A crêpe or crepe (
or , , ) is a dish made from
unleavened batter or
dough
Dough is a malleable, sometimes elastic paste made from flour (which itself is made from grains or from leguminous or chestnut crops). Dough is typically made by mixing flour with a small amount of water or other liquid and sometimes includes ...
that is cooked on a
frying pan or a
griddle. Crêpes are usually one of two varieties: ''sweet crêpes'' () or ''savoury
galettes'' (). They are often served with a wide variety of fillings such as cheese, fruit, vegetables, meats, and a variety of spreads. Crêpes can also be
flambéed, such as in
crêpes Suzette.
Etymology
The French term "" derives from , the feminine version of the Latin word , which means "curled, wrinkled, having curly hair."
Traditions
In France, crêpes are traditionally served on the Christian holiday
Candlemas (), on February 2. On that day in 472,
Pope Gelasius I offered crepes as
sacramental bread to French pilgrims that were visiting Rome for the Chandeleur. The sacramental bread was replaced by crêpes in France, and the day became known as "Le Jour des Crêpes" ("The Day of the Crêpes"). The day is also celebrated by many as the day that marks the transition from winter to spring (similar to the North American tradition of
Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day (, , , ; Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if ...
), with the golden color and circular shape of crêpes representing the sun and the circle of life.
There are a few superstitions around the preparation of crêpes for Le Jour des Crêpes.
One example involves holding a gold coin (such as a
Louis d'or) or ring in the left hand while successfully flipping a crêpe in a pan with the right hand. It's said to bring a person wealth in the upcoming year (other variations describe a year of good weather).
Another version of the tradition involves cooking a crêpe with a gold coin on top. Some hide the first crêpe in a drawer instead of eating it for good luck in the coming year. Eating and sharing crêpes with others on Candlemas is another tradition based on popes giving food to the poor every year on February 2.
A traditional rhyming French proverb describes the tradition of eating crêpes on Candlemas: “manger des crêpes à la chandeleur apporte un an de bonheur” (eating crêpes on Candlemas brings a year of happiness).
Types
Sweet crêpes are generally made with
wheat flour (). When sweet, they can be eaten as part of
breakfast or as a
dessert. Common fillings include
hazelnut cocoa spread,
preserves, sugar (granulated or powdered),
maple syrup
Maple syrup is a sweet syrup made from the sap of maple trees. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Ma ...
,
golden syrup,
lemon juice,
whipped cream,
fruit spreads,
custard, and sliced soft fruits or
confiture.
Savory crêpes can be made with non-wheat flours such as
buckwheat. A normal savory crêpe recipe includes using wheat flour but omitting the sugar. Batter made from buckwheat flour is
gluten-free, which makes it possible for people who have a wheat allergy or gluten
intolerance to eat this type of crêpe. Common savory fillings for crêpes are cheese, ham, and eggs,
ratatouille, mushrooms,
artichoke (in certain regions), and various meat products.
Batters can also consist of other ingredients such as butter, milk, water, eggs, flour, salt, and sugar. Fillings are commonly added to the center of the crêpe and served with the edges partially folded over the center. An Indian variety of the crêpe uses a multi-grain flour called "bhajanee," eggs,
curd
Curd is obtained by Denaturation (biochemistry), coagulating milk in a sequential process called curdling. It can be a final dairy product or the first stage in cheesemaking. The coagulation can be caused by adding rennet, a Kefir cheese, ...
, and an assortment of spices as its ingredients. It is a modern variation of an Indian dish called
Thalipeeth.
Crêpes can also be made into crepe cakes by stacking plain crepes on top of each other, adding a layer of filling between the layers. Fruits, chocolate, cookies, marshmallow, etc., can be added. Most crêpe cakes are sweet and considered dessert. It can also replace the traditional birthday cake. Crêpe cakes are usually 15–30 layers, and the crêpes used are very thin and soft.
A cake made with layers of crêpes with a filling in between is called “gâteau de crêpes” or “ミルクレープ(mille-crêpes)” (a Japanese-made French word combining crêpes and
mille-feuille). This French pâtisserie, was popularized by Emy Wada, a pâtissière who studied in France and operated Paper Moon Cake Boutiques in Japan, in the 1980s. In 2001, she expanded to New York City, where she supplied crêpe cakes to popular chains
Dean & DeLuca and
Takashimaya through the company
Lady M.
Recipe
The standard recipe for French crêpe calls for flour, eggs, milk, salt, and butter. Sugar is optional. In the industrial production of crêpes, the dry ingredients are combined with eggs to form a dough. The rest of the wet ingredients are then added to thin the batter to a loose enough consistency to spread easily. The batter is added, one ladle at a time, to a hot, greased pan, cooked until golden, then flipped. Crêpe batter is characterized by its liquidity, making it easy to spread in a thin layer. Crêpes are also characterized by their quick cooking time, usually 20–30 seconds per side.
