Crepes have a fascinating history.

They came from a little area in France. And although crepes, pancakes or  blini became popular in many cultures, the French turned them into a form of culinary art.

Buckwheat pancakes specifically were introduced and thrived in Bretagne, the Northern part of France close to Britain. Wheat didn’t grow well there, but buckwheat did in this wet region of France around the 12th century. Buckwheat was initially used for porridge, and later was ground into flour. The legend goes that a French housewife accidentally spilled some buckwheat porridge onto a flat stove and the result was a flat crepe. That’s how the crepes came into being or so they say.

By the way, Galette is a French word for crepe made of buckwheat flour with some savory filling.

Those who read my story about buckwheat may remember that I promised to cook and write about buckwheat pancakes, or гречневые блины, or crêpes de sarrasin, or galettes. I am fulfilling my promise here because this is what I am cooking today.

I use 2 cups of buckwheat flour, 2 eggs, 1 cups of kefir and 1 cup of water or milk, a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar, ½ tbs of baking soda, olive oil for frying.

You can use one cup of buckwheat flour and one cup of all-purpose flour unless you would like to make gluten-free crepes. Buckwheat flour as well as buckwheat cereal are famously gluten-free.

Separate yolk from the white and whisk white until it’s stiff. Combine kefir, milk, flour, baking soda, sugar, salt, yolks and whisked egg whites. Mix well and let it stand for about an hour.

Heat the crepe griddle over a medium heat, smearing a little oil over the surface. Add a ladle of batter on to the center of the skillet, allowing it to spread over the entire surface.

Soon, after about one minute, you will see tiny bubbles appear. Take your spatula and gently flip it over onto the other side. It takes some practice. When it’s ready, place it on a plate or wooden board  and sprinkle some melted butter on each crepe.

There are options of what you do next with the crepes. You can serve them with already cooked mushrooms, grated cheese, yogurt, grated apples, bananas or any fruit or berries of your choice.

And, of course, with an egg. The egg can be cooked separately and placed on top, OR, when crepe is almost ready, you may crack an egg on to the surface of the crepe. It might run across the top which is normal.

Then sprinkle some grated cheese over it. As it cooks, gently lift the sides of the crepe with your spatula and fold into the centre. It doesn’t matter if it is not perfect. The idea is to cook the galette so that it is lovely and crisp, yet the egg yolk remains runny.

You can now serve your crepe with an egg with chopped herbs or a green salad. It’s a hearty and nourishing meal and an excellent lunch idea.

Bon Appetit!

P.S. All the food featured in this post has been prepared and photographed by me.