Another French food that has spread in popularity around the globe is the crêpe.  Basically, a crêpe is a very thin pancake that is made from wheat flour.  Brittany, a region in northwestern France, claims to have invented the popular pastry.  Most countries in Europe have some similar manifestation to the crêpe including pfannkuchen in Germany, nalesniki in Poland, crespella in Italy, and filloas in Spain.  However, the French version is most well known throughout the world, building on the widespread reputation of French cuisine.

 

To make crêpes, you simply prepare a thin liquid batter using wheat flour, eggs, milk, water and salt.  If you are planning to fill your crêpe with something sweet, you may choose to add just a bit of sugar to the batter.  The batter needs to be thin so that it can create that thin pancake result that makes a delicious crêpe.  Then you heat up a griddle or frying pan and oil it so that the batter doesn't stick.  You will add about ¼ cup of batter to the grill to make one crêpe.  Be sure to tilt the pan in a circular motion so that the batter completely coats the bottom of the pan and the crepe is evenly shaped.  You will only have to cook the crêpe for about two minutes before you are ready to turn it over.  This part can be tricky.  Since the crêpe is so thin, it can easily be torn when you try to flip it over.  To prevent ruining your crêpe, loosen it with a spatula before attempting to turn it over.  Cook the other side for a minute or two and your crêpe is finished.

 

Now comes the fun part, choosing the filling for your crêpe.  When most people think of crêpes they immediately think about the sweet kind that you would eat for dessert.  One delicious dessert crêpe that has a particularly French feel is a crêpe spread with nutella, which is a paste that is made from hazelnuts and chocolate.  If you want a dessert crêpe you could also fill it with jam, ice cream, melted chocolate, berries, nuts, cinnamon, bananas, lemon juice and sugar, maple syrup, whipped cream and any sort of fruit.  An extremely popular type of a dessert crêpe is the crêpe Suzette.  The crêpe is topped with finely grated orange peel and Grand Marnier liquer.  Then it is lit on fire to make quite an astounding presentation for diners.  Really, the possibilities for creating a sweetly satisfying dessert crêpe are endless.

 

A lesser-known variety of crêpe is the savory variety that can be served as the main course of a meal.  The batter for savory crêpes is usually made with courser buckwheat flour and there is no sugar added, as with some dessert crêpes.  These can also be filled with anything under the sun including cheese, mushrooms, spinach, ham, asparagus, eggs, ratatouille, artichoke and any types of meat.  

   

In France, you will find crêperies, establishments that sell crêpes, along many streets.  The form and shape of crêpes make them an easy fast food, and crêperies are typically just stalls where one can walk up and order from a variety of different crêpe fillings.  Most crêperies feature both sweet and savory varieties of crêpes.  Some will sell breads like baguettes and other baked goods.   Tea, coffee, milk and cider are some of the most popular accompanying beverages for crepes and they are widely available at crêperies.  With the wide availability of crêperies, you will not find it difficult to satisfy your crêpe curiousity in France.  The only difficulty will come in deciding what type of filling you want to try first.