later and returned to Austria, where he founded the country's first daily newspaper and amassed a fortune in the banking and mining industries. However, his brief but significant foray into the baking business left a lasting impact on French culture. By the time the bakery closed in 1840, there were already a dozen imitators baking the beloved crescent-shaped delicacy.

Within a few decades, the croissant had become firmly entrenched as a staple of French breakfast foods. Its popularity continued to grow, and it eventually spread beyond France, with manufacturers introducing pre-made frozen dough and takeaway "croissanteries" in the late 1970s. Today, croissants are enjoyed worldwide and have become a global phenomenon.

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