Crepes are one of the most beloved breakfast and dessert items around the world. The delicate pancakes can be filled with either sweet or savory ingredients, providing endless possibilities for creative combinations. But while crepes may feel ubiquitous today, they actually have a long and storied history tracing back centuries. So which country actually invented the crepe?
The Origins of Crepes
Crepes likely originated in Brittany, a region in northwestern France. The traditional Breton pancakes were made from buckwheat flour, known as blé noir or sarrazin in French. Buckwheat was abundant in Brittany and made a hearty, nutty-tasting crepe.
References to thin Breton pancakes start appearing in French cookbooks in the 13th and 14th centuries. At this time, crepes were typically folded or rolled around a filling. Common historical crepe fillings included eggs, cheese, meat, vegetables, and jam or honey. Over the centuries, different French regions developed their own crepe recipes based on local ingredients. The thinner French-style crepes emerged as a contrast to thicker pancake varieties across Europe.
So while crepes became popular throughout France, it was in Brittany that they originally emerged. To this day, creperies and crepe stands can be found everywhere across Brittany, with locals enjoying the traditional treats.
The Spread of Crepes Across France
As crepes increased in popularity over the centuries, they became ingrained in France’s culinary tradition. By the mid-1800s, creperies popped up in Paris, serving crepes along with coffee, tea, and cider as a typical French breakfast or light meal. Both sweet and savory crepes were popular.
The crepe trend spread from urban centers like Paris to the French countryside. Street vendors often sold crepes out of carts, providing an easy and inexpensive meal on-the-go. Over time, crepes became a quintessential part of France’s national cuisine and identity.
Certain regions of France became especially renowned for their local crepe specialties. For instance:
- Brittany: buckwheat galettes with savory fillings like cheese, eggs, ham, or mushrooms
- Normandy: delicate pancakes with butter, sugar, and apple cider
- Paris: wide range of sweet and savory fillings, both simple and elaborate
- Nice: socca, a chickpea flour crepe seasoned with olive oil and black pepper
No matter the exact ingredients, crepes around France shared the same basic template – a thin pancake that could be easily folded around sweet or savory fillings.
The Rise of Modern Creperies
In the mid-20th century, creperies experienced a resurgence in France. New waves of Breton immigrants arrived in Paris, along with their traditional crepe recipes. Urban creperies became popular spots for Parisian students.
The 1960s and 70s saw an explosion of new creperies opening up around France. Unlike old-fashioned street vendors, these creperies were full-service restaurants focusing on high-quality ingredients. While crepes were originally considered peasant food, newer creperies positioned crepes as a trendy and socially acceptable meal for the middle class.
The rise of tourism also contributed greatly to the creperie boom. Guidebooks promoted crepes as an essential part of French cuisine for visitors. Creperies became a recommended spot to rest and enjoy an authentic French meal. Tourists flocked to sample both sweet and savory crepes at restaurants in Paris, Nice, and across provincial France.
Modern creperies offer an enormous range of gourmet and inventive options. While paying homage to tradition, chefs are constantly pushing boundaries with new crepe fillings and global influences. France’s crepe obsession continues today, with some estimates stating creperies outnumber bakeries in certain areas.
The Global Spread of Crepes
As French cuisine became more widely appreciated worldwide in the 20th century, crepes also started gaining global fame and followers. Here’s a look at how crepes expanded internationally:
Europe
Crepes and creperies quickly spread across Europe, integrating seamlessly with local cuisines.
In Belgium, street vendors sell Liège-style crepes made with oval grains of pearl sugar that caramelize while cooking. Eastern Europeans enjoy palačinka, delicate crepes filled with chocolate, fruit, or creamy cheese. In Spain, the thinner gallo pinto pancakes resemble French crepes.
North America
French colonists likely brought early versions of crepes to North America. But 20th century immigration patterns helped popularize crepes across the United States and Canada.
In parts of New England and Quebec settled by French Canadians, you can find ployes, a variation on buckwheat crepes. Crepe restaurants and food trucks can now be found across North America, especially in urban areas with strong French influence like New Orleans.
East Asia
The French colonial presence also brought crepes to parts of East Asia. Vietnam has adopted the bánh xèo, a savory crepe filled with meat, shrimp, and bean sprouts. In Korea, a French-inspired crepe cake has taken off as a popular street food and dessert.
Australia
Australian cafes serve up sweet breakfast crepes, while fusion restaurants stuff crepes with Chinese or Thai-inspired fillings. The Sydney suburb of Woollahra contains several creperies bringing Breton-style galettes Down Under.
Beyond
From Russia to Argentina to South Africa, crepes have become a worldwide staple. More broadly, the French influence made thin pancakes and crepe-like dishes popular across the globe. Yet it’s still Brittany that reigns supreme in terms of crepe innovation and obsession.
Brittany Remains the Crepe Capital
While crepes have journeyed far from their origins, Brittany remains the undisputable heart of all things crepe. Here are some factors that contribute to Brittany’s status as the world’s crepe capital:
- It’s estimated there are over 5,000 creperies in total across Brittany, with more per capita than anywhere in France
- Traditional Breton galettes are served in even the most modern creperies using organic buckwheat flour
- Locals eat crepes regularly as a quick meal, not just for tourists
- Annual crepe festivals and competitions take place. For instance, the town of Malestroit hosts the largest ‘pardon’ festival centered around crepes
- The Musee de la Crepe in the village of Argol commemorates the history and significance of Breton crepes
- Creperies use distinctive dispensers called biligs to pour perfectly thin crepe batter
From the seaport of Saint-Malo to inland towns like Rennes, crepes are simply part of everyday life in Brittany. Residents take pride in making excellent crepes with great care and precision.
While Breton-style creperies can now be found worldwide, making the pilgrimage to experience an authentic crepe in Brittany offers a whole different level of understanding. The sights, sounds, smells, and atmosphere of a Breton creperie simply can’t be replicated. Brittany remains the first and foremost global destination for crepe lovers.
Conclusion
So while variants of crepes have spread far and wide, the beloved food clearly traces its origins back to the northwest region of Brittany in France. Breton creperies developed the foundational template of the delicate pancake that could envelop either sweet or savory fillings.
Over many centuries, crepes progressed from a regional peasant dish to an iconic French staple. As French cuisine expanded its global influence from the 20th century onwards, crepes became one of France’s top culinary exports. Yet even as crepes achieve worldwide fame, Brittany remains sacred crepe territory for those who want an authentic taste of this history-steeped specialty.