How to Eat Crêpes on Chandeleur

Comme une Française

27 Jan 201405:50

Summary

TLDRIn this episode of Comme une Française TV, host Géraldine introduces viewers to the French tradition of La Chandeleur, celebrated on February 2nd with crêpes. The script explains the historical significance of the holiday, which evolved from a candle festival to a culinary celebration. It also provides vocabulary for making crêpes and galettes, including ingredients and cooking techniques, and suggests various fillings for both sweet and savory crepes. The video encourages viewers to share their crepe experiences and engage in the community.

Takeaways

📅 Chandeleur is celebrated on February 2nd in France, marking the occasion with the making and eating of crêpes.
🕯️ The holiday has its roots in the 'Candle Festival', where candles were lit for purification at midnight.
🌞 Crepes are associated with the sun due to their round shape and color, symbolizing the hope for the return of warmth after winter.
🍽️ Historically, Chandeleur was a time to use up leftover flour to make a special treat during a challenging season.
⛪️ The festival began as a pagan feast but was incorporated into the Christian calendar around the year 500.
🍳 Making crêpes is a family activity in France, often involving a competition to see who can 'flip the crêpes' the best.
🍹 Traditional beverages with crêpes include cider, which can be sweet or dry, and apple juice.
🍴 For those who don't want to cook, there are crêperies where one can enjoy the dish.
🥞 Crêpes can be either sweet (sucrée) or savory (salée), with galettes being a type of savory crêpe made with buckwheat flour.
🧀 Savory galettes can be filled with various ingredients such as cheese, eggs, ham, mushrooms, and vegetables.
🍯 Sweet crêpes are typically filled with sugar, butter, Nutella, melted chocolate, lemon, coconut, ice cream, caramel, or whipped cream.
🌐 The video encourages viewers to use the vocabulary and recipes provided to improve their French and share their experiences.

Q & A

What is La Chandeleur and when is it celebrated in France?
-La Chandeleur is a French holiday celebrated on February 2nd. It is traditionally associated with the making and eating of crêpes.
What is the origin of La Chandeleur and how did it evolve over time?
-La Chandeleur originated as a pagan feast and later became a Christian holiday around the year 500. It was initially celebrated by lighting candles at midnight for purification and now involves eating crêpes.
What is the significance of the shape and color of crêpes during La Chandeleur?
-The shape and color of the crêpes are similar to the sun, symbolizing the anticipation of warmer weather after a long, cold winter.
How did the tradition of making crêpes during La Chandeleur start?
-In the old days, people used their leftover flour to make crêpes as a special treat during the tough winter season, which later became a tradition associated with La Chandeleur.
What are the basic ingredients needed to make crêpes according to the script?
-To make crêpes, you need eggs, flour, milk, oil, and optionally, beer for a more traditional taste.
What are some common beverages to accompany crêpes during La Chandeleur?
-Common beverages to accompany crêpes are cider, which can be sweet or dry, and apple juice.
What is a 'crêpière' and how is it used in making crêpes?
-A 'crêpière' is a type of pan used for making crêpes. It is similar to a large frying pan and is specifically designed for cooking thin, round pancakes.
What are 'galettes' and how do they differ from crêpes?
-Galettes are a type of crêpe made with buckwheat flour, typically used for savory fillings, as opposed to sweet crêpes which are made with regular flour.
What are some popular fillings for galettes mentioned in the script?
-Popular fillings for galettes include grated cheese, goat cheese, blue cheese, ham, and mushrooms.
How does the script suggest improving one's French language skills?
-The script suggests that to improve French, one should take action by using what they learn from Comme une Française TV, such as participating in discussions and asking questions in the comment section.
What exclusive content is offered by subscribing to Comme une Française?
-By subscribing to Comme une Française, one can receive exclusive tips on Real Life in France every Tuesday, as well as an exclusive video lesson on presenting oneself in French.

Outlines

00:00

🍽 Celebrating Chandeleur with Crêpes

This paragraph introduces the French tradition of making and eating crêpes on La Chandeleur, which falls on February 2nd. It explains the historical origins of the celebration, which started as a pagan feast and later became a Christian holiday associated with the lighting of candles for purification. The crepe's round shape symbolizes the sun, bringing hope after winter. The paragraph also details the process of making crêpes, including the necessary ingredients and tools, and suggests family participation in cooking as a bonding activity. It mentions the traditional accompaniments of cider or apple juice and the option of visiting a crêperie for those who do not wish to cook. The paragraph concludes with a variety of sweet and savory fillings for crêpes and galettes, including personal favorites such as 'jambon / chèvre / miel / noix' for galettes and coconut, chocolate, and chantilly for crêpes.

