Marie Antoinette introduced the Austrian pastry to the France but the legends about the lady and her favorite pastry are various.
Princess Marie came to France as a new bride when she was only 15. The young queen missed the simple cake in the shape of crescent of her homeland. To honor their new queen, the bakers in Paris made some “kipferls” of their own. The only difference was that they called it by the French word for crescent, “croissant” and made it looks more complex for royal dining table.
There is another story telling that Marie Antoinette with easygoing temperament refused to dine with members of royal French family. She often sat at the table, not removing the gloves. Until she came back her room, she required the dishes from her homeland – which always included Kipferl and she gradually accepted its complex version – Croissant.
Whatever the legend, we must mention Marie Antoinette as an important factor in the history of Croissant, as a symbol of nation pride of a princess – a queen.