Galette is a general term used in French to designate various types of flat, round or freeform crusty cakes. One notable type is the
galette des Rois (
King cakeA king cake is a type of cake associated with the festival of Epiphany in the Christmas season in a number of countries, and in other places with Mardi Gras and Carnival...
) eaten on the day of Epiphany.
In
French CanadaFrench Canada is a term to distinguish the French-speaking population of Canada from English Canada.-Definition:Because it has represented different realities at different points in time, the term French Canada can be interpreted in differen chronologically they are:-le Canada:Canada, New France,...
, the term
galette is usually applied to pastries best described as large cookies.
Galette, or more properly
Breton galette , is also the name given in most French
crêperies to savoury
buckwheatBuckwheat refers to plants in two genera of the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, and the North American genus Eriogonum. The crop plant, common buckwheat, is Fagopyrum esculentum. Tartary buckwheat or "bitter buckwheat" is also used as a crop, but it is much less common...
flour pancakes, while those made from
wheatWheat is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Fertile Crescent region of the Near East. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
flour, much smaller in size and mostly served with a sweet filling, are branded
crêpeA crêpe is a type of very thin pancake . The word is of French origin, deriving from the Latin crispa, meaning "curled." While crêpes originate from Brittany, a region in the northwest of France, their consumption is nowadays widespread in France and they are considered a national dish. In...
s.
Galette is a general term used in French to designate various types of flat, round or freeform crusty cakes. One notable type is the
galette des Rois (
King cakeA king cake is a type of cake associated with the festival of Epiphany in the Christmas season in a number of countries, and in other places with Mardi Gras and Carnival...
) eaten on the day of Epiphany.
In
French CanadaFrench Canada is a term to distinguish the French-speaking population of Canada from English Canada.-Definition:Because it has represented different realities at different points in time, the term French Canada can be interpreted in differen chronologically they are:-le Canada:Canada, New France,...
, the term
galette is usually applied to pastries best described as large cookies.
Galette, or more properly
Breton galette , is also the name given in most French
crêperies to savoury
buckwheatBuckwheat refers to plants in two genera of the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, and the North American genus Eriogonum. The crop plant, common buckwheat, is Fagopyrum esculentum. Tartary buckwheat or "bitter buckwheat" is also used as a crop, but it is much less common...
flour pancakes, while those made from
wheatWheat is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Fertile Crescent region of the Near East. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
flour, much smaller in size and mostly served with a sweet filling, are branded
crêpeA crêpe is a type of very thin pancake . The word is of French origin, deriving from the Latin crispa, meaning "curled." While crêpes originate from Brittany, a region in the northwest of France, their consumption is nowadays widespread in France and they are considered a national dish. In...
s. Galette is a type of thin large
pancakeA pancake is a thin, flat cake prepared from a batter and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Most pancakes are quick breads; some use a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Most pancakes are cooked one side on a griddle and flipped partway through to cook the other side. A crêpe is a very thin and...
mostly associated with the
regionsFrance is administratively divided into 25 regions , of which 21 are on mainland France, and four are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
of
NormandyNormandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is situated along the English Channel coast of Northern France between Brittany and Picardy and comprises territory in northern France and the Channel Islands.Normandy is divided between French and British...
and
BrittanyBrittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Brittany was previously a kingdom and then as a duchy it was a fief of the Kingdom of France. It was at one time called Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, where it replaced at times bread as basic food, but it is eaten countrywide. Buckwheat was introduced as a crop suitable to impoverished soils and buckwheat pancakes were known in other regions where this crop was cultivated, such as
LimousinLimousin is a former province of France around the city of Limoges in central France. The province of Limousin lies in the foothills of the Massif Central, with cold weather in the winter...
or
AuvergneAuvergne was a historic province in south central France. It was originally the feudal domain of the Counts of Auvergne...
.
Unlike the traditional crêpe, the Breton galette is cooked on one side only. It is frequently garnished with egg, meat, fish, cheese, cut vegetables, apple slices, berries, or similar ingredients. One of the most popular varieties is a
galette covered with grated Emmental cheese, a slice of
hamHam is the thigh and rump of pork, cut from the haunch of a pig or boar. Although it may be cooked and served fresh, most ham is cured in some fashion. Cuts referred to as ham in the U.S. are also called gammon in the U.K. and Ireland.-China:...
and an egg, cooked on the galette. In France, this is known as a
galette complète (a complete galette). A hot
sausageA sausage is a prepared food, usually made from ground meat , ground pork fat such as fatback, salt, and spices . Typically the sausage is formed in a casing. Traditionally, sausage casings are made of animal intestines, though now some casings are synthetic...
wrapped in a galette (called
galette saucisse, a tradition of
RennesThe Parlement de Bretagne| map =|region = Bretagne|department = Ille-et-Vilaine|arrondissement = Rennes|canton = Chief town of 11 cantons|INSEE = 35238...
, France) and eaten like a
hot dogA hot dog is a moist sausage of soft, even texture and flavor, often made from advanced meat recovery or meat slurry. Most types are fully cooked, cured or smoked. It is often placed hot in a special purpose soft, sliced hot dog bun...
is becoming increasingly popular as well.
There is a children’s song about galette:
- “J’aime la galette, savez-vous comment ? Quand elle est bien faite, avec du beurre dedans.” (“I like galette, do you know how? When it is made well, with butter inside.”)
External links