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Why are some croissants straighter than others? The shapeshifting story of a French icon

Why are some croissants straighter than others? The shapeshifting story of a French icon

The typically French pastry did not originate in France and the reason for its shape is a matter of legend – it turns out there are many layers to the croissant

A curved, golden croissant is on the left, against a white background

Jonny Wilkes

Published: November 5, 2026 at 3:00 PM

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Few would argue that the flaky and buttery croissant is a superstar in the French pastry line-up, so much so that, along with the Eiffel Tower and the beret, it has become an icon for the nation.

It would make sense that its origins and the reason for the distinctive crescent shape are rooted in a significant event in French history. And indeed, there are a couple of legends that stand out. Yet neither point to France, but Austria.

At first glance, it is easy to see how a traditional Austrian bread roll, the kipferl, is linked to the croissant, as it too is crescent-shaped. A key difference is that the former tends to be denser, or even a cookie, compared to the light fluffiness of the croissant.

What has the croissant got to do with a battle?

According to the first legend, the kipferl originated in 1683 when the Austrian capital of Vienna fell under siege from the Ottomans for two months. It was only liberated when Christian forces of the Holy Roman Empire and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth met the Muslim invaders in battle.

To celebrate the victory, Viennese bakers whipped up a new pastry moulded in the shape of a crescent to mimic the moon seen on the Ottoman flag.

In truth, the kipferl had been popular in Austria for centuries already by then, so the true reason why bakers used that shape has been lost. This does not explain how the French got involved, anyway.

A bright red Turkish flag featuring a white crescent and star hangs in the foreground, partially framing a large, historic mosque with tall minarets and a central dome under a blue sky

The Turkish flag flies outside the 16th-century Ottoman imperial Selimiye Mosque. The legend that croissants are moulded to mimic the flag's crescent is seemingly misguided | Credit: Getty Images

Did Marie Antoinette introduce the croissant to France?

The second legend claims that the Austrian-born queen of France Marie Antoinette had grown homesick for her native Vienna, most notably its edible treats, and introduced the kipferl to the royal court at Versailles. This all but ensured that it would catch on among the French elite.

Again, there is nothing to back up this story; it should be added to the myths that surround the doomed French queen, who, incidentally, never said “let them eat cake”.

Read more | How Marie Antoinette waged a battle for survival

Viennese pastries did not become popular in France until the mid-19th century. Legends aside, the hum drum explanation for how the kipferl inspired the croissant was that Austrian bakers came to Paris at a time when the French were already well known for their cuisine, and the pastry proved a hit. It may well have started with Austrian soldier turned entrepreneur, August Zang, who opened his bakery, Boulangerie Viennoise, in the 1830s.

Crescent-shaped Christmas cookies dusted with powdered sugar, arranged on a wooden board next to a pine branch

Traditional Austrian kipferl, popular in the region for centuries. According to legend, Marie Antoinette brought the delicacy to France | Credit: Getty Images

Why do croissants come in different shapes?

Once they got a taste for the kipferl, though, the French made it their own by using layers of buttery puffed pastry. They dubbed their version the croissant, meaning ‘crescent’. Therefore, the croissant is technically French, but with a strong Austrian ancestry.

Curiously, the meaning of the shape has shifted over the years. As baking techniques developed, margarine or oil began to be used as well as butter. To distinguish between them, French boulangeries now serve the margarine croissant in the typical crescent shape while the all-butter version comes straightened.

Oh, and as for another aforementioned icon of France: the beret is not wholly French, either. Its origins were in the Basque Country, which is half in Spain.

Authors

Jonny WilkesFreelance writer

Jonny Wilkes is a former staff writer for BBC History Revealed, and he continues to write for both the magazine and HistoryExtra. He has BA in History from the University of York.