Confession: I bought this Croissant Ispahan at Pierre Hermé this morning because I thought it was pretty.
Ispahan is a city in Iran. It’s also the name Pierre Hermé has given to a combination of flavors, a theme of rose, raspberry, and litchi on which several variations are based. There is the original, signature Ispahan, two large rose-flavored discs filled with rose cream, whole raspberries, and litchi, and also a macaron Ispahan (of course), a millefeuille, an ice cream, a sorbet, and a range of pâte de fruits. The croissant is filled with rosy almond paste and a jammy raspberry and litchi compote.
The flavor of rose, left unchecked, can leave one with the impression of having eaten a bar of decorative soap (lavender and orange blossom are similarly dangerous). But balanced by other flavors, it can be delicious. I figure that if there is someone in the world who can achieve that balance, it’s Pierre Hermé.
And the croissant? Definitely more than just a pretty face.
Pierre Hermé 72 Rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris, +33 (0)1 43 54 47 77 website
Behind the Scenes at Pierre Hermé (Dorie Greenspan)
Hi Barbra, once I wrote about the Ispahan tart, but I haven’t tried the croissant yet — you’ve inspired me!
Hi, I believe the name of the city in Iran is “Isphahan”… Looks yummy though
Jennifer: I think the croissant begs for a cup of strong tea…
Lukas: This seems to be an issue of transliteration, which is always sticky, and there are several spellings in the Roman alphabet…Ispahan is one of them.
went to Piere Herme this morning, and they didn’t have that croissant..just plain ones! So very disappointed. Does one have to phone in? Is it a special occasion production?
confession? for me, that’s a normal perfectly normal reason to buy a pastry
! thanks for sharing
Tamra: Quel dommage. I don’t think it’s a special occasion thing but I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to call beforehand.
Cathy: There are certainly worse reasons!
I had one recently, the Ispahan crossaint and it was the most beautiful thing!