NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nashville police and residents were searching Monday for clues to the Christmas Day theft of a cinnamon bun that found unlikely fame for its resemblance to the late Mother Teresa's face.
The bun has been a draw for curious tourists since it was preserved and put on display in a glass case at the shop where it was discovered by a customer in 1996.
"What I can't figure out is why anyone would steal it," said the shop's owner, Bob Bernstein. "They can't sell it on eBay; it's not fit to eat. There was no ransom note, and the police put its value at only $25 on their report."
Bernstein said the thief broke into the coffeehouse at 6 a.m. on Sunday and had smashed the glass case containing the bun.
Bernstein said he believes the culprit is someone angry over the shop's display of the world-famous pastry, which has been preserved with shellac. A jar of money next to the "nun bun" was not stolen.
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"They went right for the bun," Bernstein said. "Unfortunately, I think it's somebody who wanted to take it to destroy it."
The nun bun gained worldwide attention in 1996 when a customer nearly took a bite of it before recognizing the revered nun in the folds of flaky pastry.
The bun was featured on world news programs and on "The Late Show With David Letterman." It was even mentioned on episodes of "The Nanny" and "Mad About You."
The shop, Bongo Java, sold T-shirts, prayer cards and mugs with the bun's image before Mother Teresa wrote a personal letter to the coffeehouse asking that her name not be used commercially. The pastry became known simply as the "nun bun."
