The Crêpe Suzette is considered the queen of crêpes and is one of the most iconic variations of this French delicacy. However, its true inventor remains a mystery. There are many fascinating stories about how this legendary dish came to be.
The legend of Prince Edward
One of the best-known stories attributes the creation of the crêpe suzette to Britain's Prince Edward. While on holiday in Monte Carlo in 1896, Edward visited the legendary Café de Paris with other aristocrats.
A young apprentice chef named Henri Charpentier was tasked with preparing crêpes for the party. In the process, Henri accidentally spilled a bottle of orange liqueur, which caught fire. To save face, he improvised and presented the flaming crêpes as a new creation. Edward was so pleased that he named the dish after one of the women in his company.
A romantic twist
According to another version of the story, it wasn't aristocrats that Edward was dining with, but a seamstress or actress called Suzette, whom he had met in Monte Carlo. It was out of affection that he named the crêpes after her.
The actress Suzette
Another anecdote tells of an actress called Suzette who was in a play where she had to eat pancakes regularly, even though she did not like them. A kind-hearted chef at a nearby restaurant made her a special version of the crêpe every night, which he named Crêpe Suzette in her honour.
A classic with a rich history
True or not, the stories behind the Crêpe Suzette add to its charm. Flambéed with orange liqueur and served with a sprinkling of history - voilà: Crêpe Suzette!