The Croissant Conspiracy

🥐 The Croissant Conspiracy: A Buttery Investigation into Flaky Deceit

What happened to France’s most iconic pastry? One bite at a time, I went looking for answers.

Golden, crisp, buttery, flaky — or at least that’s how the croissant is supposed to be.

But what if the perfect French croissant has quietly disappeared?

In this 3500-word follow-up to The Baguette Conspiracy, French writer Pierre takes us on another revealing journey through bakeries across France. From Paris to the Alps to provincial villages, something isn’t right — and this time, it’s personal. The childhood memories don’t match the waxy, tasteless pastries found today behind the glass counters.

Digging deeper, this investigation uncovers frozen dough, margarine-filled impostors, misleading labels, and a growing gap between real artisans and industrial convenience.

🕵️‍♂️ Inside this flaky exposé:

– The hidden world of frozen viennoiseries

– The “butter or margarine” test — and why the shape might deceive you

– How industrial croissants sneak into “artisan” bakeries

– Why taste, texture, and smell have changed

– The legal (and ethical) fog behind it all

This is more than a story about croissants — it’s a quest for authenticity in a world of shortcuts.

📬 Originally published on Substack for paying subscribers, this special report is now available as a beautifully formatted downloadable PDF for just £3 (approx. $4 USD) — a small price for a bite of truth, and a way to support independent, culture-rich storytelling.