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The history of the pastry

Pastry making is a lost art in time. Meanwhile, we have to acknowledge that the gluttony of the Antique civilisations such as Thèbes, Babylone or Cnosse, were reduced to simplicity. The only culinary delight of those ancient times used as base the only two materials that they could or knew how to use: flour and honey.

And so, three indispensable elements were missing: sugar, butter and eggs.

The sugar cane was discovered in 334 before Jesus-Christ by Alexander the Great's Macedonian legions, during the campaign in Haute Asia. The chicken appeared in Europe in 700 before Jesus Christ and butter was only found in 200 before Jesus Christ. The evolution of Pastries was slow during the centuries and is tied with the general widespread of the basic first materials.

It can be said that in the Antique, it was the Greeks and more particularly the Athenians, which were the first to make bigger progress in the art of pastries. There existed numerous classes of pastry makers, which were mobile and travelled the theatres and public reunions to sell their pastries, which were mostly made by women. Between two irons they would cook a kind of pastry called "obalias", no doubt the "forgottens" which we now a days know came from the Greeks.

In Rome the word "dulciarius" served to describe all sorts of goodies. There was cakes design for sacrifices, religious use which we can attribute the blessed bread to the Catholic Church. We found in the Pompeii and Herculanum ruins, moulds used for fabrication of pastries. Some in shape of a heart and others in streaked shells, which look like our madeleines.

So our modern pastry originated from the primitive honey cakes that our ancestors offered as sacrifice to their gods. Then it was the monks, in the Middle ages, that specialised in beekeeping, using wax produced by the bees for the fabrication of the candles and the honey for pastries.

The corporation of the "oblayers" made the "Oblées" or hosties during many centuries, and also the "forgottens", a sort of honeycomb made of honey and spices which they sold in the streets during the four Christian Great Holidays: Easter, the Ascension, Pentecost and Christmas.

The business of "forgottens" was thriving so much that sales had to be regulated to a decree in 1444. The most reputable Forgottens were the ones from Lyon, served in a cone. Under the reign of Charles IX, the status given to pastry makers was titled "Maîtres de l'Art de Pâtissier and d'Obloiers", a status kept until 1776; prescribed by Turgot, minister of Louis XVI abolishing the corporations.

In 1722, commanded by the police to cease peddlers of "forgottens" and to scream in the street. Since, it disappeared from our dietary habits.

Independently from these artisans that made pastries for the public, there existed renowned pastry makers in the Court. All principal Courts of Europe had their own "gens de bouche", for the most part came from Italy. They were real artists, not only in composing menus and recipes, but also in the presentation of their masterpiece.

The ancient makers of paste are unquestionably also the pioneers of the pastry makers today. The productions, monumental mounted pieces, sugar castles or fountains, pantagruelian vol au vent, which lets live birds escape from its sides are witness the their remarkable know-how.

Italy will play a predominant role in the art of pastries. Like in the developing of fine arts, Italy's grand cities invented refined recipes and identify them with many culinary works.

It is Catherine de Médicis whom contributed to the enrichment of the French pastry, bring with her cooks, pastry makers and renowned confectioners.

The pastry makers, like the bakers have the privilege to their art and obey very harsh rules. They are closely controlled and severe sentences are rendered in case of offence. Like other corporation the pastry makers display signs that identify their profession. These signs are called "lanterne vive", which they light at night, to light up their stores. These lanterns are transparent with decorations on their circumference grotesque figures from medieval times.

The pastry makers from that era made all kinds of meat pies, of fish or cheese. Their profession looked much more like a seller of roast meat or a cook. Little by little they begin to make pastries which prefigure the ones we know: bean cakes, donuts, cabbages, crackers, spice cakes, etc. Sales are done in stores, but also on the streets. Until the 18th century these stores look more like a roasting shop or a cabaret. After this era there is great progress in the conception of ovens and stoves.

We are also more careful with the appearance. The decoration aspect begins to take importance in the plats as much as in the stores.

In 1806, in response to the continental blockade imposed on Europe by Napoleon, the British marine banned sugar cane importation in France and this triggered acceleration in the research for a product replacement.

Thus the most important innovation in pastry materials; they discovered beets sugar, which permitted modern pastries to develop and to become the modern industry that we know today.