Re: Japanese Crepes - Food Vendors @ Fanime 2010

[PyronIkari]

Not that I don't think crepes are a good idea...

but... what are Japanese style crepes?

Crepes are crepes. There's really know such thing as "JP style crepes".

[Moonblossom]

French style are either served flat or rolled with a bit of sauce and are a slightly different texture. I've always seen the whole "stuffing with crazy things and folding in a triangle to eat like a sandwich" street-food style crepe promoted as Japanese-style.

http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+32697

They talk about the difference in style a fair bit here.

[PyronIkari]

French style are either served flat or rolled with a bit of sauce and are a slightly different texture. I've always seen the whole "stuffing with crazy things and folding in a triangle to eat like a sandwich" street-food style crepe promoted as Japanese-style.

http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+32697

They talk about the difference in style a fair bit here.

Restaurant crepes are served flat or rolled.

Crepes are served folded like that every where, including France.

Folded crepes are meant to be served as a snack or at stands. They're considered street food and vendors needed a way to serve them without needing a knife and fork. They serve crepes in Viet Nam like this(if you happen to be in an area that actually has them). I'm 99.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999% certain, that Viet Nam did not get this from Japan (as they were controlled by France for quite a long time).

The reason they have a different texture is that most people in France use buckwheat to make them. This didn't carry on well outside of France, as even in American, French restaurants do not use buckwheat.

So again, there's no such thing as "Japanese style crepes". They're just popular in Japan is all.

[Moonblossom]

http://www.crepehouseuni.com/aboutus.html
"One of the most significant differences between a traditional French and Japanese crepe is how they are served." (too lazy to type out the rest right now but you might want to read it)

Feel free to take it up with the many companies who refer to them as "Japanese-style crepes" then, rather than be a nitpicky arse here. Jerry is obviously referring to the folded, stuffed, street-style ones and the easiest way to explain was refer to it as Japanese-style. I've never seen a french crepe sold as street food, especially not stuffed with brownies and tiramisu or hamburgers or tofu salad, and I live in one of the most french places in the world outside of France itself.

edit: Since I know there's no point whatsoever in trying to have a rational discussion with a brick wall, I'm not replying to you again. Feel free to continue rolling around in your fabulous intellectual superiority.

[N.E.R.V.agent220]

How about this, Let's Invite the crew of Sophie's Crepes from San Francisco's Japantown have them set up a booth in the convention center somewhere where they can serve their delicious crepe deserts. (I reccommend the ice cream crepes) have them experience Fanime for the first time and perhaps have them give you a lecture on what Japanese crepes are.       

[PyronIkari]

http://www.crepehouseuni.com/aboutus.html
"One of the most significant differences between a traditional French and Japanese crepe is how they are served." (too lazy to type out the rest right now but you might want to read it)

Feel free to take it up with the many companies who refer to them as "Japanese-style crepes" then, rather than be a nitpicky arse here. Jerry is obviously referring to the folded, stuffed, street-style ones and the easiest way to explain was refer to it as Japanese-style. I've never seen a french crepe sold as street food, especially not stuffed with brownies and tiramisu or hamburgers or tofu salad, and I live in one of the most french places in the world outside of France itself.

edit: Since I know there's no point whatsoever in trying to have a rational discussion with a brick wall, I'm not replying to you again. Feel free to continue rolling around in your fabulous intellectual superiority.

http://www.crepesalacarts.com/

Because clearly, no one except the Japanese makes crepes that way. Funny, I had a conversation about crepes with a French-Vietnamese Otaku friend of mine who currently resides in France about this very subject about 2 months or so ago. Someone else claimed that folded crepes are Japanese inventions, I said they were incorrect. He argued almost the same thing you are. French friend replied "Really, I just had a crepe from a street vendor while I was walking home. I'm fairly certain he was French, and apparently that cart had been in his family for a few generations now".

Yeah, he used it because it was easier, that's fine, I merely corrected him and stated that there's no such thing. Most people understand what you mean by saying crepes... and showing a gigantic picture of it. I merely corrected him so he doesn't make the mistake (or you for that matter) again.

Why are you being so defensive and argumentative merely because I corrected this error?

[Touya no Miko]

Is this really something we should be arguing about at all?

[Glitch]

Is this really something we should be arguing about at all?

Doesn't seem like it. But I like watching the fireworks anyway. *sits back in chair.*

[Persona]

I thought that Japanese-style crepes tended to be rolled up in an ice-cream cone/have a more conical shape than French-style, which are usually in a 1/4 circle shape.

Shape difference aside, Japanese crepes also tend to be thinner with a crispy edge and slightly bigger, while French crepes are a little doughier. Also, I've never had a Japanese crepe served on a plate, though I've had French crepes in both street-food form and in meal form.

Perhaps there really isn't a difference after all, but that's the experience with crepes that I've had, and I've run the gamut between crepes in Japan, Japantown, HK, Montreal, and "crepes" in Berkeley (Crepes a Go-Go/Crepevine).

[PyronIkari]

I thought that Japanese-style crepes tended to be rolled up in an ice-cream cone/have a more conical shape than French-style, which are usually in a 1/4 circle shape.

Shape difference aside, Japanese crepes also tend to be thinner with a crispy edge and slightly bigger, while French crepes are a little doughier. Also, I've never had a Japanese crepe served on a plate, though I've had French crepes in both street-food form and in meal form.

Perhaps there really isn't a difference after all, but that's the experience with crepes that I've had, and I've run the gamut between crepes in Japan, Japantown, HK, Montreal, and "crepes" in Berkeley (Crepes a Go-Go/Crepevine).

You'd be wrong in general. People make them how they do. The batter varies at every single place you get crepes at, and the edges are done based on how the person cooks it. There's no style. I've had crepes in like 8 different places in Japan, and all of them were different. Same with in France. You can get buckwheat or flour in France. In California you can get all kinds, same with Lousiana, or any other place. There's TONS of Crepe places in Lousiana and all of them serve all kinds of styles/fillings/methods. As I said... there is no such thing as "Japanese style".

The CLOSEST thing you can say is "Japanese style" crepes is that they tend to make their crepes MUCH sweeter than other places. But again, this isn't really because it's JP style, but a lot of places in Japan just happen to do that. Like I said, I had crepes in lots of places in Japan, and a lot of them were incredibly sweet than what I'm used to. Others weren't and prety much like what I've had in the US.

[ewu]

eh i think the only thing that could conceptually make them Japanese is that sophie's is at the Kinokuniya mall...that said.....move to everything forum....

[lady_tomoko]

How about this, Let's Invite the crew of Sophie's Crepes from San Francisco's Japantown have them set up a booth in the convention center somewhere where they can serve their delicious crepe deserts. (I reccommend the ice cream crepes) have them experience Fanime for the first time and perhaps have them give you a lecture on what Japanese crepes are.       

OMG!!!!!!!!!THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.I would die of extreme happiness if Sophie's Crepes had a booth @ Fanime (or a diabetic coma, I don't known which).