Home: Pancakes

The pancake is a popular desert/breakfast meal in many countries. A pancake is a thin cake which is fried in a frying pan. It's made from a simple batter, which is poured onto a hot pan and cooked for a few minutes.

While the pancake generally remains the same across country borders and countries. The consistency of the batter, it's thickness and the ingredients which make the batter do alter. There are distinct pancakes for,

• Scotland
• Wales
• England
• America
• France (crêpes)
• Canada
• Africa
• Central Asia
• East Asia
• Australia and New Zealand

Pancakes are traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday. Shrove Tuesday dates back a thousand years, and is recognised in English speaking countries as a religious date for absolution of sin. Pancake races are often conducted on Shrove Tuesday.

The English pancake uses the simplest ingredients, plain flour, milk and eggs. The US tend to use buttermilk and flour used for baking to raise the pancake higher than a traditional English pancake.

The English tend to have less traditional toppings for their pancakes. A simple topping of sugar, sugar and lemon juice, sugar and orange juice, or golden syrup.

The traditional topping for an American pancake is Maple Syrup. But a topping of butter, jam or fruits such a cherry and blueberries is common. The Jonnycake is a popular variant on the pancake.