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Etymology[edit]

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The French term "crêpe" derives from crispa, the feminine version of the Latin word crispus, which means "curled, wrinkled, having curly hair."

The term "galette" derives from the Old French word galete, a diminutive of the Norman dialect word gale, which means "kind of flat cake." This term probably came from the feminine derivative of Picard & Norman gal, meaning "pebble," which in turn came from the pre-Latin *gallo-".

Traditions[edit]

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In France, crêpes are traditionally served on the Chritstian holiday Candlemas (La Chandeleur), celebrated on February 2nd[1]. In 472, Roman Pope Gelasius I offered Crispus (later said Crêpes) to French pilgrims that were visiting Rome for the Chandeleur.[2] They brought the dish back to France, and the day also became known as "Le Jour des Crêpes" ("The Day of the Crêpes"). The day is also celebrated by many as a day marking the transition from winter to spring (similar to the North American tradition of Groundhog Day), with the golden coor and circular shape of crêpes representing the sun and the circle of life.[3].

There are various superstitions surrounding making crêpes for Le Jour des Crêpes. Holding a gold coin (such as a Louis d'or) or ring in one's left hand while successfully flipping a crêpe in a pan with one's right hand is said to bring the person wealth for the upcoming year (other variations describe a year of good weather)[4]. Another version of the tradition involves cooking a crêpe with a gold coin on top. Some people will hide the first crêpe in a drawer instead of eating it, also 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 2nd[3].

A tradition 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)[5].

Recipe[edit]

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The standard recipe for a French crêpe calls for flour, eggs, milk, salt, and butter. Sugar is optional. In industrial production of crêpes, the dry ingredients are combined with eggs to form a dough. The rest of the wet ingredients being used are then added to thin out the batter to a consistency loose enough to easily be spread. In older versions of crêpe recipes, beer or wine was used in place of milk[5]. Buckwheat flour is often used as well, specifically in making a Breton Galette. 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 out in a thin layer. Crêpes are also characterized by their quick cooking time, usually taking 20-30 seconds per side[6]

  1. ^ Roy, Christian (2005). Traditional Festivals: A Multicultural Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-57607-089-5.
  2. ^ "The History of Crêpes | Institute of Culinary Education". ice.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  3. ^ a b Nast, Condé (2017-02-01). "Why the French Eat Crêpes on February 2". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  4. ^ Salzberg, Alysa (2022-01-31). "All about La Chandeleur, a day of superstition and crepes". French Together. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  5. ^ a b Albala, Ken (2008). Pancake: A Global History (1st ed.). London: Reaktion Books Ltd. pp. 24–93. ISBN 9781861893925.
  6. ^ Guibert-Martin, Jury, V., Bouchet, B., Roellens, G., Lioret, P., & Le-Bail, A. (2017). Impact of the baking protocol on the structure of French crêpes. Journal of Food Engineering, 196, 183–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2016.07.002