Pretty in Pink: Pastry Boxes

Pink has been one of my favorite colors as long as I can remember. Of course, any pink package that holds the contents of chocolate or pastries makes me very happy. 

I've been told that pink pastry boxes are more of a west coast thing, while the majority of bakeries on the east coast tend to use the more proper, and rather sterile looking white boxes. Now in our ecology conscious society, the natural boxes are being seen more often, but they're not as alluring as that pink pastry box. Of course, one could always tie up that pretty natural cocoa-color pastry box or the white pastry box with a pretty pink ribbon. 

For me, when I see someone walking with the pink pastry box, it always leaves me wondering what pretty pastry is hiding inside. There probably isn't a pink pastry box to be found in France. Something tells me that the French prefer the honorable white box so as not to clash with the tasty and exquisite focus that is hidden inside the box.

So where and why the use of pink pastry boxes instead of white?

The urban legend is that when the Cambodians were fleeing the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970's, they were arriving in large numbers to Southern California. They were eventually recruited for employment by Winchell’s Donuts. The white boxes, which held the doughnuts, were costly and most important the color white is the symbol color of mourning in Cambodia. It was also discovered that the buttery grease marks are less pronounced on a pink box then a white box. So, the immigrants found a company in Cerritos, CA that made the boxes cheaper and in the color pink. 

The bottom line is that while I love the color pink, I would never deny a pastry or chocolates that were given to me in a white box. Treat yourself to a pastry tucked away in a pretty pink box once in awhile. Better yet, surprise or share the bakery goodies in the pretty pink pastry box with someone special.