Crepes that are tender, delicate, and delectable... The very thought of devouring these delectable morsels is enough to make your mouth water! Every meal can be served with crepes, but breakfast crepes are perhaps the best. Crepes are sweet or savoury ultra-thin pancakes popular in France, generally rolled or folded with a range of contents ranging from jam or Nutella to ham and cheese to seafood.
Crepes are well-known for their deliciousness, but where did they originate?
Crepes have been around since the 13th century in Brittany, France. It appears that a housewife there dribbled thin porridge onto a hot, flat cooktop by accident. She ate it since people back then didn't squander even their smallest cooking blunders. As they say, the rest is history. Of course, this could just be the French version of an urban legend, but it makes for a compelling story.
Another fascinating tale is on thick about the earthy buckwheat crepes. Around the 12th century, this ancient grain was introduced to the Brittany region of northwestern France. Similarly to the previous incident, thin buckwheat porridge spilt and turned into a thin, crispy crepe. That must have been a pleasant change in texture.
Buckwheat crepes are traditionally served with savoury fillings, whereas wheat crepes are typically offered with fruit and other sweet fillings. Want to learn more about the history of crepes? During the Middle Ages, when milk was scarce, intrepid crepe lovers employed a blend of wine and water as a substitute.
In France, these thin pancakes are known as 'crepes.' They get their name from the Old French word 'crespe,' which originates from the Latin word 'crispa' or 'crispus,' which means curled. This most likely relates to their typically ruffled edges. A crêperie is a French café that specialised in crepes. Crepes prepared with local buckwheat flour are still preferred in Brittany, while crepes manufactured with white flour are referred to be 'crêpes de froment.'
The Crepe Day
That day is known in France as 'le jour des crêpes,' and it happens every February 2nd. This day was traditionally known as the Virgin Mary's Blessing Day or La Chandeleur ('the Return of the Light') and marked the arrival of spring. It's now most famous for being the day when everyone eats crepes.
If you want to be like the French, fold your crepes instead of rolling them as people do in the United States. When you fold your crepes, the toppings stay inside, where they belong.
The Evolution
The typical savoury crepe filling of ham, egg, and cheese is still popular. Asparagus, avocado, spinach, mushrooms, bacon, chicken, smoked salmon, steak, turkey, Swiss cheese, goat's cheese, and a range of other vegetables, meats, and cheeses are increasingly commonly used to fill crepes.
The classic simple filling for sweet crepes was lemon and sugar. You can now get them with a wide variety of fillings. Popular fillings include nut spreads, jams and preserves, berries, almonds, cream cheese, whipped cream, ice cream, salted caramel, and poached pears coated in dark chocolate. Fresh strawberries or sliced bananas with a warm pecan praline sauce are favourites.
