The legend of how the croissant came to be is that in 1683, the Turkish Empire laid siege on Vienna, Austria. The Turks made several attempts to conquer the city by force, but were unsuccessful, so decided to try underground tunnels. The bakers of Vienna, who worked in the basement storerooms, heard the sound of digging and alerted the cities army. For their vigilance, the bakers received high honors and thanks for their assistance in outwitting the Turks. In celebration, they baked their bread in the shape of a crescent moon—the symbol of the Ottoman Empire. After the Turks were defeated, it became custom to serve morning coffee with the crescent-shaped pastry! The legend continues to say that over a hundred years later, Marie Antoinette introduced the pastry to the French who dubbed it a “croissant”.
In the German part of Switzerland they are know as Gipfeli. Which is said to come from the word Gipfel, or Berggipfel, meaning the top, or pointy bit, of a mountain. Gipfeli are a bit triangular, like a Berggipfel. Every supermarket or baker will have five or six different type, my favourite are the giant Laugengipfeli, best when dunked in tea or coffee. Adding jam is a little bit frowned upon, a bit like ordering a cappuccino after lunch. But, you can buy ones with a bar of chocolate baked into the middle, think a croissant with a half melted finger of fudge stuffed into it...
