Would you believe pancakes were on the menu during the Stone Age? Flour was made from cattails and ferns then water was added to make a batter. The batter was then cooked on hot stones. Talk about hotcakes!
With Pancake Day coming up on Saturday, February 28, let's look at how those Stone Age hotcakes evolved (pun intended) into the delicious pancakes we love to eat today. If you have flour, eggs, milk, sugar, and baking powder (needed for the fluffiness) on hand, pancakes (a.k.a. flapjacks) are a quick mix and spatula flip away!
Not every culture or country in the world makes and eats the same style of pancakes that we do in the United States. Take France, for instance. Their version of the pancake is called a "crepe" which is thinner, larger, and more flexible than the ones we're used to. The batter for crepes is not as thick as regular pancake batter and doesn't have baking powder in it to give it a fluffy consistency when cooked. You can eat crepes with sweet fillings and toppings like Nutella and fruit, or take a savory turn and fill your crepes with ham, eggs, and your favorite cheese. Either way is a definite YUM!
Japan has the "okonomiyaki" or cabbage pancake. Butter and syrup would not be the condiments used with this delectable treat. Rather, this is a mixture of flour, grated nagaimo (long yam), dashi (Japanese soup stock) or water, eggs, shredded cabbage along with other ingredients such as bacon, green onion, shrimp and vegetables, to name a few.
"Pooda" ("Puda") is an Indian pancake made from whole wheat flour, fennel seeds, water, and sugar. Meetha puda is made with these same ingredients except ground cardamon is used instead of fennel seeds. These delicious cakes are pan fried like American pancakes and they can be as fluffy or as crispy as one likes. They are served for breakfast, dessert, or a snack. If you prefer something on the less sweet side, try making pooda using chickpea flour, water, turmeric, ajwain (carom seeds), ginger, chilies, salt, and onion. They all sound delicious!
Speaking of chickpea flour, there is an Italian version of a pancake called "farinata." These are made with chickpea flour, water, salt, and olive oil. They start out in a cast iron skillet but then that skillet is transferred to the oven to finish cooking. The outside will be crispy with a moist and custard-like inside. May I have another, please?! Farinata is not a traditional sweet pancake but one that would be eaten as a snack or an accompaniment to a tasty meal.
So, whether you like your pancakes in a traditional sweet and "breakfasty" way or as part of a savory meal, they're delectable and deserve to be celebrated!
Want to learn more about this international delight, just click on the link below:
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