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
A frying pan, frypan, or skillet is a flat-bottomed pan used for frying, searing, and browning foods. It typically ranges from in diameter with relatively low sides that flare outwards, a long handle, and no lid. Larger pans may have a small ...
or a
griddle
A griddle, in the UK also called a girdle, is a cooking device consisting mainly of a broad, usually flat cooking surface. Nowadays it can be either a movable metal pan- or plate-like utensil, a flat heated cooking surface built onto a stove as ...
. 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
flambé
Flambé (, , ; also spelled flambe) is a cooking procedure in which Ethanol, alcohol is added to a hot pan to create a burst of flames. The word means "flamed" in French language, French.
Flambéing is often associated with the tableside presen ...
ed, such as in
crêpes Suzette
Crêpes Suzette () is a French dessert consisting of crêpes with ''beurre Suzette'' (), a sauce of caramelized sugar and butter, tangerine or orange juice, zest, and Grand Marnier, triple sec or orange Curaçao liqueur on top, flambéed tab ...
.
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
Candlemas, also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Feast of the Holy Encounter, is a Christian holiday, Christian feast day commemorating the presentation of ...
(), on February 2. On that day in 472,
Pope Gelasius I
Pope Gelasius I was the bishop of Rome from 1 March 492 to his death on 21 November 496. Gelasius was a prolific author whose style placed him on the cusp between Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages.The title of his biography by Walter Ullma ...
offered crepes as
sacramental bread
Sacramental bread, also called Communion bread, Communion wafer, Sacred host, Eucharistic bread, the Lamb or simply the host (), is the bread used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist. Along with sacramental wine, it is one of two elements ...
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
The Louis d'or () is any number of French coins first introduced by Louis XIII in 1640. The name derives from the depiction of the portrait of King Louis on one side of the coin; the French royal coat of arms is on the reverse. The coin was r ...
) 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
Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of common wheat used for human consumption. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content. Hard flour, or ...
(). When sweet, they can be eaten as part of
breakfast
Breakfast is the first meal of the day usually eaten in the morning. The word in English refers to breaking the fasting period of the previous night. Various "typical" or "traditional" breakfast menus exist, with food choices varying by regi ...
or as a
dessert
Dessert is a course (food), course that concludes a meal; the course consists of sweet foods, such as cake, biscuit, ice cream, and possibly a beverage, such as dessert wine or liqueur. Some cultures sweeten foods that are more commonly umami, ...
. Common fillings include
hazelnut
The hazelnut is the fruit of the hazel tree and therefore includes any of the nuts deriving from species of the genus '' Corylus'', especially the nuts of the species ''Corylus avellana''. They are also known as cobnuts or filberts according to ...
cocoa spread
Spread may refer to:
Places
* Spread, West Virginia
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Spread'' (film), a 2009 film.
* ''$pread'', a quarterly magazine by and for sex workers
* "Spread", a song by OutKast from their 2003 album ''Speakerboxxx/T ...
,
preserves
Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread.
There are many varieties of fruit preserves globally, distinguished by the meth ...
, 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
Golden syrup or light treacle is a thick, amber-coloured form of inverted sugar syrup made by the process of refining sugar cane or sugar beet juice into sugar. It is used in a variety of baking recipes and desserts. It has an appearance and co ...
,
lemon juice
The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...
,
whipped cream
Whipped cream, also known as Chantilly cream or (), is high-fat dairy cream that has been aerated by whisking until it becomes light, fluffy, and capable of holding its shape. This process incorporates air into the cream, creating a semi-soli ...
,
fruit spreads,
custard
Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on sweetened milk, cheese, or cream cooked with Eggs as food, egg or egg yolk to thicken it, and sometimes also flour, corn starch, or gelatin. Depending on the recipe, custard may vary in con ...
, and sliced soft fruits or
confiture
A confiture is any fruit jam, marmalade, paste, sweetmeat, or fruit stewed in thick syrup. Confit, the root of the word, comes from the French word ''confire'', which literally means 'preserved'; a confit being any type of food that is cooked ...
.
Savory crêpes can be made with non-wheat flours such as
buckwheat
Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum'') or common buckwheat is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. Buckwheat originated around the 6th millennium BCE in the region of what ...
. A normal savory crêpe recipe includes using wheat flour but omitting the sugar. Batter made from buckwheat flour is
gluten
Gluten is a structural protein naturally found in certain Cereal, cereal grains. The term ''gluten'' usually refers to the elastic network of a wheat grain's proteins, gliadin and glutenin primarily, that forms readily with the addition of water ...
