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Ever Wonder How Crepe Suzette Originated?

crepe suzette

May 6 honors a unique and delicious food holiday–National Crepe Suzette Day! A Crepe Suzette is a French dessert consisting of a crepe with beurre Suzette. The sauce is caramelized sugar and butter, orange juice and zest and orange liqueur.  The alcohol is set afire and evaporates quickly, resulting in a thick caramelized sauce.  In restaurants, Crepes Suzettes are often prepared at the table of the guests.

In restaurants, a Crepe Suzette is often prepared on a gueridon ( a small, often circular-table top) before the guests.

HISTORY

The origin of the dish and its name is disputed. One claim is that it was created from a mistake made by a fourteen year-old assistant waiter Henri Charpentier in 1895 at the Maitre at Monte Carlo’s Café de Paris. He was preparing a dessert for the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, whose guests included a beautiful French girl named Suzette.

The other claim states that the dish was named in honor of French actress Suzanne Reichenberg (1853–1924), who worked professionally under the name Suzette. In 1897, Reichenberg appeared in the Comédie Française in the role of a maid, during which she served crepes on stage. Monsieur Joseph, owner of Restaurant Marivaux, provided the crepes  He decided to flambe the thin pancakes to attract the audience’s attention and keep the food warm for the actors consuming them. Joseph was subsequently director of the Paillard Restaurant in Paris and was later with the Savoy Hotel in London.

Sources:

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