The names of many bakery items we know today were either newly coined or inspired by a characteristic that resembles something that already existed. Which bakery items are named this way? Let's find out.
The names of things, whether food, objects or places, all have origins. Bakery items are no exception: many are named after characteristics that resemble something in nature or an existing object. Here they are:
1. Waffle
Known in Thailand as "khanom rang phueng" (honeycomb cake), the waffle is made from batter cooked between two patterned plates, its pattern and size depending on the waffle iron used. The word "waffle" comes from the Dutch "wafel", used in the mid-13th century, and "walfre", which appeared in 1185. Both words come from the root "walfa", meaning honeycomb or cake. So the waffle, meaning honeycomb, got its name because it looks like a honeycomb.
Across modern and medieval Europe, the name was also spelt in many other ways, such as waffe, wafre, wafer, waufre, iauffe, gaufre, goffre, gauffre, wafe, waffel and vaffel.
2. Croissant
The croissant is a hugely popular bake that Thais and many others know well. A good croissant has a crisp outside, small air pockets inside, and a light, soft, fragrant texture. The name "croissant" comes from its curved shape, just like a crescent moon.
3. Baguette
The name baguette may not be familiar to everyone, but say "French bread" and everyone will know it. The baguette, or French bread, is very distinctive: a long, large stick with a harder texture than other breads. "Baguette" means stick, baton or rod, and the name was first used in 1920, matching the true shape of French bread: a stick-like loaf.
4. Ciabatta
Ciabatta is an Italian bread created in 1982 by Arnaldo Cavallari. Its main ingredients are wheat flour, water, yeast and salt. Cavallari thought it looked like his wife's slipper, so he named it ciabatta, meaning "slipper" in Italian.
5. Choux Cream
A round, filled pastry that looks similar to an eclair. Choux cream is made mainly from choux dough, butter, milk and water. The name "choux cream" used in Thailand is a shortened form: foreigners actually say "choux à la crème", and "choux" means cabbage in French.
6. Mille-Feuille
A French pastry made of thin, crisp sheets of puff pastry layered with whipped cream or jam and beautifully decorated with icing sugar and chocolate lines. "Mille-feuille" literally means "a thousand leaves" in French, after its thin layers of pastry, as thin as leaves.
