Paris, France —The terraces in Paris re-opened last week bringing one of the great French traditions back to life, morning coffee and a buttery croissant (or two) on the terrace of one’s favorite café. It was only fitting and coincidental that the awards for the Best Croissant Made with Isigny A.O.P. Butter were given out to two culinary school students for the best butter croissants at just about the same time you could go back to cafés again and enjoy a croissant. The competition, the Best Croissant made with the Butter of Isigny A.O.P. underscores the importance of the croissant, a great French gourmet pastime, an ode to butter, too, and flaky pastry.

The best croissant was awarded to Julian Borie, a student at the professional school of Livron for his 12 croissants that the jury deemed exceptional. Meanwhile the prize for creativity, praline had to be incorporated into the recipe, went to Gaëtan Ganné of the François Rabelais school in Ifs for his take on the croissant called the Ballerina.

Founded in 1909, in Normandy the Cooperative of Isigny Sainte-Mère is known throughout the world for the excellence of its dairy products which are made following the strict local traditions. Nestled in the heart of Normandy in the Veys Bay between the land and the sea, the good earth of Isigny enjoys rich and generous greenery where grass is particularly abundant offering unique grazing lands that are particularly rich, imparting rich and exceptional savors onto the dairy products produced in the region. The butter of Isigny enjoys the label A.O.P meaning its geographical origin is protected and butter labeled Isigny cannot be produced elsewhere. The cooperative partnered with the National Association of Baking Teachers for the competition which has been held since 2006.
©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette
https://isigny-aop.com/