Flaky pastries are France’s gift to global breakfasts. The breakout star of the buttery ensemble known as viennoiserie is undoubtedly the croissant, an icon of French gastronomy. They’re irresistible when visiting France, and after this lesson you’ll know how to pronounce croissant in French like a local!
croissant
Croissant pronunciation in French
To pronounce croissant in French, say cr + oi (as in moi) + ss (as in S in Sam) + nasal an, which is represented with the symbol [ɑ̃]. In accordance with the French pronunciation rules, the final T is silent. This audio clip shows how to pronounce croissant at three speeds.
[kʀwa-sɑ̃]
Croissant au beurre
croissant au beurre
butter croissant
Croissant au beurre translates to croissant with butter. It’s a necessary distinction from factory-made croissants produced with margarine. The distinction is unnecessary in a boulangerie (bakery), where the mere suggestion of using margarine will raise an eyebrow. And possibly a rolling pin!
Croissant ordinaire
croissant ordinaire
ordinary croissant
Languishing in gas stations and supermarket shelves is the unloved counterpart to a croissant au beurre, the croissant ordinaire (ordinary croissant). It’s anything but regular in France, where butter rules supreme (even if margarine is a French invention), but worth knowing how to pronounce.
Croissant aux amandes
almond croissant
croissant aux amandes
How do you make a croissant extraordinary? Stuff it with frangipane (almond paste) and make it into a sugary croissant aux amandes or almond croissant.
Pain au chocolat
pain au chocolat
chocolate bread
A croissant is undoubtedly the headline act of the viennoiserie array in a French boulangerie. Arguably, the ultimate breakfast support act is a pain au chocolat (chocolate bread), or chocolatine in some corners of France.
Petit pain au chocolat
petit pain au chocolat
little chocolate bread
Mini-viennoiserie is the call when you want to eat them all. Une petite bouchée (a little bite) of each treat settles all debate. If you’ve already loaded up with croissants but can’t say no to a little extra indulgence, enjoy the petit pain au chocolat!
Background
The ultimate croissant is an alchemic marriage of butter and golden pastry baked to delicate yet chewy perfection. Freshly made in every village and town boulangerie, it’s far-and-away France’s favorite breakfast treat.
Gourmands can thank Austrian soldier turned baker August Zang, who introduced the prototype in La Boulangerie Viennoise, a Parisian bakery he opened with partner Ernest Schwarzer in 1837.
The house specialty was breakfast breads, notably an Austrian bread called kipferl shaped like a crescent (croissant in French!). His morning baked goods were an instant hit, earning the collective name viennoiserie, starting a food trend that snowballed into a national culinary passion.
Fast-forward to the 20th century, yeast was added to the butter-rich crescent, and the modern croissant was born, in all its flaky deliciousness.
Related lessons
- Pronunciation of French wine names
- Pronunciation of French cheese names
- Pronunciation of French champagne names
French pronunciation | Lessons by Dan Fosythe
