The history of the galette dates back centuries and was the main source of nourishment throughout the countryside. The original was nothing more than a simple flat cake made with buckwheat, a member of the rhubarb and sorrel family.
Buckwheat was first introduced from Asia in the twelfth century and found its way to Brittany where the temperate climate proved to be perfect for nurturing the plant. Although thick galettes and thin crêpes maintained their popularity in the countryside, they eventually caught on with the more gentle society living in the cities and earned the reputation as being "fit for the Duchess Ann."
Fine galette eateries began to spring up by the fifteenth century. Crêpe makers prepared enormous piles of galettes to be served with sausages, pasta, and salted butter for families gathered for the fun and festivities in the cities.
Traditionally, the buckwheat galette is cooked in a frying pan on one side, cut into thin strips and added to soups and bouillons, or garnished with eggs, pasta and local savories.
The buckwheat crêpe, server crisp, was originally cooked on both sides using hot stones. It derives its airiness from diligently whipping the batter. Some crêperies used eggs in the batter along with cinnamon and orange flowers, which gave it a unique perfume and reputation as a lovely dessert. By the nineteenth century, the consumption of crêpes and galettes rose so dramatically they rivaled modern day bread in their popularity.
Today crêpes and galettes are associated with special occasions and are prepared in a host of new ways. One thing however has not changed throughout their long history, crêpes have always been and continue to be enjoyed for their simplicity, wholesomeness and relative east in preparation.