Yesterday, I played around with crepes and that got me to thinking, so what’s the difference between a crepe and a blintz. The real answer is the both start out as very similar things - very thin pancakes. The difference really comes from the final preparation of them. A crepe is usually stuffed and served as is, while a blintz is stuffed and then sauteed until golden brown. For a more thorough definition, here’s what Epicurious has to say about each.
“crêpe
[KRAYP, KREHP]
The French word for “pancake,” which is exactly what these light, paper-thin creations are. They can be made from plain or sweetened batters with various flours, and used for savory or dessert dishes. Dessert crêpes may be spread with a jam or fruit mixture, rolled or folded and sometimes flamed with brandy or liqueur. Savory crêpes are filled with various meat, cheese or vegetable mixtures — sometimes topped with a complementary sauce — and served as a first or main course.
based on THE FOOD LOVER’S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst”
And now…
“blintz
[BLIHNTS]
A tender, ultrathin pancake that can be made with any number of flours. The blintz is rolled to enclose a sweet or savory filling including cottage or ricotta cheese, fruit or meat mixtures. It’s then sautéed until golden brown and served with sour cream.
based on THE FOOD LOVER’S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst”
vs.