Pancake

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For other uses, see Pancake (disambiguation).

Pancakes are a kind of flatbread prepared from a batter that is baked on a hot griddle or frying pan. They exist in several variations in many different local cuisines. Most pancakes are quick breads, although some are also made using a yeast-raised or fermented batter.

1 Regional varieties
2 Details
3 Pancake Day
4 See also
5 Footnotes
6 External links

[edit] Regional varieties

American or Canadian pancakes contain a raising agent, usually baking powder, and different proportions of eggs, flour and milk which create a thick batter. This batter is either spooned or poured onto a hot surface, and spreads to form a cake about 1/4 or 1/3 inch (1 cm) thick. The raising agent causes bubbles to rise to the uncooked side of the pancake, at which point they are ready to be flipped. The resulting pancakes are very light in texture and are often served at breakfast topped with maple syrup, butter, peanut butter or fruit. Vermont pancakes usually have a secondary grain added to the wheat flour, either oatmeal or buckwheat flour. Both of these recipes require more baking powder to leaven. The texture is coarser, the flavor deeper suggesting toasted nuts.

North American (Canada and the United States) style pancakes

In the U.S., pancakes can also be referred to as hotcakes, griddlecakes, or flapjacks. A typical portion served in restaurants is 3 to 4 pancakes of more or less 14 cm (5 inch) diameter. A smaller number may be ordered by requesting a "short stack". Diners usually serve 1 or 2 pancakes of more or less 25 cm (10 inches) diameter. A "silver dollar" pancake refers to a pancake about 7 cm (3 inches) in diameter - these are usually served in groups of five or ten.

In England, pancakes have three key ingredients: plain flour, eggs, and milk. The batter is quite runny and forms a thin layer on the bottom of the frying pan when the pan is tilted. It may form some bubbles during cooking, which result in a pale pancake with dark spots where the bubbles were, but the pancake does not rise. These pancakes may be eaten sweet with the traditional topping of lemon juice and sugar, or wrapped around savoury stuffings and eaten as a main course. When baked instead of fried, this batter rises (despite having no raising agents – it rises because the air beaten into the batter expands) and is known as Yorkshire pudding. English pancakes are similar to French crêpes, and Italian crespelle, but are not "lacy" in appearance.

However, in Scotland and Ireland pancakes, known elsewhere as, Scottish or Scots and in Scotland and Ireland as drop scones, pancakes or girdle cakes, are more like the American variation and are served as such (see below). Scottish pancakes are made from Self-Raising flour, eggs, sugar and milk with Irish pankakes being made with Soda-flour and buttermilk.

Scottish pancake and fruit crumpet.

Pancakes similar to the North American pancake but smaller (usually about 3.5 in / 9 cm across) are known in the British Isles as Scottish pancakes or (after the traditional method of dropping batter onto a griddle (a girdle in Scots) drop-scones, and in Australia and New Zealand as pikelets. They can be served with jam and cream or just with butter. In the U.S. these are known as "silver dollar pancakes" since the individual pancakes are each about the size of a U.S. silver dollar (with Eisenhower on the face, no longer minted). In Scotland, they are rarely served as a breakfast item, but are more commonly considered a sweet item. They are available plain, or as a fruit pancake with raisins baked in, There is a larger thinner version called crumpets, but these are traditionally made from a slightly different recipe, and uses yeast rather than self-raising flour.

Crêpe opened up

French crêpes, popular in France, Quebec, and Brazil (where they're usually called pancake, or only crêpe) are made from flour, milk, and eggs. Due to their thin consistency, they are usually served with a large amount of filling, widely ranging from fruit and/or ice cream, to seafood.

German pancakes often served in American pancake houses, are shaped like a bowl, come in a variety of sizes, some quite large and nearly impossible for one person to finish. They are commonly eaten with lemons and powdered sugar, although jam is sometimes used as well. The pancakes eaten in Germany, however, are of the English variety. They are called Pfannkuchen, although in some areas (Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxonia) that is instead the local name for Berliner, a type of doughnut. Pancaces are called Eierkuchen there. In Swabia, cut pancakes (Flädle) are a traditional soup ingredient.

In Austria pancakes are called Palatschinken, a word derived from Latin placenta by way of Romanian, and are usually filled with apricot jam but are also known to have a pleasing taste filled with a chocolate sauce or hazelnut spread. Similar pancakes with similar names can be found throughout the former Austria-Hungary (today Austria, Bosnia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia), see Palatschinken.

Scandinavian pancakes are similar to English pancakes. They are traditionally served with jam and/or ice cream or whipped cream, although they may also be served as a main dish with a variety of savoury fillings. Traditional Swedish variations can be somewhat exotic. Some resemble English pancakes with a tiny diameter; these are called plättar, and they are fried several at a time in a special pan. Others resemble German pancakes but include fried pork in the batter; these are cooked in an oven. There are also potato pancakes, called raggmunk. These contain shredded raw potato and, sometimes, other vegetables. If the actual pancake batter is left out, the fried cakes of grated potatoes are called rårakor. Both the latter kinds are eaten traditionally with pork rinds and/or lingonberry jam.

