Pain au chocolat
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| Alternative names | Chocolate bread |
|---|---|
| Type | Viennoiserie sweet roll |
| Place of origin | France |
| Serving temperature | Hot or warm |
| Main ingredients | Yeast-leavened dough, chocolate |
| Variations | Pain aux raisins |
 Cookbook: Pain au chocolat  Media: Pain au chocolat | |
Pain au chocolat (French pronunciation: [pɛ̃ o ʃɔ.kɔ.la], chocolate bread, also known as "chocolatine" in the South-West part of France), is a viennoiserie sweet roll consisting of a cuboid-shaped piece of yeast-leavened laminated dough, similar in texture to a puff pastry, with one or two pieces of dark chocolate in the centre.
Pain au chocolat is made of the same layered dough as a croissant. Often sold still hot or at least warm from the oven, they are commonly sold alongside croissants in French bakeries and supermarkets.
Origins
Legend has it that Marie-Antoinnette introduced the croissants to France, but croissants and pains au chocolat are a relatively modern invention. The word croissant, which refers to a plain form of pain au chocolat shaped like a half-moon or "crescent", made its entry in the French dictionary in 1863. The type of pastry, called "viennoiserie" in French, was introduced in the early 19th C. when August Zang, an Austrian officer, and Ernest Schwarzer, an Austrian aristocrat, founded a Viennese bakery in Paris located at 92 rue Richelieu.
Originally, croissants and pains aux chocolat were made from a brioche base but later evolved to incorporate a buttery flaky dough ('pâte feuilletée).
International distribution
They are most often sold in packages at supermarkets and convenience stores, and occasionally made fresh in pastry shops. The packaged variety are most popular amongst schoolchildren as a quick breakfast.
In Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Ireland and the United Kingdom they are sold in most bakeries, supermarkets and cafés.
In Germany they are sold less frequently than chocolate croissants and are referred to as both "pain au chocolat".
In Belgium they are sold in most bakeries and are referred as "pain au chocolat".
In Portugal and Spain they are sold in bakeries and supermarkets as napolitanas (from Naples).
In Mexico they are also most commonly found in bakeries and supermarkets, and are known as chocolatines.
In the United States, English Canada, and Australia they are often referred to as "chocolate croissants". They are also called chocolatine in French speaking parts of Canada.
In Brazil they are referred to "croissant de chocolate".
In New Zealand they are commonly referred to as "chocolate croissants" and are sold freshly baked in most bakeries and supermarkets.
Controversies
In 2012, Jean-François Copé created a turmoil when he said that "thugs" living in French suburbs were "prying pains au chocolat out of the hands of children during Ramadan".
See also
- List of desserts
- Food portal
References
External links
- Media related to Pain au chocolat at Wikimedia Commons
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