Macaron Tower

History, tradition and origin

The croissant descends from a crescent-shaped Austrian bread that Viennese bakers brought to Paris in the 1830s; French bakers later made it with layered butter dough. Choux pastry filled with cream dates from the 1800s. The macaron as two almond shells with a filling was created in Paris in the early twentieth century. Thin pancakes are eaten in France at Candlemas in February.

Food economy and industry

France has around thirty thousand bakeries, and rules define what may be called a traditional baguette. Butter is the key cost for pastry, and shortages have at times pushed prices sharply higher. Pastry chefs train through formal apprenticeships, and Parisian pastry houses have become international luxury brands.