Galette (from the

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

word ''gale'', meaning "flat cake") is a term used in French cuisine to designate various types of flat round or freeform crusty

cake Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients, and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate, ...

s, or, in the case of a Breton galette (french: Galette bretonne ; br, Krampouezhenn gwinizh du), a pancake made with buckwheat flour usually with a savoury filling. Of the cake type of galette, one notable variety is the ''galette des Rois'' (

King cake A king cake, also known as a three kings cake, is a cake associated in many countries with Epiphany. Its form and ingredients are variable, but in most cases a () such as a figurine, often said to represent the Christ Child, is hidden inside. ...

) eaten on the day of

Epiphany Epiphany may refer to: * Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight Religion * Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ ** Epiphany season, or Epiph ...

. In French Canada the term ''galette'' is usually applied to pastries best described as large

cookie A cookie is a baked or cooked snack or dessert that is typically small, flat and sweet. It usually contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of oil, fat, or butter. It may include other ingredients such as raisins, oats, chocolate chips, n ...

Fruit galette

A common form of galette resembles a type of single crust, free-form pie with a fruit filling and the crust folded partway over the top of the filling. The website joyofbaking.com defines the term galette as "a French term signifying a flat round cake that can be either sweet or savory and while ecipes can usepuff pastry as a base, they can also be made from risen doughs like brioche, or with a sweet pastry crust." The fruits used in these types of galettes are typically seasonal and can include one or more of apples; berries such as strawberries or blueberries; or stone fruits such as peaches, plums, nectarines, or cherries. Various spices, zests, or peppers can be added in the preparation process if desired. The pastry base is often homemade but can also be commercially purchased. ''

Bon Appétit ''Bon Appétit'' is a monthly American food and entertaining magazine, that typically contains recipes, entertaining ideas, restaurant recommendations, and wine reviews. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered at the One World Trade Center i ...

'' magazine has written of such galettes, "They're casually impressive and photogenic, but in that 'Oh, I just threw this together' way. They're rustic and inviting; come as you are. ... Their imperfections are what set them apart—in fact, the less you do, the better they look."

Breton galette

Galette, which is more properly called Breton galette, is also the name given in most French ''crêperies'' to savoury buckwheat flour pancakes, while those made from wheat flour, much smaller in size and mostly served with a sweet filling, are branded crêpes. This type of galette is a large, thin

pancake A pancake (or hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjack) is a flat cake, often thin and round, prepared from a Starch, starch-based batter (cooking), batter that may contain eggs, milk and butter and cooked on a hot surface such as a griddle or fryi ...

mostly associated with the region of Brittany, where it replaced at times bread as basic food, but it is eaten countrywide. Buckwheat was introduced as a crop suitable to impoverished soils and buckwheat pancakes were known in other regions where this crop was cultivated, such as Limousin or Auvergne. It is frequently garnished with egg, meat, fish, cheese, cut vegetables, apple slices, berries, or similar ingredients. One of the most popular varieties is a ''galette'' covered with grated Emmental cheese, a slice of ham, and an egg cooked on the galette. In France this is known as a ''galette complète'' (a complete galette). Another variety is a hot sausage wrapped in a galette (called '' galette saucisse'', a tradition of

Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...

, Brittany) and eaten like a hot dog. File:Galettes campinoises.jpg, ''Galettes campinoises'' are a type of galette or waffle popular in Belgium. File:Galette complète in Annecy, France - 20130714.jpg, A ''galette complète'' served in

Annecy Annecy ( , ; frp, Èneci or ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy, south of Geneva, Switzerland. Nicknamed ...

, France File:GaletteCidre.JPG, A galette and cider in Villedieu-les-Poêles, Normandy, France

Creole galette

The Guianan galette (more commonly known as the Creole galette) is a traditional pastry of

French Guianan cuisine French Guianan cuisine or Guianan cuisine is a mixture of Creole, Bushinengue, and indigenous cuisines, supplemented by influences from the cuisines of more recent immigrant groups. Common ingredients include cassava, smoked fish, and smoked chic ...

. This is a Creole variant of the galette des rois which is eaten as a dessert during

.Le carnaval des familles
/ref> It can be garnished with cream, coconut,

guava Guava () is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava ''Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, the ...

, etc. It is consumed throughout the period

Carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

(from the epiphany to the days of

Ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

) and preferably accompanied by champagne.

References

External links

* {{Pancakes Breton cuisine Pancakes Sausage dishes

Fruit galette

Breton galette

Creole galette

See also

References

External links