Legend has it that the chou à la crème, or cream puff, was invented by Popelini, an Italian pastry chef at the court of Catherine de' Medici. This version has been widely repeated online, but historians have debunked it as a myth. What is certain, however, is that at the base of every cream puff is… choux pastry. Mélanie Dupuis explains the technique in her Petit Manuel du chou, a highly instructive guide.

This preparation – an essential of French pastry used for cream puffs, éclairs and salambos – is made with eggs, butter, flour and milk. Nothing too tricky at first glance, right? Not quite. Its success depends on the humidity in the room, the quality of the ingredients and how the panade (the mixture before eggs are added) is dried out (by heating). Then, the piping technique, which shapes the choux, is crucial – not just for looks, but to help the pastry rise properly in the oven. Many pastry chefs have found themselves dans la panade (in a tough spot) during their training. So, we've selected choux that are well-baked, golden and evenly shaped.

But that's not all – because in a cream puff, there's also the cream. Pastry cream? Whipped cream? Or diplomat cream? Flavored with vanilla? Or with more unusual herbs like flouve (sweet vernal grass) or mélilot (sweet clover)? We sampled all these fillings, with a single rule: The cream must be light (which led us to eliminate a few contenders). Here is our selection of five standout spots.

Patisserie Mélilot: Natural and indulgent

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