A brief history
Who invented crêpes?
Henry Carpentier
The dish was created out of a mistake made by a 14 year old assistant waiter Henry Carpentier (1880–1961) in 1895 at the Maitre at Monte Carlo’s Cafdé Paris. He was preparing a dessert for the prince of Wales, the future king Edward 7th, (1841-1910) of England .
He was actually making crepe Suzette. Crepe Suzette is probably the most famous crepe dish in the world. In the a restaurant, a classic crepe Suzette is often prepared and the chafing dish in full view of the guests. The crepes are served hot with a sauce of sugar, orange juice, butter and the liquor usually Grand Marnier. Brandy is poured over the sauce and then lit. Crepes Suzette were made famous in elegant Parisian restaurants at the turn of the 20th century and have become standard French dessert fare.
Short story about crepe “princess”.
The Prince of Wales really loved the flamed crepe and he asked Henry to maned it after one of his guests, Henry saw a young women and decided to named the crepe “Princes”, but The Prince didn’t really liked that idea and then they decided to maned it “Suzette”
The history of crêpes dates back to 13th century Brittany, France. It seems a housewife there accidentally dribbled some thin porridge onto a hot, flat cooktop. Since people back then weren’t inclined to waste even the smallest cooking mistakes, she ate it, the rest, as they say, is history.
The term crêpe is a French word that comes from the old French term “crespe”, that originates from the Latin word “crispa” or “Crispus”, meaning “curled”. Flour, eggs, milk and butter are typically the primary ingredients used to make a crêpe and they are cooked on a hot plate, fraing pan or special appliance.
Short Quiz
- how do you think crepes are old? Antient Egypt, In France’s Brittany in Europe, sometime after buckwheat flour’s introduction to the area in the 1100s.
- What was the first name of crepe Suzette? Crepe Princess
- How long did it take to make the non stop crepe making for Guinness world record? 8 hours.
- How many did the make? 12,716.
- world’s largest crepe was made where? Rochdale
- when? August 13, 1994
- how big? 15.01 meters in diameter, inch deep
- How heavy was it? weight 3 tonnes, had to be flipped over with the aid of cranes.
There is a tradition that if you make a Wish when flipping a crepe holding one hand on the handle of the pan and the other a penny, the wish will come true.
Follow our blog to get the perfect recipe for the crepe batter and Suzette sauce from La Crepe Bakery and Cafe!!