In older versions of crêpe recipes, beer or wine was used instead of milk. Buckwheat flour is often used as well, specifically in making a
Breton Galette.
Crêperies
A crêperie () may be a
takeaway restaurant or stall, serving crêpes as a form of fast food or
street food, or it may be a more formal sit-down restaurant or café. Crêperies can be found throughout France, especially in
Brittany
Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
, and in many other countries. Many also serve apple
cider
Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the Fermented drink, fermented Apple juice, juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and Ireland. The United Kingdom has the world's highest ...
, a popular drink to accompany crêpes.
Picswiss BS-55-89.jpg, A small crêperie in Basel
Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...
, Switzerland
Creperie du Ciel à Münster.JPG, Crêperie in Münster
Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...
, Germany
ศูนย์การแพทย์ปัญญานันทภิกขุ ชลประทาน (ธันวาคม 2022) crepe stall.jpg, A street crêperie stall in Pak Kret, Thailand
マリオンクレープ (45607141481).jpg, A Marion Crepes store in Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Japan
Special crêpes
''Crepe cakes'', known in French as ''mille crêpes'', are a
French cake made of many crêpe layers. The word ''mille'' means "a thousand," implying the many layers of crêpe. Another standard French and Belgian crêpe is the ''
crêpe Suzette'', a crêpe with lightly grated orange peel and
liqueur
A liqueur ( , ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of Liquor, spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-age ...
(usually
Grand Marnier
Grand Marnier () is a French brand of liqueurs. The brand's best-known product is Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge, an orange-flavored liqueur created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. It is made from a blend of Cognac (brandy), Cognac brandy, ...
), which is lit during presentation.

The ''49er flapjack'' is a
sourdough crêpe which is popular in the United States, getting its name from the popularity of this style of pancake during the
California Gold Rush
The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...
. Because it is similar to a Swedish pancake, the 49er is sometimes served with
lingonberry sauce, although most often, it is rolled up with butter and powdered sugar or served open-faced and topped with maple syrup.
''Crêpe dentelle'' is a crispy biscuit made with a very thin layer of crêpe folded in a cigar shape and then baked. It is usually enjoyed with a hot drink during the ''goûter'', in France.
Crêpes in European culture
In
Norwegian, crêpes are called ''pannekake'', and in most
German regions ''Crêpes'' (referring to a wide and flat crêpe, as opposed to the smaller and thicker native ''Pfannkuchen'' pancakes). In
Swedish, a crêpe is called ''pannkaka'' in southern regions while being called ''plättar'' in the north. In
Danish it is called ''pandekager'' ("pancakes"). In Icelandic it is called ''pönnukaka.'' In
Finnish a crêpe is called either ''ohukainen'' or ''lettu'' or '' lätty'' or ''räiskäle.'' In
Greek it is called krepa (Κρέπα). In
Dutch it is a ''
pannenkoek'' or ''flensje.'' In
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and also Argentina where there is a group in Sarmiento, Chubut, Sarmiento that speaks the Pat ...
crêpes are called ''pannekoek'', and are usually served with
cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, b ...
and sugar. In the Spanish regions of
Galicia and
Asturias
Asturias (; ; ) officially the Principality of Asturias, is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwest Spain.
It is coextensive with the provinces of Spain, province of Asturias and contains some of the territory t ...
, they are traditionally served at carnivals. In Galicia, they're called ''filloas'' and may also be made with pork blood instead of milk. In Asturias, they are called ''fayueles'' or ''frixuelos'', and in
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
, ''akıtma''.
In areas of
central Europe
Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...
, formerly belonging to the
Austro-Hungarian empire, there is a thin pancake comparable to a crêpe that in
Austro-Bavarian is called ''
Palatschinken''; in ; and in
Bosnian,
Bulgarian,
Macedonian,
Czech,
Croatian,
Serbian and ; in . In the Balkan countries, ''palačinka'' or ''pallaçinka'' may be eaten with fruit jam,
quark cheese, sugar, honey, or the hazelnut-chocolate cream
Nutella
Nutella ( , , ; stylized in all lowercase) is a brand of brown, sweetened hazelnut cocoa spread. Nutella is manufactured by the Italian company Ferrero and was introduced in 1964, although its first iteration dates to 1963.
History
Pietro ...
, while there is also a breaded variant which is mostly filled with meat. Restaurants specializing in palačinci are called "Palačinkara" in the region. In
Ashkenazi
Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...