In Malaysia and Singapore a pancake-like snack is made with a filling, usually cheese or kaya but occasionally bean paste, ground peanut, blueberry or custard. There are other interesting variations, such as those made with soya bean partially replacing the flour.

In Russia, Poland and Ukraine, blintz and blini are made from wheat or buckwheat flour, yeast, butter, eggs and milk. Blini come from the French crêpe which were introduced during pre-Soviet times.

In Ethiopia, injera is made from a fermented sourdough batter of buckwheat or the more traditional teff.

In Hungary, palacsinta are made from flour, milk and/or soda water, sugar, and eggs. They are served as a main dish or as a dessert, depending on the filling. Sweet wine can also be added to the batter.

In Italy, cannelloni are made from pancake batter or noodle dough. They are then filled, covered with cheese, and baked.

In the Middle East, pita is made from flour and yeast.

In India, dosa are made from rice flour and fried in a skillet.

In Chinese cuisine, green onion pancakes are the thin pancakes made with buckwheat flour and green onions, served with moo shu dishes.

In Mexico they are generally called "hot cakes" rather than "pancakes". They are similar in style to pancakes served in the U.S. but are perhaps more likely to mix or replace wheat flour with corn. In addition to being a popular breakfast item at restaurants throughout the country, it is not uncommon to see "hotcakes" vendors on the streets of Mexico City and other cities and during the local celebrations of small towns at all hours of the day and night, selling a single cake topped with different sauces such as: condensed milk, fruit jam or a sweet goat milk spread called "cajeta".

In Egypt, katief is made.

In Venezuela, pancakes are topped with butter and white cheese.

In Japan, Dorayaki are a popular sweet consisting of bean paste sandwiched between two pancake-like patties of castella.

[edit] Details

Pancakes with strawberries and cream.

Pancakes are comparable to waffles without syrup traps, although waffles often contain more egg.

Most types of pancakes, but not the Breton galette, are cooked one side at a time and flipped by the cook halfway through. The process of tossing or flipping them is part of the essence of the pancake, and one of the skills that separates the experienced cook from the beginner.

North American pancakes can be made sweet or savoury by adding foods like blueberries, strawberries, cheese or bacon to the batter; bananas or chocolate chips are sometimes dipped in the batter too.

English pancakes can be stuffed after cooking with a wide variety of sweet or savoury fillings. Both are often sweetened after cooking by pouring on syrup or sprinkling with powdered sugar.

In Canada and the United States, the pancake is usually a breakfast food, but it is so popular that a franchised restaurant called International House of Pancakes, commonly called IHOP, has more than 1,000 restaurants serving at all hours of the day. North American pancake lovers travelling abroad should bring their own maple syrup, as it is produced in North America and can be expensive and hard to come by elsewhere. Even table syrup (a less expensive artificially-flavoured replacement for maple syrup) can be difficult to come by elsewhere.

In Britain, pancakes are eaten as a dessert, or served savoury with a main meal.

In the Netherlands pancakes are called Pannenkoeken and eaten at dinner. Pancake restaurants are popular family restaurants and serve many varieties of sweet, savoury, and stuffed pancakes.

In Sweden and in Finland it is traditional to eat yellow pea soup followed by pancakes on Thursdays. There is no such nationwide consensus regarding the other days of the week.

In the Philippines, pancakes are served with either evaporated milk, margarine (as butter is not popular in the said country), sugar or condensed milk. Usually, they are served for breakfast, but there are some stalls selling smaller pancakes with margarine and sugar on top for snacking.

A smaller pancake, often called a "silver dollar" pancake, is sometimes used in the creation of hors d'oeuvres in place of crackers or other bread-like items.

Banana pancakes in particular are a popular menu item in Western-oriented backpackers' cafes in many Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, India, and China.

[edit] Pancake Day

In the United Kingdom^[1], Ireland^[2], and Australia^[3], pancakes are traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday which is also known as "Pancake Day". (Shrove Tuesday is better known in the United States, France and other countries as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday.) According to tradition, this was in order to use up the last of the fat and rich foods before Lent. Charity or school events are often organised on Pancake Day. One popular event is a foot race in which each participant carries a pancake on a frying pan. They have to keep tossing their pancakes in the air (and catching them again) as they run.

Every Shrove Tuesday, the towns of Olney, England and Liberal, Kansas have a pancake flipping competition. The two towns' competitors race along an agreed-upon course, and the times of all of the two towns' competitors are compared, to determine a winner. There are other 'Pancake Races' in Britain, but Olney (according to legend) is where it all began.

In an old story about Olney a woman was cooking her pancakes when she heard the bells of St Peter and St Paul's Church calling her to worship. She ran out of her house still holding the pancake in its pan, and still wearing her apron. This is how the Pancake Race originated.