Oh Crêpe, That Was Good

My experience with crêpes in France

Text and Photo by Alexandra Cuoco

My love affair with crêpes began in June 2019 when I visited the town of Senlis, France as a high school exchange student for two weeks. As part of the immersive experience, I lived with a host family. I hit the jackpot with my exchange student and soon-to-be lifelong best friend, Jade, and her remarkable family. They welcomed me with open arms and warmly embraced me as one of their own. Jade’s parents owned restaurants called “crêperies” and it didn’t take long for me to fall madly in love with this delicious delicacy.

My two weeks in France felt like two days, so I quickly began to plan my return. Sadly, COVID-19 travel restrictions threw a few curve balls. But by June 2021, I was on a plane to visit Jade in France—this time for a month.

Because I was staying for a month, Jade’s parents asked me if I would like to work at one of their restaurants, and I immediately accepted. I knew it would be a great way to practice my French and keep me close to my culinary obsession, crêpes.

Most people in the United States think of crêpes as a dessert, typically paired with a sweet topping such as Nutella, whipped cream or caramel. But in France, crêpes are more complex with a wide range of flavor possibilities and a long, rich cultural history.

Crêpes can be split into two categories, “Galettes” and “Crêpes Sucrées” (Sweet Crepe). Galettes, which are salty or savory crêpes, have a wide range of fillings such as the popular “Galette Complete”, which is a crêpe cooked with ham and cheese with a fried egg on top. Other examples of galettes at my host family’s crêperie include “La Dinannaise,” which is a crêpe with egg, mushroom, creme fraiche, ham, and cheese. “La Guingampaise” is also a savory crêpe with french sausage, cheese, potato, and onions. There is also “La Malouine” which is smoked salmon, creme fraiche, and lemon juice. The combinations and choices are endless. My personal favorite is a galette filled with French sausage, caramelized onions, cheese, and a fried egg.

American restaurants tend to offer only sweet crêpes, whereas in France, “Les Galettes” are more popular. Working at the crêperie, I noticed that French people tend to order a galette instead of the crêpe sucrées because crêpes are thought of as a main meal and not just a dessert. I also observed that the galettes were darker in color than the Sweet Crêpes. The chefs at the Creperie taught me that this is because the savory crepe is made with “Farine de sarrasin,” or as we say in English, “Buckwheat Flour.'' This is the main difference in the two, making the taste of a Galette more bitter, which pairs perfectly with savory toppings.

While I was in France, I had the opportunity to visit Brittany, France, the region where crêpes were invented. Brittany, the northwest region of France, is located across the English Channel facing the United Kingdom. This region of France feels like a separate country. The “bretons” truly show nationalism for their region, with their region's flag held everywhere. Most importantly, there are crêpe shops on every corner. Folklore states that, in Brittany around the 13th century, a French housewife making porridge out of buckwheat accidentally spilled some onto a flat stone used for cooking, making the first crêpe. There is even a holiday titled “La Chandeleur” in which everyone in France eats Crêpes on February 2 for good luck.

Jade’s family owns three crêperies. I was able to visit all of them, but my absolute favorite one is the Crêperie in Senlis, her hometown. The crêperie feels like home, as her parents hire local artists to play traditional Bretagne music inside and serve traditional Bretagne Cider. A similar characteristic that is unique to France and especially Jade’s crêperie is drinks “avec sirop” (with syrup). Here, the most popular drink “avec sirop” would be the Shirley Temple.

In the U.S. we have the famous Shirley Temple, but in France, imagine the components of a Shirley Temple made into a variety of flavors. The classic “sirop” drinks in France are all named Diabolo ____. Some examples include Diabolo Fraise, Diabolo Violette, Diabolo Citron, and Diabolo Peche. The drinks are made out of Limonade, which is the name for sparkling water in France, and the syrup of choice. These drinks truly made the experience in Jade’s crêperie and throughout France.

I also learned about Speculoos Butter the first time I visited France because I had it in a crêpe. Speculoos Butter, made out of the Biscoff cookies, inside of a crêpe will change your life. Speculoos is a common French filling that is not as popular in the United States, but would win against Nutella in a battle any day.

While working at the crêperie I was able to strengthen my spoken French, learn recipes, and experience the culture. Throwing myself into this new environment for a month and embarking on my journey throughout France not only grew my knowledge and independence, but my taste buds as well. I recommend trying to make crêpes on your own, it’s simple, light and delicious! As the French say, Bon Appétit!