The word crepe in French literally means pancake. Even though a crepe is a form of cake made in a pan, a crepe and what has become known as a pancake are two different things. A crepe is a thin cake cooked in a pan with shallow sides, and it is mainly used to wrap fillings. A pancake is smaller and thicker, and is meant to simply stack and eat. Pancake batter is usually thick and lumpy and often turns out free-form when it hits an unstructured or no-sided griddle or skillet. Crepes are shaped in a pan with shallow sides and are more formal than pancakes.

Almost anyone can make pancakes and many cooks insist that they have perfected the pancake. But, it takes a few tries to get the crepe down pat. Crepes fell by the wayside when creamy fillings became passé. Yet, today's sophisticated palate is bringing these classic, delicate wrappers back to the plate. They have always been popular in France, particularly in Brittany where there are countless creperies (crepe restaurants).