-free, which makes it possible for people who have a wheat allergy or gluten
intolerance
Intolerance may refer to:
* Hypersensitivity or intolerance, undesirable reactions produced by the immune system
* ''Intolerance'' (film), a 1916 film by D. W. Griffith
* ''Intolerance'' (album), the first solo album from Grant Hart, formerly ...
to eat this type of crêpe. Common savory fillings for crêpes are cheese, ham, and eggs,
ratatouille
Ratatouille ( , ; ) is a French Provençal dish of stewed vegetables that originated in Nice and is sometimes referred to as ''ratatouille niçoise'' (). Recipes and cooking times differ widely, but common ingredients include tomato, garlic ...
, mushrooms,
artichoke
The artichoke (''Cynara cardunculus'' var. ''scolymus''),Rottenberg, A., and D. Zohary, 1996: "The wild ancestry of the cultivated artichoke." Genet. Res. Crop Evol. 43, 53–58. also known by the other names: French artichoke, globe 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
Thalipeeth is a savoury multi-grain flatbread popular in Western India, particularly in the state of Maharashtra. The flour for thalipeeth, called ''bhajanee'', is prepared from roasted grains, legumes and spices. The ingredients include grains s ...
.
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
A (; ),The name is also written as and . also known by the names Napoleon in North America, vanilla slice in the United Kingdom, and custard slice, is a French dessert made of puff pastry layered with pastry cream. Its modern form was influ ...
). 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
is a Japanese multinational corporation operating a department store chain selling a wide array of products, ranging from wedding dresses and other apparel to electronics and flatware. It has more than 12 branches in Japan located in 2 region ...
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
Street food is food sold by a Hawker (trade), hawker or vendor on a street or at another public place, such as a market, fair, or park. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...
, 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
Pak Kret (, ) is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in Nonthaburi province, Thailand. It lies in the Central Thailand plains on the east bank of the lower Chao Phraya River, bordering Bangkok to the east, Mueang Nonthaburi district of Nonthaburi provi ...
, 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
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
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 or crepe ( or , , ) is a dish made from unleavened batter or dough 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 ...
'', 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
Sourdough is a type of bread that uses the fermentation by naturally occurring yeast and lactobacillus bacteria to raise the dough. In addition to leavening the bread, the fermentation process produces lactic acid, which gives the bread its dis ...
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
''Vaccinium vitis-idaea'' is a small evergreen shrub in the heath family, Ericaceae. It is known colloquially as the lingonberry, partridgeberry, foxberry, mountain cranberry, or cowberry. It is native to boreal forest and Arctic tundra through ...
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
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
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
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
it is called krepa (Κρέπα). In
Dutch
Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
** Dutch people as an ethnic group ()
** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship ()
** Dutch language ()
* In specific terms, i ...
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
Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...
, there is a thin pancake comparable to a crêpe that in
Austro-Bavarian
Bavarian (; ), alternately Austro-Bavarian, is a group of Upper German varieties spoken in the south-east of the German language area, including the German state of Bavaria, most of Austria, and South Tyrol in Italy. Prior to 1945, Bavaria ...
is called ''
Palatschinken
Palatschinke (plural palatschinken) is a thin crêpe-like variety of pancake of Greco-Roman origin. The dessert is common in the Balkans, Central and Eastern Europe.
History and etymology
The dish is of Greco-Roman origin.. In 350 BCE, the anc ...
''; in ; and in
Bosnian,
Bulgarian,
Macedonian
Macedonian most often refers to someone or something from or related to Macedonia.
Macedonian(s) may refer to:
People Modern
* Macedonians (ethnic group), a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with North Macedonia
* Mac ...
,
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus
*Czech (surnam ...
,
Croatian,
Serbian
Serbian may refer to:
* Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular
**Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans
** Serbian language
** Serbian culture
**Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...
and ; in . In the Balkan countries, ''palačinka'' or ''pallaçinka'' may be eaten with fruit jam,
quark cheese
Quark or quarg is a type of fresh dairy product made from milk. The milk is soured, usually by adding lactic acid bacteria cultures, and strained once the desired curdling is achieved. It can be classified as fresh acid-set cheese. Tra ...
, 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
A cheese blintzes or blintz (; ) is a rolled filled pancake in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, in essence a wrap based on a '' crepe'' or Russian ''blini''. The corresponding Russian dish is called '' blinchiki'', literally "little ''blini''".
Histor ...
. 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
Maslenitsa (; ; ; ), also known as Butter Lady, Butter Week, Crepe week, or Cheesefare Week, is an Eastern Slavic religious and folk holiday which has retained a number of elements of Slavic mythology in its ritual. It is celebrated during the ...