Jewish cuisine, there is a similar dish known as the
blintz. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' derives the German and Slavic words from the Hungarians ''
palacsinta'', which it derives from the Romanian ''plăcintă'', which comes in turn from classical Latin ''placenta'' ("small flat cake"), even though the Romanian ''plăcintă'' is more similar to a pie, and the crêpes are called ''clătită''.
During the East Slavic celebration of
Maslenitsa (Cheesefare Week), one of the most popular foods are
blini
Blini (plural ''blinis'' or ''blini'', rarely ''bliny''; pl., Ukrainian: млинці pl., ''mlyntsi''), singular: blin, are an Eastern European crêpe made from various kinds of flour of buckwheat, wheat, etc. They may be served with smeta ...
, or crêpes. Since they are made from butter, eggs, and milk, crêpes can be consumed during the celebration by the
Orthodox church. White flour can be replaced with buckwheat flour, milk can be switched for
kefir, and oils can be added or substituted. Blini are served with butter and topped with
caviar, cheese, meat, potatoes, mushrooms, honey, berry jam, or often a dollop of sour cream. The dish is supposed to represent the sun since the holiday is about the beginning of spring.
Crêpes outside of Europe
Crêpes have also long been popular in
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
and
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
, with sweet and savory varieties being sold at many small stands, usually called crêperies. In
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
,
Uruguay
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
, and
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
, they are called ''panqueques'' and are often eaten with
dulce de leche. Various other French foods such as crêpes,
soufflés, and
quiche have slowly made their way into American cooking establishments. Typically, these franchises stick to the traditional French method of making crêpes, but they have also put their own spin on the crêpe with new types, such as the hamburger and pizza crêpe. In Canada, particularly in French-speaking regions, crêpes and galettes have long been traditional food items.
The Japanese crêpes developed into something different from the French crêpes due to their various fillings and toppings, and the style later spread outside of
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. It is often called '
Harajuku Crêpes'. In Japan, French crêpes were introduced in the 1970s, and they were only spread with jam and were not very popular. In 1977, Mizuki Ono opened a crêpe shop in Harajuku and, taking inspiration from
ice cream monaka, began to sell crêpes with ice cream, whipped cream, and sliced fruit, which became very popular. They were rarely made at home and spread as sweets purchased from street stalls and eaten on the street.
In Mexico, crêpes are known as ''crepas'' and were introduced during the 19th century by the French and are typically served either as a sweet dessert when filled with ''
cajeta'' (similar to
dulce de leche), or as a savoury dish when filled with ''Huitlacoche'' (
corn smut), which is considered a delicacy.
Similar dishes in other cuisines
In Southern India, a similar dish made of fermented
rice
Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
batter is called a
dosa, which often has savory fillings. In Western India, a dish made of
gram flour is called "Pudlaa" or "Poodla," with the batter consisting of vegetables and spices. Another variety is called "patibola" and is sweet in taste due to milk,
jaggery
Jaggery is a List of unrefined sweeteners, traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, North America, Central America, Brazil and Africa. It is a concentrated product of Sugarcane juice, cane jui ...
, or sugar. The
injera of
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
n/
Eritrea
Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...
n/
Somali/
Yemen
Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...
i cuisine is often described as a thick crêpe. In Somalia,
malawah is very similar to a crêpe. It is mostly eaten at breakfast.
In the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
, a native crêpe recipe is the ''
daral'' which is made from ground
glutinous rice and
coconut milk batter (''
galapong''). It is rolled into a cylinder and filled with sweetened coconut meat strips (''
hinti'').
In
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
,
Danbing is a traditional Taiwanese breakfast similar to crêpes. The dough is made by kneading cornstarch and sweet potato flour with water into a thin dough, and an omelet is baked on top of the dough. In Taiwan, dan bing is mainly sold at breakfast shops, restaurants as well as
night market food stalls. They are also sold commercially in supermarkets, where the dough is
frozen in plastic packaging, and egg is added as the dough is heated.
In
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
,
Kue leker is a type of Indonesian crêpe. Also, ''ledre'', a rolled banana crêpe from
Bojonegoro.
In China,
Jianbing is a traditional Chinese street food similar to crêpes. It is generally eaten for breakfast and hailed as "one of China's most popular street breakfasts." It consists of wheat and grain-based crepe, an egg, deep-fried crackers (known as Bao Cui/薄脆 in Chinese), 2–3 savory/spicy sauces, and chopped scallions & coriander.
See also
References
Sources
: 19. Life A La Henri – Being The Memories of Henri Charpentier, by Henri Charpentier and Boyden Sparkes, The Modern Library, New York, 2001 Paperback Edition. Originally published in 1934 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.
External links
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How to make a crepe
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