The story of French delicious patisserie Eclair (2024)

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What is the story of the éclair? ›

History of the Éclair

The word "éclair" made its appearance in the 1860s, describing the pastry previously called petite duch*esse in France. It may have been created by French chef Antonin Carême, who is responsible for other desserts including the Charlotte and Napolean cake.

The French éclair means "flash of lightning," and the scrumptious pastry got its name from the tendency people have to eat eclairs "in a flash." The 19th century Chambers Dictionary famously defined the eclair as "a cake, long in shape but short in duration." An eclair is like a stretched-out cream puff, choux dough ...

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE ÉCLAIR

Its evolution into a renowned and beloved sweet treat started in the 16th century in France, when Italian noblewoman Catherine de Medici introduced it to the French court after marrying King Henry III of France.

Translation of éclair – French–English dictionary

a flash of lightning. lightning [noun] a flash of electricity between clouds or from a cloud to earth during a storm, usually followed by thunder.

Etymology. French, literally, "lightning" Word Origin. The English word éclair comes directly from a French word whose chief meaning is "lightning" or "flash of lightning." No one is sure why a pastry was named after lightning. Some say the lightness of the cream puff and its soft filling is the reason for the name.

The recipe I settled on was religieuse, which translates as Nun and is a form of éclair. The religieuse are said to represent a nun in a habit and they were first created in 1540 by Catherine de Medici's Florentine pastry chef Panterelli.

Other than form and name, they are continents apart in taste. An American eclair is made from frozen ingredients such as frozen pre-separated egg whites and yolks and frozen pre-made cream. A French eclair is fresh: freshly separated eggs, freshly stirred creme, freshly picked or ground ingredients.

As Serious Eats reported, luxury eclairs are the result of French chefs facing competition, and putting their skills to the test, which explains the high-end fillings and intricate decoration. For now, the Maitre Choux versions are made in the tiny kitchen beneath the shop.

Another fun and interesting fact about chocolate éclairs is that the word éclair is the French term for lightning. Many believe that the pastry goes by this precise name, because it shimmers when it is coated with the classic chocolate glaze!

Who invented the éclair? ›

Éclairs were created in the 19th century by chef Marie-Antoine Carême, one of the first celebrity chefs of French culinary history.

The éclairs range from 4.50€ to 6.00€. The candy boxes (2 to 16 units) cost between 3€- 23€. They also have wonderful kits to sell on special holidays (Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day). I watched the éclairs production at “La Fabrique”, their shop responsible for producing and distributing all pastries in Paris.

They have an eggy salty flavor of the choux pastry combined with sweet cream and mousse, or sometimes covered up with strong flavors like dark chocolate filling. So, eclairs can easily become everyone's favorite and there are many flavors for you to choose from!

Pantanelli, the head chef of Catherine de Medici of Florence, invented choux pastry after moving to France in 1540. That pastry named after him was, essentially, a hot dried paste with which he made gateaux and pastries which spread across France.

Éclair means “flash of lightning” and describes the speed at which these delicacies will disappear if left unguarded. These delicious treats were said to have first been invented by the French Chef Antonin Carême, a man with a tragic history that led to a grand creation in the early 19th century.

Most food historians speculate that eclairs were first made by a notable French chef named Antonin Careme, who was also one of the first internationally renowned celebrity chefs. A few years later, a recipe of eclairs became popular among French people.

The recipe I settled on was religieuse, which translates as Nun and is a form of éclair. The religieuse are said to represent a nun in a habit and they were first created in 1540 by Catherine de Medici's Florentine pastry chef Panterelli.