French Food and Wines : Crepes
Easy
French finger
food
Ahhhhh French food and wines : crepes and
champagne,
what a terrific lunch! One of my favourite easy lunches in
Paris is
crepes - delightfully light and fluffy, with either a sweet or savoury
filling. You can eat them as you walk along the boulevardes,
or enjoy them in a cafe or restaurant.
Crepes are readily available all over the world
now, but years ago
I thought of crepes as famous French food [and no, I'm not a
French person]. As easy to eat as any French finger food, the
humble crepe is quick to cook [buy them from crepe stands everywhere]
and very easy to eat without a plate or knife and fork.
Amongst all the French food and wines, crepes will
probably remain
in your memories of Paris, especially some of the more exotic ones. Me?
I personally love the lemon and sugary ones :-)
Famous French food ingredients : the Crepe
The ingredients can vary from region to region,
but generally include:
- flour
- eggs
- milk
- butter
- a pinch of salt.
French crêpes are usually of two types:
sweet and savoury.
Sweet Crepes : Crêpes Sucrées
Sweet crêpes (crêpes
sucrées) are made with wheat flour
and lightly sweetened. Crêpes often have a fruit
syrup filling, and can also have mixed seasonal berries, fresh fruit,
or freshly squeezed lemon, a sprinkle of sugar and a dollop of cream.
Yum!
Sweet Crepes : Crêpes Suzette
Probably one of the most well known of the French
and Belgian crepes,
Crepes Suzette are made of a crêpe with a hot sauce
of
caramelised sugar, orange juice, lightly grated orange peel and liqueur
(Grand Marnier is the favourite) on top. Once the crepe is
ready
it can be lit with a match to create a dramatic effect.
Savoury Crepes : Crêpes
Salées
Commonly known as a galette, and
generally made with buckwheat
flour, an never sweetened, the crepes salees can be a
filling lunch or dinner. Some savoury fillings include
cheese, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, ham or a variety of
meats.
Typical French Food History : the Crepe
Crêpes originate from Brittany, a region
in France's northwest, and are enjoyed throughout France. Old rumours
say that crêpes were started in this region because it was
extremely difficult to grow enough wheat to make bread due to the poor
quality of the land.
Where to find crepes in
Paris?
Au
p'tit Grec : Rue Mouffetard, 5th Arrondissement -- Huge
variety of very big and very filling crepes. All the usual fillings
plus Nutella and Banana - you have to try it :-) Also try Cheese, Ham,
Tomato and Egg crepes.
St.
Germain des Pres and St. Michel -- you'll find crepe
stands everywhere, pretty good prices, around 5 Euro.
Cuilliere
en Bois [Wooden Spoon] - 108 rue des Entrepreneurs, 85015,
Metro: Commerce (8) -- A delightful restaurant with nice ambiance,
great service and delicous crepes and galettes of all types. Highly
recommend this one.
Would you like to recommend a great place to buy
crepes in Paris?
If you'd like to ask a question, provide a tip, or tell a story of your visit to Paris, please do! You can even upload a photo and send your friends to this page :-)
Ask Your Paris Travel Question
Fill in the form below to ask your question, and check back soon to view the answers and comments!
|
