At the crêperie, we are often asked: what is the difference between a galette and a crêpe? The answer comes down first to the flour, and a little to Breton geography.

The galette: buckwheat and savoury recipes

The galette is made from buckwheat flour, also known in French as blé noir ("black wheat"). Its very simple batter traditionally combines flour, water and salt. More rustic, with a nutty flavour, it takes savoury fillings: egg, ham, cheese, salmon, vegetables…

Despite the name "black wheat", buckwheat is not wheat, nor even a cereal: it is a plant from the same family as sorrel and rhubarb, classed among the "pseudo-cereals". It has been grown in Brittany since the late Middle Ages and spread widely there from the 16th century onwards.

The most famous one? La complète, with egg, ham and grated cheese. Yet it only became widespread after the Second World War.

The crêpe: wheat and indulgence

The crêpe is made from wheat flour (froment), with eggs, milk and a little sugar. Thinner and more supple, it is reserved for sweet recipes: sugar and butter, chocolate, jam, salted butter caramel, or flambéed with Grand Marnier.

Galette or crêpe: a question of region

Even within Brittany, the words change from region to region:

in Upper Brittany (the east, around Rennes and Nantes), people say galette for savoury buckwheat and crêpe for sweet wheat;
in Lower Brittany (the west), people simply say crêpe, specifying "crêpe de blé noir" or "crêpe de froment". In Breton, crêpes are called krampouezh.

In fact, that is where our name comes from: Crampous Mad roughly means "good crêpes" in Breton, mad meaning "good".

What about gluten?

Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free. But be careful: the flour can be contaminated at the mill, and in a crêperie, galettes and wheat crêpes are often cooked on the same griddles. If you are gluten-intolerant or coeliac, talk to our team before ordering.

Crêperie vocabulary

Billig: the large cast-iron griddle on which galettes and crêpes are cooked.
Rozell: the small wooden rake used to spread the batter.
Bolée: the cup from which cider, the traditional crêperie drink, is drunk.
Caramel au beurre salé (salted butter caramel): a recent Breton creation, born in Quiberon in 1977.

And at Crampous Mad?

Our buckwheat galettes and wheat crêpes are made one by one, to order. On the savoury side, try a Complète, a Nordique with smoked salmon or a Biquette with goat's cheese, or build your own galette by choosing a base and your ingredients. On the sweet side, the Spéciale du Faouët with salted butter caramel is a safe bet. All with a bolée of cider, of course.

Discover the full menu or book a table at 14 rue des Tondeurs, Mulhouse.