Sacre beurre?

Sacre beurre?

June 14, 2017—In France, falling milk yields amid heightened demand could soon make butter-rich pastries, like the croissant, a delicacy only for the rich. One official account reported a 92 percent spike in the cost of butter.

The Guardian article says little about the reasons for the butter shortage; however, it does speculate about the origins of the croissant—from tales about an Austrian pastry pioneer in Paris, to Marie Antoinette’s nostalgic longing for a Viennese treat, to Charles Dickens, who hailed the fluffy pastry as a break from the “dismal monotony” of English bread. Butter represents around 25 percent of a croissant’s ingredients. Faced with shrinking profit margins, French bakers will likely need to boost prices. Image credit: Courtesy Rosalie Gourmet Market

Source: Jon Henley, “Sacré beurre: fears over croissant price hike as France faces butter shortage,” The Guardian, June 14, 2017