For my birthday this past summer, my cake was from Mongini's in Zamalek. Considering how delicious it was, I'm not surprised to see Al Masry Al Youm come to the conclusion that the most delectable croissant in Cairo comes from the exact same place. Some excerpts from their croissant search:
"Throughout its long history, the buttery croissant has represented France’s best known 'viennoiserie.' Its yeasty dough is layered, rolled and folded many times before acquiring its trademark crescent shape.
The croissant's origin has been fiercely debated over the years by culinary experts, with some saying that the renowned bread first came into being around the time the Franks beat back Muslim invaders at Tours in 732. Since then, it has traveled far beyond the borders of Europe, and local variants of croissant (with chocolate, almond, ham or cheese fillings) have become common in the U.S. and in Morocco.
While the date of its arrival in the Middle East remains open to question, it is likely that Napoleon Bonaparte’s Egypt expedition provided the croissant with its first foothold in the region.
Nevertheless, tracking down the perfect croissant in Cairo -- more than 200 years after Napoleon -- proved much more difficult than expected. While Cairo has countless bakeries from which to purchase croissants, few of them are up to genuine French standards -- be it in terms of taste, fluffiness or general appearance."
"Throughout its long history, the buttery croissant has represented France’s best known 'viennoiserie.' Its yeasty dough is layered, rolled and folded many times before acquiring its trademark crescent shape.
The croissant's origin has been fiercely debated over the years by culinary experts, with some saying that the renowned bread first came into being around the time the Franks beat back Muslim invaders at Tours in 732. Since then, it has traveled far beyond the borders of Europe, and local variants of croissant (with chocolate, almond, ham or cheese fillings) have become common in the U.S. and in Morocco.
While the date of its arrival in the Middle East remains open to question, it is likely that Napoleon Bonaparte’s Egypt expedition provided the croissant with its first foothold in the region.
Nevertheless, tracking down the perfect croissant in Cairo -- more than 200 years after Napoleon -- proved much more difficult than expected. While Cairo has countless bakeries from which to purchase croissants, few of them are up to genuine French standards -- be it in terms of taste, fluffiness or general appearance."
Dear Sharlina,
ReplyDeleteMonginis appreciates your valuable feedback on the cake as well as your confidence in our products.
Positive unbias feedback from customers like you is what keeps us going.
Thank you once again
Monginis
www.monginis.net
monginis@monginisbakery.com