History of Pastries: 5 Interesting Facts

With National Pastry Day celebrated annually on Dec. 9, you may be curious to find out where exactly these sweet treats came from.<br />Here are five interesting facts about the history of pastries.<br />1. The 1821 destruction of a French pastry shop in Mexico caused a Pastry War between France<br />and Mexico which lasted for roughly a year.<br />2. In the 17th century, nun convents in Italy made their own specialty pastries, which were baked from ancient recipes and sold to the public.<br />3. In 1838, the first Austrian bakery was opened in Paris, France. The pastries it sold later inspired the invention of the croissant.<br />4. The Egyptians were among the first to make pastries with their honey cakes, sweet tarts and date-stuffed dumplings. <br />5. Pastry baking first became a fashionable practice in Britain during the 17th century as bakers began to focus on elaborate decorations and techniques.