Sorry TikTok, But These Flat Croissants Aren't Anything New
TikTok users seem to have conveniently forgotten that flat croissants were a fad last year.
There's yet another TikTok food trend floating around the internet these days, and it involves flattening a croissant until it looks like it's been run over by a steamroller, before heating it on both sides until it's crisp and crunchy. Though the technique takes away one of the more delightful aspects of a croissant, which is its delightful and delicate puffy layers, it amplifies the shattering textural qualities of each bite — and TikTok can't seem to get enough of the idea. In fact, multiple outlets have recently published pieces about it, but the thing about this food trend is ... it's a repeat fad. From last year.
These flat croissants originated in South Korea
Like the croffle, aka the croissant waffle, the flat croissant came from bakeries in South Korea, where they're sometimes referred to croissant nurungji. The term "nurungji" refers to the layer of coveted crisp, toasted rice at the bottom of a rice pot, and this treat is something I snacked on sometimes as a kid at home. (It's extra crunchy; watch those delicate teeth!)
There have been TikTok videos of Koreans making flat croissants as far back as 2022, but they really took off on the platform in 2023 and were reported on then. TikTok user Meg Quinn, aka @AintTooProudToMeg, for example, told the New York Post in March of last year that she uses the method to revitalize stale day-old croissants which otherwise would have gone uneaten.
I'm a huge fan of reducing waste, so I certainly respect that aspect of the flattened and crisped pastry, but I am somewhat (okay, extremely) baffled at TikTok's loss of short-term memory on this one. The flat croissant was everywhere for a short period of time in 2023. Even J. Kenji López-Alt was a fan back then, saying in a YouTube video that, "It's excellent. ... Sweet and savory and creamy, simple ... good! I approve of this viral TikTok thing."
The flat croissants themselves have since made their way to bakeries, and they certainly aren't new. Thankfully, you don't have to run to a bakery and can make one at home, but I'm extremely impressed (if that's the right word) with how quickly social media forgot about something that was all the rage about a year ago. Just wait until TikTok discovers baked feta pasta. Again. It'll be sheer mayhem.