What are Crepes?

Crepes, a part of traditional French cuisine, are very thin pancakes made of wheat flour. In order to make crepes, a thin flour batter is poured onto a lightly oiled frying pan or round hot plate.

Different Kinds of Crepes

Crepes can serve many functions on a menu. They can be sweet or savory. They can serve as appetizers, main courses, side dishes, and desserts. For main courses, crepes are often filled with a combination of ingredients including meat; cheeses, creams, and eggs; vegetables including spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, chives, and ratatouille. Sweet crepes, or dessert crepes, are often filled with preserves, chocolate, fruits, sweet cream, and even ice cream.

The Origin of Crepes

Crepes originated in the west of France, in a region called Brittany. They have since become quite popular throughout France and the rest of Europe. In areas where crepes are popular, they serve as street and carnival fare as well as portions of restaurant menus.

Types of Flour Used in Crepes

While crepes are traditionally made from wheat flour, some chefs create variations by using white flour or buckwheat flour. It should be noted, for those with wheat allergies, that crepes made from 100% buckwheat flour are completely gluten-free. Thus, while most crepes will lead to an allergic reaction, buckwheat crepes are safe. Just be sure that the pans or hot plates used for cooking the buckwheat crepes are not also used for the wheat crepes.