This Massachusetts City is the Best in America for Croissants
National Croissant Day
National Croissant Day is January 30.
And Boston is THE place to celebrate!
Why? Boston is the #1 best city for croissants in America. And if that isn’t enough to butter your bread, Boston’s next-door neighbor, Cambridge, comes in at #42.
Traveling Paris found America’s 100 best cities for croissants based on several indicators, such as availability of croissants, popularity of croissants, and quality of croissants.
The full list is here: America’s 100 best cities for croissants
So why is Boston #1?
With an overall score of 100, Boston ranks as the #1 best city in America for croissants and is therefore the best city to get a croissant on National Croissant Day.
The city also ranks #1 for availability, meaning that there are a lot of places in Boston that sell croissants per square mile.
People have lots to say about croissants in Boston. We headed over to reddit, where some passionate folks weighed in on the best in Boston:
“Third cliff bakery in JP has the best croissants I’ve had in my life. Some how manage to get 30-40 layers in one pastry.”
“MA France is probably the best. Flour is also good. Honorable mention to Fiore’s Bakery in JP. They’re maybe not the most traditional but god damn they are tasty.”
“Via Cannuccia on Dot Ave in Dorchester”
“Greystone Cafe on Appleton St. in Boston”
And why is Cambridge number 42?
With an overall score of 71, Cambridge is the second best city in Massachusetts to celebrate National Croissant Day. And it’s the 42nd best city for croissants in America. The city has a high availability score of 159.2/200, meaning it’s the 7th best city for availability of croissants in America. This means that there are a lot of places in Cambridge that sell croissants per square mile.
Sweet!
Some fun facts about croissants:
Not French in Origin: While croissants are often associated with France, they didn’t actually originate there. The delicious pastry has Austrian roots and was introduced to France in the 19th century. Merci, Austria!
Layer by Layer: Croissants are all about the layers! The flaky texture comes from a process called laminating, where dough and butter are folded and rolled repeatedly to create those buttery layers. It’s like a delicious pastry origami!
Crescent Shape Mystery: The word “croissant” in French means crescent, and that’s why these pastries have that distinctive shape. Legend has it that bakers in Vienna created them to celebrate the defeat of the Ottoman Turks, whose emblem was a crescent moon.
Butter, Butter, Butter: A traditional croissant recipe uses a lot of butter. Like, a lot. The butter content can be as high as 50-60% of the total dough weight.
Two Breakfasts in One: Croissants are not just for breakfast. In France, it’s common to enjoy them at any time of the day. Pair it with coffee in the morning or indulge in a ham and cheese-filled croissant for lunch. Ooh la la!
The Perfect Snap: A good croissant should have a crispy exterior that gives way to a soft, airy interior. That satisfying snap when you bite into it is like a little burst of happiness. Snap, crackle, croissant!
