Pancake Traditions

Pancakes and pancake recipes are very popular in many countries of the world. You will find variations on the basic theme in many different countries cuisine, but they do tend to share some basic things in common - a flat cooked dish made using flour (although not always wheat flour), preparing by frying. Some of examples include, Johnny cakes, which are a traditional American soul food recipe made from cornmeal (maize), Dosa, which are large thin pancakes made from rice and lentils that are found in Indian cuisine and Malaysian cuisine, and Latkes, which are potato pancakes found in Jewish cuisine.

In the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the most common form of pancakes are however made using wheat flour, eggs, and milk. In the United States and Canada, they are a very popular breakfast item (for example served with hash browns and accompanied with bacon), and they are increasingly popular in other countries too. In Commonwealth countries, pancakes are particularly and traditionally associated with the Tuesday before Lent, the Christian season of fasting. This Tuesday is known as "Pancake Day" or "Shrove Tuesday" (the word "Shrove" derives from "shrive" which means to obtain absolution for sins by confession and penance).

If you want to make pancakes at home, it is very easy to do so. You can buy ready-to-use pancake mixes in most supermarkets (to which you add water or milk according to the manufacturer's instructions), or you can simply prepare them using flour, eggs and water. Pancakes are cooked by shallow frying in hot oil, and turning them over half way through the process (traditionally the turning is achieved by tossing the pancake into the air), so do take care with the oil including being careful not to splash hot oil on yourself or others.