Crepes and Cider a Hit at the French Cultural Center

As the French say: Chandeleur couverte, quarante jours de perte.

It's not what you think. The phrase means if its overcast on Candlemas, winter will last another 40 days. This year, the groundhog -- who did not see his shadow, thus ensuring spring is on the way -- and Candlemas proverb contradicted each other.

The French Catholic holiday was originally supposed to be celebrated on Feb. 2 at the French Cultural Center, but was cancelled due to a snowstorm (shocker), and celebrated on Feb. 10 instead. moved to Feb. 10. Even though the event did not fall on on Candlemas, around 50 guests came together for crepes and cider. 

Pierre Noinski, Cultural Programs Manager at the center, explained some of the traditions of the holiday:

• Crepes are a staple of the holiday because their roundness symbolizes the sun, and after Feb. 2, springtime (hopefully) looms around the corner.
• There's a superstition where a person holds a coin in one hand and attempts to flip a crepe in a pan in the other hand. If the crepe flips perfectly, that person’s family will have good luck the rest of the year.

The crepes were donated by Bon Savor, a Jamaica Plain bistro. Guests enjoyed a wide array of fillings such as jelly, fresh fruit and Nutella -- which sparked a discussion about whether the jar of chocolatey goodness tastes different in France. Others debated the precise way to cook a crepe to ensure they’re thin enough and don’t burn.

“The crepes were great,” said Barry Veltman, a Brookline resident.  “I had never been here before so I was a little nervous at first, but I ended up having a great time talking to everyone and enjoying the food and drinks."

Veltman also had his first taste of authentic cider, made from fermented apples. Louisa Spencer, co-owner of Farnum Hill Ciders in New Hampshire, supplied the drinks and explained what to look for when tasting cider.

“It’s similar to the criteria for beer or wine,” she said. “Look for complexity in the flavors. It can have a high complexity of fruit, but it doesn’t have to taste like apple juice, just as wine doesn’t taste like grape juice.”

Noinski was happy with the turnout, and glad people got to experience French culture, even if they don't become members of the cultural center.

The rest of us should be happy the groundhog holds more clout when it comes to predicting spring in America.