', called ' in
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, is a
buckwheat pancake
A buckwheat pancake is a pancake made with buckwheat flour. Types of buckwheat pancake associated with specific regions include:
* '' Blini'', Eastern Europe, with a buckwheat variety particularly popular in Russia, Ukraine (''hrechanyky'' or ''г ...
in
Breton cuisine.
According to legend, the buckwheat pancake was born thanks to a Breton woman spilling buckwheat slop on a hot pebble in the chimney. Small quantities of buckwheat pollen have been found in the peat lands of
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
that date to the 12th Century
Buckwheat
Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as ''Fagop ...
agriculture appeared in Brittany at the beginning of the 16th century: its output is irregular and low, but it was not taxed. Buckwheat grows on poor, infertile land and can be harvested three months after sowing, giving the nickname "the 100 days plant". Among many legends about
Anne of Brittany
Anne of Brittany (; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death. She is the only woman to have been queen consort of France ...
, it is said that she developed its agriculture. Currently, the local production of buckwheat cannot supply the 15000 tons consumed per year in France, the preparation of these buckwheat pancakes relies on imports from
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
. A "protected geographic indicator" exists for Breton buckwheat flour and the "Blé noir tradition Bretagne" society consists of more than 800 producers and around ten mills in order to promote buckwheat flour usage (4000 tons per year).
See also
* ''
Blini
A blini (sometimes spelled bliny) ( pl., diminutive: блинчики, ''blinchiki'', dialectal, diminutive: млинчики, ''mlynchiki'') or, sometimes, blin (more accurate as a single form of the noun), is a Russian and more broadly Eastern ...
'' – Eastern European thicker buckwheat pancake
*
Galette
*
List of buckwheat dishes
This is a list of buckwheat dishes, consisting of dishes that use buckwheat as a main ingredient. Buckwheat is a plant cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. A related and more bitter species, ''Fagopyrum tataricum'', a domestic ...
* ''
Memil-buchimgae
''Memil-buchimgae'' () or buckwheat pancake is a variety of '' buchimgae'', or Korean pancake. It is a crepe-like dish made of thin buckwheat batter and napa cabbage.
Along with other buckwheat dishes, it is a traditional local speciality of G ...
'' – Korean buckwheat pancake
References
Pancakes
Buckwheat dishes
Breton cuisine
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