Crêpe

A crêpe is a thin pancake, a meal made of wheat popular throughout Europe and elsewhere. The common ingredients include flour, eggs, milk, butter and a pinch of salt. Crêpes are usually of two types: sweet crêpes made with wheat flour, and savoury galettes made with buckwheat flour.

Related Topics:
Pancake - Wheat - Europe - Flour - Eggs - Milk - Butter - Salt - Galette - Buckwheat

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Crêpe originates from Brittany, a region in the west of France; their consumption is nowadays widespread in France. The name comes from the fact it used to be cooked on flat rocks. Buckwheat came to Europe from China and also spread to eastern Europe, where a similar meal called blintz also developed. In Brittany, crêpes are traditionally served with apple cider. In areas of Central Europe, the meal is called pala?inka (Czech and Croatian), Palatschinke (Austrian German), palacsinta (Hungarian), etc.

Related Topics:
Brittany - France - Blintz - Cider

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The liquid mash is poured onto a hot frying pan, often with a trace of oil spread out evenly across the pan's surface. The thin layer then thickens and needs to be flipped at least once per piece so that it is fried evenly on each side.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Crêpes may be rolled or folded, and filled with different ingredients. Crêpes can be eaten at any meal if they are salted, and filled with cheese, ham, eggs, ratatouille, mushrooms, or various meat products.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When they are sweet, they can be a dessert. They can be filled with various other sweet items: jam, melted chocolate, dairy, icecream, berries, nuts, poppyseeds, cinnamon etc. Popular sweet toppings include sugar (granulated or powdered), sugar and lemon juice, whipped cream, fruit spreads, sliced soft fruits, etc.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In France, crêpes are traditionally served on Candlemas (La Chandeleur), February 2.

Related Topics:
France - Candlemas

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It is also a fairly common practice to roll or envelope them and then lightly fry, bake or sautée them, not unlike blintz.

Related Topics:
Sauté - Blintz

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~