The origins of the French croissant are, in fact, Viennese. This fact might shock you, but the world-famous French pastry begins its journey in the Austrian capital city. Croissants, as we know them today, can be traced back to the Austrian Kipferl (German for crescent). When the Austrian army defeated the Ottoman Turks in 1683, Viennese bakers celebrated the victory by making Kipferls. The crescents on the enemy’s uniforms were the inspiration. After the marriage between Marie Antoinette of Austria and King Louis XVI of France in 1770, the pastry made its way to the French Court and eventually became popular across the country.