(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
Orthodox Church may refer to:
* Eastern Orthodox Church, the second-largest Christian church in the world
* Oriental Orthodox Churches, a branch of Eastern Christianity
* Orthodox Presbyterian Church, a confessional Presbyterian denomination loc ...
. White flour can be replaced with buckwheat flour, milk can be switched for
kefir
Kefir ( ; alternative spellings: kephir or kefier; ; ; ) is a Fermented milk products, fermented milk drink similar to a thin yogurt or ayran that is made from kefir grains, a specific type of mesophilic SCOBY, symbiotic culture. It is prep ...
, and oils can be added or substituted. Blini are served with butter and topped with
caviar
Caviar or caviare is a food consisting of salt-cured roe of the family Acipenseridae. Caviar is considered a delicacy and is eaten as a garnish or spread. Traditionally, the term caviar refers only to roe from wild sturgeon in the Caspi ...
, 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
''Dulce de leche'' (), caramelized milk, milk candy, or milk jam is a confection commonly consumed after slowly heating sugar and milk over several hours. The substance takes on a spreadable, sauce-like consistency and derives its rich flavour ...
. Various other French foods such as crêpes,
soufflé
A soufflé () is a baked egg dish originating in France in the early 18th century. Combined with various other ingredients, it can be served as a savoury main dish or sweetened as a dessert. The word ''soufflé'' is the past participle of the Fr ...
s, and
quiche
Quiche ( ) is a French tart consisting of a pastry crust filled with savoury custard and pieces of cheese, meat, seafood or vegetables. A well-known variant is quiche lorraine, which includes lardons or bacon. Quiche may be served hot, wa ...
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
is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo. Harajuku is the common name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesandō, Tokyo, Omotesando, corresponding on official maps of Shibuya, Tokyo, Shibuya ward as Jingūmae 1 Japanese a ...
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
''Dulce de leche'' (), caramelized milk, milk candy, or milk jam is a confection commonly consumed after slowly heating sugar and milk over several hours. The substance takes on a spreadable, sauce-like consistency and derives its rich flavour ...
'' (similar to
dulce de leche
''Dulce de leche'' (), caramelized milk, milk candy, or milk jam is a confection commonly consumed after slowly heating sugar and milk over several hours. The substance takes on a spreadable, sauce-like consistency and derives its rich flavour ...
), or as a savoury dish when filled with ''Huitlacoche'' (
corn smut
Corn smut is a plant disease caused by the pathogenic fungus ''Mycosarcoma maydis'', synonym ''Ustilago maydis''. One of several cereal crop pathogens called smut, the fungus forms galls on all above-ground parts of corn species such as maize ...
), 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
Dosa may refer to:
Belief
* Dosa or dvesha, a Buddhist concept of hate or aversion
People
* Bogoljub Mitić Đoša (1968 - 2017), Serbian actor
* Csaba Dosa (born 1951), Romanian athlete
* Dosa ben Harkinas, Jewish Tanna sage
* Dosa ben S ...
, which often has savory fillings. In Western India, a dish made of
gram flour
Besan or gram flour is a pulse flour made from chana dal or chickpea flour (split Bengal gram) or brown/ ''kaala chana'', a chickpea. It is a staple ingredient in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent, including Indian, Bangladeshi, Burmese, ...
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
Injera (, ; ; ) is a sour fermented pancake-like flatbread with a slightly spongy texture, traditionally made of teff flour. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, injera is a staple. Injera is central to the dining process in Amhara community, like br ...
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
Domestication syndrome refers to two sets of phenotypic traits that are common to either domesticated plants or domesticated animals.
Domesticated animals tend to be smaller and less aggressive than their wild counterparts; they may also hav ...
and
coconut milk
Coconut milk is a plant milk extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of the milky-white liquid are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food ingred ...
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
Night markets or night bazaars ( zh, 夜市) are street markets which operate at night and are generally dedicated to more leisurely strolling, shopping, and eating than more businesslike day markets. The culture of night markets originates from C ...
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
Bojonegoro Regency (, older spelling is ''Kabupaten Bodjanegara'', ) is a Regency (Indonesia), regency in East Java Province of Indonesia, about 110 km west of Surabaya and 73 km northeast of Ngawi (town), Ngawi. It covers a land are ...
.
In China,
Jianbing
''Jianbing'' () is a traditional Chinese street food similar to crêpes. It is a type of ''bing (bread), bing'' generally eaten for breakfast and hailed as "one of China's most popular street breakfasts." The main ingredients of ''jianbing'' a ...
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
*
*
*
How to make a crepe
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crepe
Pancakes
Belgian cuisine
Breton cuisine
Desserts
European cuisine
French desserts
Snack foods
Street food
Articles containing video clips
National dishes