What would it cost to mail some French pastries from France to the USA? Not DHL, not Federal Express, not airmail, just 1st class mail.

Assuming they would get through US customs, which they may not, you can use the translate function in your browser and consult La Poste to get an idea. It all depends on weight, tracking etc what the cost will be:
https://www.laposte.fr/envoyer/envoy...-international

I would think they would be pretty stale by the time they arrived in the US.

It would depend on the amount of preservatives in them and since that will be relatively low I'd hate to open the packet. There are a couple of Paris bakeries who ship to NY but they don't just use the post.

This is a terrible idea, they will be stale. Baked goods are allowed to be sent to US, customs shouldn't be a problem except the forms. Once I sent a small box from France home by LA Poste and it took several weeks. I'd guess maybe 30 to 35 euro for 1 kg wgt.

Oi!!!!!

I guess I'll never taste heaven again!
USA croissants just are NOT the same.
Can French butter, or French flour, be THAT much different?

I once asked a local baker if they had croissants. He replied, "best croissants in town"
I refrained from saying, "that ain't sayin' much"

we once oredered some from a noted on-line entity.....same bad

Yes, French (and European) butter IS that much different -- the cows have a different diet and the butterfat content is higher.

Plus much tighter control on antibiotics.

Please delete if inappropriate. There is an old joke that explains why baguettes, croissants, etc. are so much better in France - sweaty bakers.

baguettes (hitting the legal standard) receive no preservatives. Hence they only last 4 to 5 hours. A flight to the USA, no,

Maybe you can learn to make your own croissants? Takes time, a lot of time, but might be worth it. Kerrygold butter is widely available in the US.
Baguettes are actually very easy to make, though it helps to have a special curvy tray to hold them while they bake.

And fwiw I don't generally eat croissants in the Netherlands. They are nearly always disappointing. Visiting my brother, in a village just outside York however means some of the best croissants I have ever tasted, from his village bakery.

What about trying Montreal/Quebec? I wonder if they are better and easier and quicker to get your hands on.

We can get French butter in our deli section of the supermarket, much like you would buy a wrapped cheese. I would be surprised if you could not get President butter somewhere in a bigger city close to you, maybe in a cheese shop? The brand in our supermarket is not President, it's something cylindrical and has salt crystals but I have seen President in other places and it's one of those staple brands in Europe. You probably could buy some French flour and post it back but I would double wrap it so it is protected from damp and from bursting in a squashed box.

There, that's a challenge - learn to bake your own croissants (easier said than done!).

Lavandula

Or better: next visit to France, do a croissant-baking workshop. There has to be one, or if not, there should be! (I assume you are going to France if you are talking about shipping croissants back to the US...?)

Lavandula

President brand....hmmm....


above is a 5 min. video re; flour for croissants

I guess that, at my (advanced) age, I'll just enjoy those French croissants in my memory, rather than try making them only to have failures to remember.

But thanks, all, for your contributions here.

Do you know Les Frenchies? If not, they are a YouTube sensation. They have some recent videos on the best boulangeries in Paris, the best croissants and similar. Even if you don't get to baking your own, you can live vicariously through their lovely videos, and if you do get back to France you will have some nice addresses to scope out.

Have a look at this for instance:


I am sure I have seen more than I could find on their YouTube page, but this will get you started if you don't know them

Lavandula

Thank you, Lav!

I hardly ever eat croissants in France, I don't get it. I just think they are kind of boring and not very filling or nutritious alone as a breakfast, I'd prefer to get my calories elsewhere. I do like more pastry-type croissants, like croissants aux amandes. I've never found a decent one of those in the US. I think the ones with chocolate in them are boring, also. I don't really eat breakfast much, anyway, I'm never hungry in the morning.

But we have President butter, Camembert and Brie cheeses at every chain grocery store where I live in the US. It says "product of France" on the packaging. The butter is 79 pct butter fat content.

USDA requires 80% butterfat content, so that can't be the difference.

Aw...pain aux chocolat aux amandes........................delicious!!!
Just typing it makes me smile.

I guess we are fortunate to have 2 bakeries within walking distance that make outstanding croissants. One owner built her reputation on the fact that she imports butter from France for her delicious croissants, which can be had in the original form, or with various fillings. The almond baked croissant is amazing, and the apple pie croissant is to die for!

We do have some very good flours available in Canada! Anything can be had for a price. Tomboy, maybe you can search online for locally made French pastries in a city near you.

Bilboburgler, interesting facts about the butter...Maybe that justifies the price we have to pay for it in Canada.

My friend ChatGPT tells me this about the difference in butter:

1. Fat Content

• American Butter: Contains about 80% butterfat as per U.S. standards. The remaining 20% is water, milk solids, and sometimes salt.
• European Butter: Has a higher butterfat content, typically 82% or more. This results in a richer, creamier butter.

2. Flavor

• American Butter: Often has a milder flavor because it’s churned with sweet cream and is rarely cultured.
• European Butter: Often made from cultured cream, which means the cream is fermented slightly before churning. This gives it a tangy, more complex flavor.

3. Texture

• American Butter: With less fat and more water, it tends to be firmer and less pliable, especially when cold.
• European Butter: The higher fat content and lower water content result in a softer, smoother texture, making it easier to spread and better for pastries.

4. Color

• American Butter: May appear paler because of differences in the cow's diet and the lack of added coloring.
• European Butter: Often has a deeper yellow hue, influenced by grass-fed diets and higher fat content.

5. Salt

• Both types come in salted and unsalted varieties, but American salted butter tends to have more salt (1-2% salt), while European salted butter has less.

6. Usage in Baking and Cooking

• European Butter: Preferred in baking, particularly in pastries and laminated doughs, because the higher fat content contributes to flakier, richer results.
• American Butter: Commonly used in recipes developed in the U.S., where the lower fat content is accounted for.

Summary

If you're looking for a richer, creamier butter with more flavor, European butter is the choice. For general-purpose cooking and baking in the U.S., American butter is more common and widely available.

Maybe it's the flour???