You might know this French word from a new food trend that has recently emerged on social media. But it’s actually been around for longer…
Why do I need to know crousty?
This French word is a relatively new addition to the world of fast food.
What does it mean?
The word crousty, roughly pronounced kroo-stee, is a modern French fast-food slang for a crunchy fried chicken-and-rice dish that became hugely popular on social media in France.
The name comes from the French adjective croustillant, which means “crispy” or “crunchy”. It was then shortened to crousty, which can be used in various contexts as a slangy way of saying crispy or crunchy, usually food-related.
When it comes to fast food, the history of the crousty – which can be spelt either crousti or krousty – began in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region near Bordeaux. Originally, it was a dish offered by “Krousty Sabaïdi”, a fast-food chain founded in 2012 by two brothers, which has now become a popular franchise under the same name.
Krousty Sabaïdi incorporated a staple of Asian cuisine into our urban lifestyle: rice, a secret spicy sauce and breaded fried chicken, all served in generous portions in a tray to be eaten on the go.
Once influencers began sharing videos of these dishes on social media, the concept quickly went viral and turned into a nationwide trend. From that point on, the market expanded rapidly, with franchises opening across France under names such as Planète Crousty, Crousty One and the well-known Tasty Crousty, which has been especially popular in recent months and now operates 60 restaurants nationwide.
Another variation of the French word croustillant is the word croustilles, which is a type of chip made from very thin slices of potato which have been deep-fried until crunchy.
Examples in the media
De Master Poulet à Tasty Crousty, comment le poulet secoue le marché du fast-food français (Le Monde) – From Master Poulet to Tasty Crousty: how chicken is shaking up the French fast-food market
Dans la file bondée d’un Crousty One : «C’est efficace et ça cale bien» (Libération) – In the packed queue at a Crousty One: “It’s fast and fills you up”
Essonne : un nouveau restaurant a ouvert ses portes pour les amateurs de crousty (Actu.fr) – Essonne: a new restaurant has opened its doors for fans of crispy friend chicken
