Happy learners are good learners! A blog for and by LFM pupils in Moscow.

Louise from 4B went to Britanny during these last holidays. She very kindly brought me back some traditional crêpes made in the village next to her holiday home.

They were yummy - thanks Louise!

Here is an interesting article about crêpes.

Crêpes - A Slice of Heaven

The crêpe and its half-sister the galette are traditionally regarded as being of exclusively Bretonne descent. For la crêpe, made with farine de froment or wheat flour, this seems to be the case. For la galette, however, it seems much more likely to have been a case of adoption, since its defining ingredient originated elsewhere. Fagopyrum esculentum (better known as blé noir, farine à sarrasin or simply buckwheat flour) is, in fact, a native of the Orient and probably found its way to France with the returning Crusaders. Happily, the seed found the granite-strewn, acid soil of temperate Brittany to its liking and the resulting grain was eventually milled into flour, to be used in the first instance as an addition for staples including pains de campagnes. Only later was it used in the galettes prepared in rural communities, wheat flour being the exclusive preserve of gentleman landowners and the wealthier townspeople. Fortunately, the blé noir not only contained essential minerals and vitamin B but were also surprisingly high in calories. The inhabitants of rural communities would therefore often dry freshly-made galettes in their gréniers (grain-stores) for use in lean times, to be broken into bowls of soup in order to thicken them and provide valuable extra nourishment. Preparation was simple: the buckwheat was simply kneaded with salt and water to create a dough then baked on hot stones. The results were, of course, rather more substantial than the fine, delicate creations served today, but far from being considered a delicacy, the original galettes played a vital role in the everyday diet of the Breton people.

Given its historical background, it's perhaps inevitable that the galette entered into the folklore of France. It is said that long ago, on the Ile d'Ouessant any young man wishing to marry his sweetheart would naturally visit her parents to ask for her hand. The mother of the young woman would then set to work and prepare galettes, which would then be placed in the larder while the anxious young man consulted the father. If the answer was favourable, the mother would lay the table for all present to enjoy a celebration meal. Having eaten their fill, the young couple had the sanction to live together for one year's trial period. If everyone was still happy at the end of this period, then the marriage was officially sanctified. Given the economic background which prevailed, the idea made a great deal of sense, allowing the two families to set about acquiring a plot of land, building the new nuptial home, making the furniture, etc. If, on the other hand, the larder remained closed, the proposal had been rejected and further explanations were unnecessary. Elsewhere in Brittany, if a young couple started their life together by moving into the home of their ancestors, the local tradition required them to toss the first crêpe or galette made in the house on top of the larder, as a mark of respect for the memory of the previous occupants. Today the old traditions have largely passed into memory, a notable exception being the crêpes made with sweet cider which are offered from one household to another as an expression of gratitude for help given during the annual task of cider-making.

The appearance of crêpe- and galette-making for general sale probably represents one of the earliest fast-food initiatives. The early entrepreneurs appeared at country markets equipped with a portable stove, a pair of galètoires (large, shallow, specially-made frying-pans which appeared during the 15th Century) and the necessary stock of ingredients - which they could, if they wished, even purchase fresh in the very same market. The technique which they perfected involved beginning cooking in one pan, then tipping into another to complete the remaining side, enabling them to work fast. At first the results were sold to be eaten dry by the stall-holders while they worked, but soon various garnishes appeared, such as butter, saucisse, eggs, bacon, etc., all cooked in one of the galètoires while the base mix was added to the other. The immediate success of the concept meant that the travelling caterers were soon in great demand for fêtes and marriages, producing mounds of galettes for the enthusiastic guests.

At this stage there remained one problem: the main course was an unqualified success, but rounding it off left something to be desired. Something sweet, in fact. The idea of popping a sweet topping onto the remaining galettes provided a stop-gap solution, but still something was lacking. Eventually someone hit upon the idea of using wheat flour, the sweet crêpe as we know it today was born. But it wasn't merely the taste which benefited. The texture, too, was satisfyingly different, and for good reason. Buckwheat flower was a natural for flat, savoury galettes since it does not contain gluten. This made it a non-starter for bread-making, or indeed cakes - even very thin ones. So the white flour, which excels at such things, became the norm for the crêpe. 

To bring the story up to date, Breton galettes today are prepared from buckwheat flour, eggs and milk or water (according to regional taste). Setting aside the tourist market, the most popular fillings are still ham and egg - either prepared 'brouille' (scrambled on the galette) or 'miroir' (cooked untouched, again on the galette). When the egg is cooked, the sides are simply folded in leaving the yolk just visible. Voila. Sweet crêpes-de-froment can be embellished with almost anything, whether sweet, fruity or alcoholic - and often all three. No wonder a trip to the crêperie is such a popular social occasion.

© Words and pictures Roger Moss
This feature first appeared in everything France magazine Issue 5