The Butter Croissant
"The croissant au beurre is the quintessential French breakfast staple: a crescent-shaped laminated pastry made with pure butter (not margarine), creating its characteristic golden, flaky layers. A true croissant shatters when you bite it, releasing buttery steam. Straight croissants are 'ordinaire' (margarine), curved croissants are 'au beurre' (butter)—always choose curved. Best eaten warm from the bakery within hours of baking."
Logistics
Affordable
Vibe
Flaky, buttery
Duration
5 minutes
Best For
Breakfast
The Backstory
Croissants originated in Vienna (Austrian 'kipferl') but were perfected in Paris in the 1830s-1840s when Viennese bakers opened shops. The laminated dough technique (butter folded into dough 27+ times) creates the layers. By the 1900s, it became France's breakfast icon. The curved shape distinguishes butter croissants from straight margarine ones (a practice starting in the 1980s).
Local Secret
"Buy from a real boulangerie (bakery), not a chain or grocery store. Look for 'fait maison' (homemade) signs. The best croissants are honeycomb-textured inside, deeply golden outside, and weigh surprisingly little. Eat plain—no butter, no jam. Parisians tear pieces and dunk them in café au lait or hot chocolate. Morning is the only proper time to eat them. Never microwave a croissant—it kills the texture."