05:03

📝 Sharing Your Crêpe Experience

In the second paragraph, the script invites viewers to share their personal experiences with making crêpes, asking for their favorite types of galettes and crêpes and whether they plan to make crêpes for Chandeleur. It encourages viewers to engage in discussions and ask questions in the comment section. The paragraph also promotes an exclusive subscription to Comme une Française for additional content, including tips on real-life experiences in France and a free video lesson on presenting oneself in French. The script ends with a warm farewell and an appetitive wish, emphasizing the interactive and educational nature of the Comme une Française TV platform.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Chandeleur

Chandeleur, also known as 'La Chandeleur', is a French holiday celebrated on February 2nd. It is traditionally associated with the lighting of candles for purification. In the context of the video, it is the main theme as it revolves around the tradition of making and eating 'crêpes' on this day. The script mentions that Chandeleur has evolved from a pagan feast to a Christian holiday and is now synonymous with the enjoyment of crêpes.

💡Crêpes

Crêpes are thin pancakes that are a central part of the Chandeleur celebration in France. They are made from a batter and cooked on a crêpe pan or large skillet. The script describes the process of making crêpes and the various fillings that can be added, such as sugar, butter, Nutella, or melted chocolate for sweet crêpes, and ham, cheese, or mushrooms for savory galettes, which are a type of crêpe made with buckwheat flour.

💡Galettes

Galettes are a type of crêpe made with buckwheat flour, known as 'farine de sarrazin' in French. They are typically savory and can be filled with various ingredients such as cheese, eggs, ham, mushrooms, or vegetables. The script provides a recipe for making galettes and discusses the different fillings that can be used, emphasizing the versatility of this dish.

💡Pâte à crêpe

The term 'pâte à crêpe' refers to the batter used to make crêpes. It is prepared by mixing flour, eggs, milk, oil, and sometimes beer or other liquids to create a smooth, pourable consistency. In the script, it is mentioned as the base for both sweet crêpes and galettes, highlighting its importance in the cooking process.

💡Crêpière

A 'crêpière' or 'une grand poêle' is a type of pan used specifically for making crêpes. It is typically round and has a flat surface that allows for even cooking of the thin batter. The script mentions using a crêpière when discussing the process of making crêpes, emphasizing the traditional tools associated with this French culinary practice.

💡Faire sauter les crêpes

The phrase 'faire sauter les crêpes' translates to 'making the crêpes jump' or 'flipping the crêpes'. It refers to the technique of flipping the crêpe in the pan to cook both sides. The script mentions this as a skill that can be honed while making crêpes with family, adding a fun and competitive element to the cooking process.

💡Cidre

Cidre is the French word for cider, a fermented beverage made from apple juice. The script mentions 'du cidre' as a traditional drink to accompany crêpes during Chandeleur. It can be 'doux', meaning less alcoholic, or 'brut', meaning more alcoholic, offering a choice based on personal preference.

💡Sucrée

The term 'sucrée' refers to something that is sweet. In the context of the video, it is used to describe a type of crêpe that is sweet, as opposed to 'salée', which means savory. The script provides examples of sweet fillings for crêpes, such as sugar, butter, Nutella, and melted chocolate.

💡Salée

Salée, meaning savory in English, is used in the script to describe a type of crêpe that is not sweet. These crêpes, or galettes, are typically filled with ingredients like cheese, eggs, ham, mushrooms, or vegetables, offering a more substantial and savory option for the Chandeleur meal.

💡La crêperie

A 'crêperie' is a French establishment that specializes in making and serving crêpes. The script suggests going to a crêperie as an alternative to making crêpes at home, indicating that these specialized restaurants offer a variety of crêpe options and are a part of French culinary culture.

💡Préparer

The French verb 'préparer' means 'to prepare' in English. In the context of the video, it is used to describe the process of making the crêpe batter, which is a key step in the cooking process. The script uses this term to introduce the ingredients and method for preparing both sweet and savory crêpes.

Highlights

La Chandeleur is a French holiday on February 2nd where people traditionally cook and eat crêpes.

The holiday originates from the candle festival, where candles were lit for purification.

Crêpes are shaped and colored like the sun, symbolizing hope for the end of winter.

People used to make crêpes from leftover flour as a special treat during the tough winter season.

Chandeleur started as a pagan feast and became a Christian holiday around the year 500.

The holiday takes place 40 days after Christmas, on February 2nd.

Making crêpes is a family activity where you can determine who is best at flipping the crêpes.

Crêpes are cooked in a crêpière or large pan.

People often drink cider or apple juice while making crêpes.

Cider can be sweet (doux) or dry (brut) depending on the alcohol content.

If you don't want to cook, you can visit a crêperie to enjoy crêpes.

Galettes are savory crêpes made with buckwheat flour, eggs, oil, salt, water, and butter.

Galettes can be filled with various ingredients like cheese, eggs, ham, honey, nuts, mushrooms, and vegetables.

Crêpes are typically sweet and can be filled with sugar, butter, Nutella, melted chocolate, lemon, coconut, ice cream, caramel, whipped cream, and more.

The presenter's favorite galette is ham/goat cheese/honey/nuts.

The presenter's favorite crêpe is coconut, chocolate, and whipped cream.

Viewers are encouraged to share their crêpe experiences and favorite flavors in French in the comments section.

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