Apparently We've All Been Eating Croissants Wrong This Whole Time

For many of us, there isn't really a "wrong" way to eat, especially when it comes to pastries and sweet treats. Of course, there are some unspoken rules: No one wants to be around someone chewing with their mouth open, and you always want to keep a napkin nearby. But the most important thing is really to just enjoy the food you're eating. However, there are people who believe that table manners are everything, and for one British etiquette expert, that means there should be no dunking of croissants into hot drinks — and, even more shockingly, no extra butter.

William Hanson, who runs an etiquette training institute in the U.K., addressed the topic in a TikTok video, where he said, "The croissant is made from butter, so no need to put more on top". According to Hanson, the only spreads that should be added are a little jam or marmalade, and both should be spooned onto a plate before preparing the croissant.

Additionally, Hanson says that people should avoid dipping pastries into a cup of coffee or rich hot chocolate, even though this is a tradition in parts of France. The podcaster and author believes that this isn't good manners. Instead, play politely, stick to your plate, and try not to make a huge mess. 

Hanson isn't alone in his belief that croissants don't need any extra butter. The classic pastries are famous for their flaky layers, which are created using endless blocks of, you guessed it, butter. It can be hard to pinpoint just how much butter one croissant contains, but a rough estimate from a standard croissant recipe is about 50 grams, or 3 ½ tablespoons. So, even though it's common in America to add just another smear to the final product, it can be overkill, and it definitely isn't good for your health.

It's also a process that's looked down upon in France, where locals don't believe in adding anything to a croissant that will mask its flavors. There are some French people who don't dip their croissants into coffee either, as the hot liquid can change the texture of the pastry.

In the bakery I work in, we serve our croissants warm with no sides. The only real rule is to eat them fresh, as they lose their signature flakiness as soon as they start cooling. We also don't recommend cutting them for the same reason, and if you are going to eat pastries later in the day, reheat them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes for the best experience. How you eat them in the privacy of your home is completely up to you. No one will tell the British if you do happen to skip out on the plate.