Everything about viennoiserie
Viennoiserie: it’s difficult to pronounce (vjen-was-su-rie) and difficult to spell, but not difficult to love. No idea what I’m talking about? I’ll tell you all about it.
It’s not surprising that no bells immediately start ringing. We don’t use the word viennoiserie all that often. But I’m sure all the bells will go off once you’ve read this article.
That’s how we like it: fatty and sweet
Viennoiserie is a collective term for luxurious, sweet baked goods, which are often eaten for breakfast or with coffee. Your mother has undoubtedly asked you at some point ‘whether you’d like to pick up something tasty to go with the coffee because visitors are coming over soon’, and you undoubtedly brought home something that falls under viennoiserie. The best-known products that can be classified as viennoiserie are croissants, coffee pastries, brioches and pain au chocolat. The basic ingredients of these products almost always include eggs, butter, milk, cream and sugar — ingredients that make them so delicious and sweet. Exactly how we like things in life.
Where does viennoiserie come from?
Viennoiserie’s origins lie in two sweet baked goods from Austria: the kipferl (a kind of crescent-shaped brioche) and the kaisersemmel (a type of bread from Vienna). Sometime in the 1830s, these products were flying off Austrian bakery counters. This inspired many bakers in Paris, who came up with their own versions of these creations. They began producing luxurious, sweet treats themselves, using puff pastry as a base. This also led to the birth of the croissant, for example.
What does viennoiserie mean?
You don’t have to be a major language nerd to see that viennoiserie is a French word. And anyone who is a bit of a language nerd will recognize the word Viennois, meaning Viennese or ‘from Vienna’. Quite literally, viennoiserie means ‘a little something from Vienna’. That makes sense, because it was men from Vienna who brought viennoiserie to Paris in the 19th century. And viennoiserie also consists of all kinds of smaller pastries.
Eating viennoiserie: where should I go (or what should I do)?
Craving viennoiserie? You can eat some really good croissants at these places, for example. Maybe even more fun: make it yourself! For example, with this bizarrely delicious (and easy!) brioche recipe. Or learn to make puff pastry yourself, so you’ll always have a good base to build on. Don’t feel like putting in a huge amount of effort, but don’t want to go out either? These are the most delicious bake-at-home croissants, which you only need to put in the oven yourself.
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