Prattling on about Pancakes

November 12, 2002 3:56 PM

Mmmmm. Pancakes. Called by many names - Blintz, Palascinta, Flensjes, Pannkuchen, Po-Ping - yes, you know they're yummy, but what do you know about their history or their religious significance? For instance, Shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake Day and for the past 53 years, women in Olney, England and Liberal, Kansas race down the streets of their towns flipping pancakes, continuing an English tradition that goes back more than 500 years. (Melbourne, Australia has a Pancake Day race, too! ) The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Shrovetide with a type of pancake called Blini, and I think most of us know that Latkes (potato pancakes) are a traditional part of the Hanukah feast. (Although apparently there is some debate on the virtues of Latkes over Hamentashen.) On a more secular note, we've just missed the 2002 Fall Flapjack Festival, held every year in Land O'Lakes, Florida. Glenn, Michigan has an annual Pancake Festival, too (since 1938). Hey! I'm getting hungry ... somebody pass the Maple Syrup!
posted by anastasiav (34 comments total)

I almost wondered about this being a troll, but I dismissed the thought on the grounds that anastasiav always has great posts. Hurray for pancakes!
posted by oissubke at 4:07 PM on November 12, 2002

There has been 1 link posted since your last visit
posted by richardm at 4:11 PM on November 12, 2002

*Sigh* One of the things I miss about the University of Chicago: the annual Latkes vs. Hamentashen Debate. Great fun.
posted by thomas j wise at 4:18 PM on November 12, 2002

haaahahahaha!
posted by sgt.serenity at 4:22 PM on November 12, 2002

whoa. what a post! i actually went to IHOP for the first time in over a year just the other night. maybe anastasiav and i are telepathically linked like ET.

by the way, the first link is dangerous.
posted by prescribed life at 4:26 PM on November 12, 2002

latkes were the first thing i made at a school cookery class. that is after you had been taught how to make a cup of tea and cheese on toast, when you could bring in your own recipe. i wonder if they still have cooking in schools for ten year olds?
posted by asok at 4:31 PM on November 12, 2002

Not a troll... but certainly a show off. :-)
posted by baylink at 4:35 PM on November 12, 2002

4) Cut down on the rampant 'in-jokes.' If you really don't have anything to add, don't comment.

Must set example... but.. can't.. RESIST!

Who here likes pancakes? I love pancakes. I for one, welcome our new pancake overlords.
posted by Stan Chin at 4:36 PM on November 12, 2002

I'm pretty sure this is a double post.
posted by crunchland at 4:39 PM on November 12, 2002

voice of Sweedish Chef FLEESKPENNKEKA: A purk oor becun punceke-a frum Svedee. Zee better is cuuked unteel neerly set, zeen zee meet is leeed oon tup und cuuked unteel cumpleted. Bork bork bork!

*sigh* as I want to be pancaked with one of these.
posted by thomcatspike at 4:45 PM on November 12, 2002

Mmmm, beer pancakes. Sierra Nevada Porter and Krusteaz pancake mix. Best. Pancakes. Ever.
posted by elendil71 at 4:49 PM on November 12, 2002

thomcatspike, I can't understand you when you adopt a Swedish accent.

:-)
posted by WolfDaddy at 4:53 PM on November 12, 2002

Good God, I didn't know the internet HAD that many links.
posted by HTuttle at 5:39 PM on November 12, 2002

Who would have thought, after all those links, I would feel that more info about pancakes was necessary? My favorite pancake is available at every IHOP, the sacred Cream-of-Wheat Country Griddle Cakes. I can't go to IHOP without having one.
posted by daedsiluap at 5:51 PM on November 12, 2002

From the Russian link:

This worship of the sun explains why the main foods served during the pancake carnival resemble it - round blini and sunnyside-up fried eggs.

