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Thin Yet Most Flavorful Breakfast and Dessert
One of Zola’s signature menus, Nutella banana crepes. November 11, 2023. Photo by Sarah Kim.
by Sarah Kim
Waffles, bagels, toasts, pancakes. These may be the first things you think of when breakfast comes to mind. Yet, I contend it is the crepe that reigns supreme. Whether you fill them with Nutella, strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries, they all make for my favorite meal.
So, what are crepes? Crepes are thin pancakes that can be either sweet or savory depending on your filling choice and are usually rolled with a variety of fillings and toppings (Vachon). After making the batter, you pour it onto a large pan and gently swirl it around so that the entire pan is covered up in batter. There is an interesting analysis claiming that physicists are better at making crepes as the key to a perfect crepe lies in tilting and twirling the pan, who can find the optimal pan-tilting strategy (“Physicists”).
Crepes originated in France around Brittany in the 13th century. The first crepe was created accidentally out of a mistake by a peasant named Henri Charpentier, who dropped porridge on a flat cooktop which turned into thin battered crepes. The name comes from the old French word crespe which translates to “curved,” and this is because the ends of crepes are edged (Blazic). Le Jour des Crepes (The Day of Crepes) takes place in France every February 2nd, when crepes are presented to French Catholic pilgrims visiting Rome for Candlemas by Pope Gelasio I (Vachon). Adding onto the story behind Le Jour des Crepes and Candlemas, the crepe’s meaning contributes to its significance by symbolizing either a coin or the sun.
I visited Café Zola on W. Washington St. in Ann Arbor to order crepes. Zola offers a variety of food from breakfast to lunch/dinner meals, such as calamari and pastas which are my all-time favorite. The restaurant has windows with sunlight shining in, creating a beautiful scene inside as I ate. There were many friends and families, and I could hear casual conversations, laughter, and coffee machines running. I got a warm welcome from my server and ordered a Nutella banana crepe. It was served on a big plate with ice cream, syrups, almonds, and of course, Nutella and banana inside.
Photo of me enjoying my crepes at Zola with friends. November 11, 2023. Photo by Sarah Kim.
Trendy yet comfortable interior of Cafe Zola. November 11, 2023. Photo by Sarah Kim.
As I cut the crepe, the bananas spilled out and I was able to get a bite of all the toppings. The thin batter allowed me to taste the fillings better, which would go unnoticed when they’re served with thick pancakes and waffles. The crepe was extremely warm and soft, but the ice cream and almonds balanced it out with the cold and crunchy texture. The combination of banana and nutella offered me a taste of both the sweetness of the chocolate and the freshness of the fruits. Like always, the crepe did not disappoint.
According to Café Zola’s official website, they are “an independently owned and operated business, opened by Hediye Batu and Alan Zakalik in March 1996” (“About Zola”). The name Zola came from a French writer Emile Zola, as French cuisine and culture significantly influenced their menus.
I had my first crepe when I was in middle school. Because my mom made the best crepes and she doesn’t live with me anymore, they are more special and memorable to me. Since my mom knew about my crepe obsession, she always made them for me on special days. On my birthdays, on days before big exams, on my bad days, she brought me a plate of crepes. My entire family also loved crepes, so we often ordered one as a dessert on our vacation trips. As our family usually enjoyed Korean traditional food for family dinners, adding crepes to our dinner table added a sense of newness and made us feel more connected to other cultures.
I reminisce about the crepes I always get at the famous food truck in Korea that offers 30 different fillings. Enjoying these French crepes in Korea and America makes the cultures feel more connected for me. Although crepes were the product of a simple mistake in France, its influence was notable and significant enough to spread throughout America and is now found everywhere to become one of the most loved and popular foods.
Works Cited
“About Zola.” Café Zola, https://www.cafezola.com/content/about-zola/. Accessed 31 October 2023.
Blazic, Dali. “Where Are Crepes From? The Amazing History of Crepes.” Dali Crepes, 14 June 2022, https://dalicrepes.com/blog/where-are-crepes-from. Accessed 31 October 2023.
Kim, Sarah. One of Zola’s signature menus, Nutella banana crepes. 11 Nov. 2023. Author’s personal collection.
Kim, Sarah. Photo of me enjoying my crepes at Zola with friends. 11 Nov. 2023. Author’s personal collection.
Kim, Sarah. Trendy yet comfortable interior of Cafe Zola. 11 Nov. 2023. Author’s personal collection.
“Physicists Serve up Perfect Crêpe.” Nature (London), vol. 570, no. 7762, London: Nature Publishing Group, pp. 419–419, doi:10.1038/d41586-019-01892-2.
Vachon, Pamela. “Origin of Crepes.” Institute of Culinary Education, 13 January 2022, https://www.ice.edu/blog/french-crepes. Accessed 31 October 2023.
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