The Italian Cornetto: Don’t call me Croissant!

It’s Croissant Day! During this day we want to celebrate its Italian brother: the Cornetto! Let’s see all the differences between croissant and cornetto and discover the best croissants to taste in Rome.

Croissant or Cornetto? Brothers but not twins

The French croissant and the Italian cornetto are similar, but in reality they differ from each other in many aspects. First of all, at first glance, although they both fall into the category of leavened baked products, we immediately notice the difference in shape. In fact, once the dough is rolled, the croissant remains straight while the cornetto has two curved tips that resemble the horns of an animal. Hence the name. Indeed, cornetto in Italian means small horn. The substantial difference is in the choice of ingredients. Let’s look at them together.

The French Croissant

It does not contain eggs and, to make it shinier and more beautiful to  look, they usually brush the surface of the croissant with a simple syrup of water and sugar. The Croissant contains less sugar and much more butter than a Cornetto. The final effect is a crunchy, crumbly, extremely flaky product, with a persistent scent and flavor of toasted butter and a neutral aroma. In fact, it’s better to enjoy the croissant plain, even if it willingly accepts savory combinations, such as prosciutto ham or smoked salmon.

The Italian Cornetto

It contains more milk, sugar and especially eggs, as well as flavorings such as vanilla and citrus peel. Although it is a  flaky pastry like the croissant, the layers are fewer. The result is a softer product, less crunchy than the croissant and, if squashed in the center, tends to maintain the shape of a finger. Above all, although the croissant is good also plain, it is often filled with custard, jam or chocolate.

Kipferl: the ancestor of the croissant and the cornetto

History needs us to understand the origins of many dishes, desserts and recipes of today. The croissant and the cornetto have Austrian origins and both derive from a typical Viennese pastry, the Kipferl, in German crescent. It is an Austro-Hungarian specialty in the shape of a crescent moon, both sweet and savory. Its history is mixed with legend. It seems that it was Peter Vendier, a Viennese baker, who invented this pastry in 1683, to celebrate the end of the Ottoman siege. During the night, while the Viennese bakers were working and being the only ones awake, they heard the noise of underground excavations. It was the Turks who were preparing a terrible attack on the city of Vienna with gunpowder. The Viennese bakers raised the alarm and saved the city. In fact, Kipferl has the shape of a crescent moon, symbol of the Turkish flag, and celebrates that historical moment.

The Italian cornetto: what a story!

Which came first, the croissant or the cornetto? Although the debate has been going on for years now, it seems that history is turning in favor of the Italian cornetto. In fact, the cornetto derives from the Kipferl, one of the most typical Viennese desserts, even if the preparation is more elaborate. The Kipferl arrived in Italy during the period of trade between the Republic of Venice and Vienna, towards the end of the 17th century. Thanks to the contribution of Venetian pastry chefs, the kipferl transformed into today’s cornetto. With the birth of the Lombard-Venetian Kingdom, its popularity increased more and more and inevitably it differed from the original Austrian recipe.

The Croissant: A French Delight

What do we know about the croissant? According to legend France became aware of the cornetto in 1770, during the wedding between Marie Antoinette and the future King Louis XVI. However, the history tell us that, just like the cornetto, the croissant also seems to have been inspired by the Kipferl. The word croissant appears for the first time in the Dictionnaire de la langue française in 1863. Shortly before, in 1839, Paris witnessed the opening of the first Viennese pastry shop, called the Boulangerie viennoise. The Austrian officer August Zang, who adored the Kipferl, founded this place. Paris thus began producing the most famous puff pastry in the world. The recipe was somewhat distorted, but the typical shape of the Kipferl was more or less maintained. In fact, Croissant in French means crescent, just like the crescent of the Turkish flag that inspired the Kipferl.

Croissant Day

The day dedicated to the croissant was born specifically in the United States in 2006. It is a sort of birthday to celebrate one of the most loved but at the same time simplest desserts. Today, in fact, the croissant is famous throughout the world and maintains the same name everywhere. It is certainly a symbol of the typical French breakfast, but not only. We can enjoy this flaky wonder with the scent of butter at any time of the day. Whether for brunch, a snack, a sweet or savory aperitivo, or as an evening treat.

All the flavors of the Italian croissant

In Italy we don’t ask for a croissant for breakfast. Let’s remember to get a cornetto, instead! As we have seen, one of the differences is that the cornetto can be stuffed. But what are the most loved cornetto fillings in Italy? Surely the most classic fillings remain those with fruit jam, especially apricot. Then there is the much-loved chocolate filling. The most popular is certainly Nutella, but also dark chocolate and gianduia hazelnut chocolate. The other very popular filling is the custard, usually flavored with vanilla, or lemon. Even pistachio cream is now becoming very popular especially among tourists who rightly want to try pistachio in every possible preparation, once in Italy. Today, even the cornetto can be with savory fillings. The contrast with the sweetness of the dough makes it all pleasantly interesting.

Where to eat the best cornetto in Rome

In Rome, the cornetto is a must! Every bar has one. In some bakeries or cafes are homemade. Others order them from the pastry shops and have them delivered first thing in the morning, so they are fresh for breakfast. Let’s see together where you can taste the best croissants in Rome.

Forno Conti & Co. (Via Giusti, 18)

Pasticceria Grué (Viale Regina Margherita, 95)

Nero Vaniglia (Circonvallazione Ostiense, 201)

Casa Manfredi Teatro (Via dei Conciatori, 5)

Regoli Pasticceria (Via dello Statuto, 60)

Panella (Via Merulana, 54)

Faro –  Caffè Specialty (Via Piave, 55)

Caffè Merenda (Via del Gazometro, 5a)

Roscioli Caffè Pasticceria (Piazza Benedetto Cairoli, 16)