Everyone knows about French (wheat) crêpes (crêpe de froment in French). But few it seems have ever heard of galettes, or more precisely galettes de sarrasin or galettes de blé noir (translated as ‘buckwheat crêpe’). In France, crêpes are essentially a dessert, something served with sweet stuff (sugar, fruits, etc.). Galettes in comparison come with salty foods, and actually form the main course of a meal.
The galette is a specialty of Bretagne, a wonderful region in the West of France. It is made from buckwheat flour, and like the crêpe, a thin liquid batter is prepared and poured onto a hot frying pan or flat, circular hot plate (une crêpière chaude), and handled with a spatula (raclette).
Galettes are frequently garnished with eggs, meat (ham, sausages, etc) and cheese (shredded emmental for example). In this case, it is called ‘galette complète’. Traditionally, a meal of galettes and crêpes is served with cider, which is also a specialty of Bretagne.
Many restaurants in Bretagne are dedicated to serving galettes and crêpes; and during public events or fairs, these are offered by street vendors, in which case they can be found rolled in a manner of a hot dog. A note: In Bretagne, galettes are actually called “crêpes salées” (salted crêpes), in contrast to “crêpes sucrées” (sweet crêpes, made with wheat).
Check out the video below, and try it at home!
- Sev, French E-tutor
