3 things you didn’t know about pancakes
We bet you love eating pancakes! And why would it be the other way round, when these flat, soft and fluffy cakes melt in your mouth? Usually, pancakes are eaten for breakfast with a maple syrup topping or chocolate syrup and fruit toppings.
Once a dish relished by the Britishers, they have now become a household name across the globe. The origin of pancake might be unknown but its history can be traced back to thousands of years ago, to the stone age! Here are surprising things that you didn’t know about this lip-smacking breakfast staple.
How did pancake get its name?
Although the distinct origin of the word pancake is still not clear, its first usage can be dated to the 15th century. However, it became popular only during the 19th century in America. Before this, people used different names for the dish, such as hoe cakes, Indian cakes, johnny cakes, buckwheat cakes, journey cakes, girdle cakes and flapjacks. Now, they are known with even more names including crepes, potato latkes, Russian blini, Welsh crampog, Indian poori, Hungarian palacsinta and Dutch pannenkoeken. This is because pancakes have been popularized worldwide resulting in their cultural transformation.
Pancakes have a more than 30,000-year-long history
Pancakes are a staple breakfast in many American households since decades. They have been around for 30,000 years (since the stone age)! The dish was much enjoyed during medieval times too. In fact, researchers have found pancakes in the stomach remains of Ötzi the Iceman, a 5000-year-old mummy. Yes, the ancient Greeks and Romans made pancakes using wheat flour, olive oil, honey and curdled milk. With time, people started flavouring their pancakes using rose water, spices, sherry, and apples. Pancakes were particularly adored by the Greeks! In fact, many Greek poets such as Cratinus and Magnes have mentioned pancakes in their works! Even Shakespeare was so impressed by pancakes that he mentioned them in two of his renowned plays, ‘All’s Well That Ends Well’ and ‘As You Like It.’ This goes to show how the love for pancakes is very well rooted in history! But wonder who invented the word pancakes? Continue reading!
There is a Pancake Day!
For a classic breakfast dish that has been around for thousands of years, there is naturally a day to celebrate. Yes, there is pancake day that is celebrated on Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday) in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia. Shrove day is the day people feast before the official start of Lent (40 days of fasting and praying for the Catholics) in the month of February. There is in fact an interesting story behind it. During 600 AD, Christians were not allowed to eat animal products like milk, butter and eggs during Lent. However, to prevent these ingredients from going to waste, people mixed the ingredients and cooked them in stacks of pancakes. People used to consume these cakes in large amounts that day. Hence the name, the Fat Tuesday!