The History of Pastry Arts

For centuries throughout Europe, many families practiced bread-baking and created their own traditional desserts, but the art of pastry was cultivated mainly by artists who sold their pieces to the rich and wealthy who could afford such expensive confections. Now, the art of pastry is a well-revered tradition and profession. The term pastry refers to baked goods that include butter, eggs and flour. Most businesses and food-industry organizations consider the pastry arts to encompass the world of chocolate, pastries, cakes, cookies and confections.

Mediterranean Roots

Most pastries have Mediterranean roots, thanks to the Ottoman Empire, which dominated Europe in the 13th century. Even after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the food and culture of everyday life existed, and its pastries were still served in the French and Spanish royal courts.

Phyllo pastry was commonly used in Greece and because of its mild climate, the readily available supply of nuts and fruit were commonly paired with this pastry. Some of the oldest pastries derived from Greece are baklava, described as a "traditional diamonds and squares packed with walnuts and/or almonds, as well as little phyllo crowns---finger-size shirred cylinders called saraglidakia---filled with pistachios, with dried apricots, with prunes and more (Kochilas, Greek Soul)."

Most commonly used in confections like marzipan, Sicily has been one of the original providers of almond paste. Vincent Schiavelli says, "For centuries, almond paste was Sicily's greatest export, prized as far north as the royal courts of Scandinavia."

French Croissants

According to Kate Hopkins, writer of the Accidental Hedonist blog, there is a legend that croissants were created in Vienna, Austria, to celebrate the city's successful repulsion of Ottoman invaders; the crescent shape mimicked the crescent on the Ottoman flag. Old folklore also states that Austrian-born Queen of France Marie Antoinette, wife of King Louis XVI, requested a croissant every day. Whether this is true or not, it shows that food was often traded among the royal courts, slowly infiltrating tradition and culture.

Masters of Chocolate

Belgian chocolate is known as the finest type of chocolate due to the quality of ingredients, the way the cocoa beans are stored, and the careful technique the chocolatiers use to render and temper their goods. Master chocolatier Jean Neuhaus created the first bite-sized filled chocolate known as pralines in 1912, sparking countless imitators.

But the Belgians weren't the only ones who tried their hand at chocolate. Switzerland and Italy both attempted to dethrone the leaders of chocolate. Located in Turin, Italy, Peyrano Pfatisch and his family started their own chocolate shop in the 1920s and has been popular ever since. Gourmet magazine writer Andrea Lee says, "Peyrano is famous for its chocolate and, along with other master confectioners like Gerla and Calcagno, forms part of a tradition that has made Turin famous throughout Europe since the days when the city's chocolatiers vied for the custom of the Savoy court and the Swiss came to Turin to learn the art of roasting and preparing cocoa beans."

Pastry Chefs

Those who seek to work in the pastry arts can expect to work as executive pastry chefs, pastry cooks, chocolatiers or boulangers. Some of the most famous pastry chefs include Marie-Antoine Carême, Thaddeus Dubois and Jacques Torres. Known as "The King of Chefs," Carême earned noteriety in Paris during the 19th century for his patisserie centerpieces and confections. NPR writer Melissa Block says, "Careme baked Napoleon's wedding cake, and dazzled Britain's future King George IV at Brighton's Royal Pavilion. He created masterpieces for the Romanovs in St. Petersburg and souffles flecked with real gold for the Rothschilds in Paris."

Pastry Institutions

The culinary arts school Le Cordon Bleu was created in 1895, making it one of the oldest gastronomical institutions in the world. Julia Child, one of the world's most popular homemade chefs, attended Le Cordon Bleu. The Culinary Institute of America was founded 1946 and now has a student population of 2,800 from all over the United States and the world who come to enroll in degree programs. Alumni from the Culinary Institute of America include Anthony Bourdain, Michael Chiarello, Sara Moulton, cake genius Duff Goldman and famed pastry chef En-Ming Hsu, the winner of the 2001 World Cup of Pastry. While a diploma is not needed for one to work as a pastry chef, it is highly recommended as it demonstrates the chef's expertise and knowledge of pastry.

References

• Antonin Careme: First Celebrity Chef
• Andrea Lee: My Turin
• Diane Kochilas: Greek Soul

Resources

• 150 Years of History
• Food Stories: The History of the Croissant
• Culinary Institute of America Press Kit