Imagine walking down the old cobblestoned streets of a rustic French neighborhood under the rain. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice a charming hole-in-the-wall crêperie with wood paneling and fogged up windows. Enter and order a crêpe. Maybe two. With it, enjoy a warm bowl of hard apple cider as you listen to the background chatter between friends and families.
Originating from Bretagne (or Brittany) in the northwest region of France, crêpes are one of the most iconic French foods. Though primarily associated with sweet condiments (Nutella, banana, whipped cream) in the United States, its savory cousin galettes, made of buckwheat, are a frequented street food in France. The word galette comes from the root word “galet,” which means pebble, as galettes were traditionally cooked on hot stones.
In Bretagne’s harsh climate and infertile rough terrain, buckwheat was one of the only plants that grew well and rapidly. Buckwheat, which is not actually a cereal or grain, is fiber-dense, high in protein and gluten free, and thus is a healthier and heartier option compared to sweeter, sugar-filled, wheaty crêpes. With a teeming supply of buckwheat, Bretons had to think about how to creatively use the crop in a tasty fashion. There came the galette, a thin, crispy, nuttier, darker version of a pancake that could support any type of filling and could be eaten at any meal.
Galettes on their own have a rather salty, intense taste with a strong bitterness that may not be appealing to all but when combined traditionally with melted cheese, ham and a cracked egg in a galette complète, all the flavors are just perfectly balanced. In recent years, the more than 4,000 crêperies and restaurants in France have explored unique add-ons such as ratatouille and smoked salmon or figs and goat cheese.
Though the origin of crêpes is debated, the earliest history of the food dates back to the fifth century when Pope Gelasius I established La Chandeleur and the custom to feed pilgrims and worshippers crêpes. La Chandeleur, or Candlemas Day which lays on Feb. 2 is the day Jesus was presented at the Temple in Jerusalem.
Candlemas Day is marked as when the winter ends and daylight returns, known as a symbol of renewal and hope in Christianity. Crêpes when spread out in the pan look like the sun, which is supposed to represent prosperity as the days grew longer. The ingredients of crêpes also bear a certain significance with flour representing the staff of life, eggs as creation, milk as purity and salt as wholesomeness. Nowadays, Candlemas Day is called Le Jour des Crêpe in France and one can find French people enjoying crêpes at home for good luck. By superstitious French custom, it is said that if you make a wish, touch the handle of pan with one hand, holding a coin and turning the crêpe with the other, prosperity will come your way.
This past summer, my mom and I decided to take a three-day professional crêpe making bootcamp class at Crêpe Au Logis in Questembert, a commune in Brittany two hours away from my grandparents’ house. In our class, there were eight students from many different backgrounds, all learning to make the traditional, history-rich dish for various reasons. One of the students, a young French African woman, was an inn owner close to Questembert and wanted to include crêpes and galettes as a bed-and-breakfast package with her guests’ stays. Another was a Swiss guy with a wife who has celiac disease, thinking of her enjoying galettes (a really good meal for those who need to be gluten-free!).
Crêpe Au Logis has an interesting concept; the students are the chefs, so guests can enjoy a three course menu of crêpes and galettes at a price of only 7 euros. As a restaurant, crêpe Au Logis is very popular and it’s hard to reserve a spot (the cheap price tag gets to the French).
The class itself was eight grueling hours per day and to be honest it was a full body workout. In the morning, we would practice making crêpes and galettes which meant making the batter and doing le tournage (loosely translated to “turning”). To make the batter, we had to use our hands rather than a stand mixer or whisk. While the restaurant was open in the afternoon, we would sell packs of plain crêpes and galettes that were made in the morning. Most of the crêpes I made on the first day ended up serving the chickens in the garden instead (I’m sure they laid very nice eggs). At least nothing is wasted in France.
At restaurants and crepries, galettes and crêpes are cooked on a large, round cast-iron surface called biling that heats up to 482 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of the high degree of the bilig, we have to use vegetable oil, which has a higher smoke point than butter, to avoid burning on the cast iron. The batter must be spread around in a circle very quickly with the slick turn of the wrist, distributing the heat evenly. After 30 seconds, the crêpe is flipped and the filling is added, folded nicely and sent off to a hungrily awaiting diner. The process takes a mere two to four minutes per crêpe, depending on what is inside.
With the holiday season approaching, why not host a crêpe party? Or make Feb. 2 an annual crêpe day tradition? Enjoy your crêpes and galettes with hard apple cider or buttermilk, as we do in Brittany!
Erika Pilpre is a junior at Aragon High School in San Mateo. Student News appears in the weekend edition. You can email Student News at news@smdailyjournal.com.
1 kg of white wheat flour
5 grams of coarse sea salt
0.5 liters of milk or water
1). Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl
2). Create a hole in the middle and crack the eggs in the hole
3). Pour in the milk (a third of a liter at a time) and continue mixing while keeping the batter thick.
4). The fourth time, pour the 500 ml of milk that is left. Mix until there are no lumps left.
5). Let the crêpe batter rest for an hour or two.
6). Before making the crêpes, add the 0.5 liters of milk or water or similar amount to get the batter to a thinner consistency.
(1) comment
Delightful holiday article.
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