Harajuku Crepe
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pjs42/34266451670/
Harajuku crepes are a Japanese street food that took the French crêpe and rebuilt it around a different idea. The crêpe is rolled into a cone, then stuffed with whipped cream, fresh fruit, custard, ice cream, or some combination of all of them. You eat it walking down the street.
They've been sold on Takeshita Street in Harajuku, Tokyo since the late 1970s, and the format has stayed the same: soft, slightly chewy crepe, enormous pile of filling, handed to you in paper. The batter is a little richer and more elastic than a French crêpe, closer to mochi in texture. This is helpful to hold the cone shape without tearing under the weight of the filling.
The fillings are the point. Strawberry and whipped cream is the baseline. Matcha custard, banana and chocolate, mango and cream cheese, red bean and ice cream, the combinations are endless and seasonal.
Harajuku Crepe Recipe
Ingredients (Makes about 8 crepes)
For the crepe
- All-purpose flour – 100g
- Cornstarch – 20g
- Sugar – 2 tablespoons
- Salt – a pinch
- Eggs – 2 large
- Milk – 250ml
- Butter – 20g, melted, plus extra for the pan
- Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon
For a classic strawberry cream filling
- Heavy cream – 200ml
- Sugar – 2 tablespoons
- Strawberries – 200g, hulled and halved
- Vanilla extract – ½ teaspoon
Instructions
Make the batter
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth.
- Add the milk gradually, whisking as you go. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla.
- Strain through a sieve and rest for 30 minutes. The batter should be thin and very smooth.
Cook the crepes
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and brush lightly with butter. Keep the heat moderate — Harajuku crepes should be soft and pale, not browned.
- Pour in enough batter to make a thin, wide circle, slightly larger than a French crêpe if your pan allows.
- Cook for about 1 minute until the surface is just set and the edges begin to lift. Don't flip! These are cooked on one side only.
- Slide onto a sheet of parchment or wax paper and cool slightly before filling.
Fill and roll
- Whip the cream with sugar and vanilla until it holds soft peaks.
- Place the crepe cooked-side up. Arrange filling across the lower-centre third: a few strawberries, a generous spoonful of cream.
- Fold the bottom edge up, then roll into a cone, gathering the paper around the outside to hold the shape. Serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions
Eat it like an ice cream cone, from the top down. Other filling combinations that work well: matcha cream with red bean paste, banana with Nutella and cream, mango with coconut cream. Keep the fillings cold and the crepe at room temperature for the best texture contrast.
| Name_ | Harajuku Crepe |
|---|---|
| Origin_ | 🇯🇵 Japan |
| Morphology_ | ⟁ Crepe |
| Flavor_ | sweet |
| Filling_ | whipped cream, fruit, ice cream, custard |
| Topping_ | none |
| Recipe_ | Harajuku Crepe Recipe |
| « All Pancakes_ | |