Croissants are said to have been invented in Budapest in 1686, just after a siege by the Ottoman Turks. In order to bypass the defenses at the outskirts of the city, the Turks decided to dig a tunnel into the center of town. They worked in secret, at nighttime. But the local bakers, who (as bakers often are) were up all night at their ovens, heard the strange noises below-ground. They sounded the alarm and saved the day. In recognition of their patriotic service, they were commissioned to create a pastry celebrating the victory. The distinctive crescent shape was taken from the enemy's flag for an important symbolic reason -- the very act of eating these delicious pastries replays, over and over again, the act of defeating the Ottoman Empire.