Pancakes the work of the Devil?
posted by stbalbach at 6:02 PM on November 12, 2002

um, also matzo meal pancakes (much better than latkes, esp with cinnamon and sugar)
posted by amberglow at 6:04 PM on November 12, 2002

De Dutch! It's De-lightful! De-licious! De-groovy!
posted by skwm at 6:17 PM on November 12, 2002

Shrove Tuesday pancake suppers...mmmm, my favorite part of late winter.
posted by alumshubby at 6:22 PM on November 12, 2002

Um... hate to be a naysayer, but blintzes aren't pancakes. I mean, metaphysically they are, all yummy and good and stuff, but they're more like crepes or dumplings even. Back to the pancake love now...
posted by The Michael The at 6:47 PM on November 12, 2002

How could you forget the Lefse? A good ol' Norwegian treat. The ones I use to make with my cousin and grandmother[bestemor], were made from mashed potatoes, a bit of flour, a dash of cream, and butter or lard. They resemble a cross between a tortilla and pita[flat]. We would eat them rolled up, warm or cold and spread with butter, sprinkled with sugar or not, or laden with lingenberry or gooseberry jams. This page also has a recipe for Vafler[waffles] made with a common scandanavian spice - cardammon[$$$] - often used in desert or cookie making. A modern history piece is The World's Largest Lefse courtesy of Starbuck, Minnesota
posted by qui at 7:02 PM on November 12, 2002

Nitpick: it's "Pfannkuchen", not "Pannkuchen", and Pfannkuchen aren't necessarily pancakes as Americans think of them. For example, there's this German restaurant that serves pancakes with vegetables and stuff as well as pancakes with sugar and fruit and stuff. I've also seen Pfannkuchen that look more like jelly doughnuts than pancakes.
posted by zztzed at 7:09 PM on November 12, 2002

That post had more links than my pancakes have blueberries.
posted by CJB at 7:12 PM on November 12, 2002

Pancakes I eat seven time a year.


The number of links on this post, though, is simply incredible - inedible - BTW, more than two pancakes tends to put me into a coma.
posted by kozad at 7:42 PM on November 12, 2002

I am leaving for IHOP now.

Thanks a lot! :-)
posted by Jonasio at 9:27 PM on November 12, 2002

It's 2am.. I'm a grad student facing an all-nighter... I think I've found the perfect way to fend of fthe old stomach growling. Good old pancakes with chocolate chips and blueberries and possibly the rest of my grandma's homemade raspberry jam on top. mmm...
posted by Space Coyote at 10:01 PM on November 12, 2002

Great links anastasiav - thanks!
And what are pancakes without some yummy syrups?
posted by madamjujujive at 10:10 PM on November 12, 2002

Just out of curiosity, how long did this post take to put together?
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 10:26 PM on November 12, 2002

Did someone mention fläskpannkaka?
Oh, I haven't had that in years.
posted by soundofsuburbia at 5:21 AM on November 13, 2002

mmm, strangely enough, just as I'm reading this post the aroma of pancakes and syrup wafts through my hallway...mmm
posted by MeetMegan at 6:36 AM on November 13, 2002

Just out of curiosity, how long did this post take to put together?

Not really that long - maybe an hour of dedicated surfing looking for inspirational and interesting sites and then about another hour (not at the same sitting) fitting it all together into a paragraph that actually made some sense.
posted by anastasiav at 7:16 AM on November 13, 2002

Just a note:, in Northern England, what americans call crepes are actually called pancakes. Therefore crepes ARE pancakes.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:30 AM on November 13, 2002

forget IHOP .... pancakes at Polly's Pancake Parlor in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, great pancakes, great view, and real maple syrup .... drool.
posted by gudrun at 11:00 AM on November 13, 2002

anastasiav, Kudo's to how you touched on subjects involving pancakes that usually do get pancaked here in Meta-Filter. Like religion, politics, personal opinion & PSA's.
Yet never pancaked.................mmmmmmmm good.

I like my pancakes with jellies & preservatives.

Ever do a bulls-eye, take your batter make a circle leaving enough room in the middle for the size of a sunny side up egg. Flip your dough-nut looking pancake then add the freshly cracked open egg in the middle. These I will do with maple syrup.
posted by thomcatspike at 12:49 PM on November 13, 2002

Let me make sure I'm fully appreciating the facts here... these pancakes, they vibrate?
posted by Pretty_Generic at 5:33 PM on November 13, 2002