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The word crêpe is coming from the Latin crispa, which means “curled”, and refers to a type of really thin pancake. Crêpes are usually cooked with wheat flour. It is completely flat and usually have a filling or spread. In addition, crêpes are entirely unleavened, while standard pancakes do have a leavener of some kind. Although, in terms of origin, one could argue that they are just the French way of reproducing the German pancake.

Origin and History of the Crêpe

The history of the crêpe originated with the pancake. Anthropologists believe that the circular shape that the flat breads have taken since even prehistoric times were no accident. The predecessor to pancakes may have been cooked that way due to sun worship in certain ancient civilizations.

It was not until the 15th century that the pancake arrived in medieval Europe, at which point it spread to every parts of the globe and took on its various incarnations. The crêpe originated in the northwest corner of France, in a place called Brittany, where peasants presented a platter to a king in reverence to his reign, and as a display of loyalty.

Crêpes in Different World Regions

In Afrikaans, they are called pannekoek, and are served with cinnamon sugar. In Spanish regions like Asturias, they are standard fare at carnivals, known as filloas. In East Europe locations, they have thin pancakes similar to the crêpe, known as Palatschiken.

They are eaten with fruit jam, sugar, honey, hazelnut-chocolate cream and quark cheese in the Balkan region. Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine has a type of pancake known as blintz, which is pretty similar to the crêpe. In India, they have one that is made with batter from fermented rice, called the dosa. Le Chandeleur is celebrated with their consumption. You can find crêpes from all around the world.

How to Get Started Preparing a Crêpe

When cooking crepes, you do not need a lot of ingredients.

• 3 large eggs
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1½ cup wheat flour
• ⅛ tsp. kosher salt
• 1½ cup skim milk

And that will do it. Allow the batter to sit for at least an hour before cooking.

Find more about making crepes. Here is where you need to consider crêpe recipes to use, as well as crêpe fillings. If you want, you are free to go out and purchase a crêpe maker for this process, as it can make it quite a bit easier. A non-stick skillet would work well, but a crepe griddle might be even better.

What is a Crêperie?

A crêperie is an eatery dive that offers various styles of crêpes and pancakes for consumption to the general public. It is the equivalent of a hot dog stand in North America, and serves as a type of fast food in France. They can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in these countries.