National Pancake Day

Did you know that March 4 is National Pancake Day? Also known as johnnycakes, griddle cakes, flapjacks, or hotcakes, this breakfast item dates back over 30,000 years. In fact, it might be the oldest breakfast food in history. Usually thin and round, pancakes are prepared from a starch batter to which you also add eggs, milk, and butter. They are fried on both sides in a pan using oil or butter.

Fun Facts about Pancakes

1. One early version was a fried concoction called Alita Dolcia (which means “another sweet” in Latin). They were made by Romans in the 1st Century CE. They were made from milk, flour, eggs, and spices and were very similar to pancakes. They were flat and round, just like modern pancakes, but they might have been slightly thicker and served with fruits or honey for sweetness.

2. The Ancient Greeks made pancakes called tiganites, which translates to “frying pan.”

3. The record for the highest pancake toss is 31 feet 1 inch (9.47 meters).

4. The biggest pancake in the world weighed 6,614 pounds and was over 49 feet in diameter.

5. The Guinness World Record for the most pancakes served in 8 hours by a team is 34,818 pancakes.

6. The town of Olney in England hosts an annual pancake race in celebration of Pancake Day. They’ve done it every year since 1445. Participants run carrying a pan with a pancake in it, and they have to flip the pancake at the start and the finish. The race is held on a 415-yard (380-meter) course.

7. The world’s most expensive pancakes are made by the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel’s five-star Opus restaurant in London. Their pancakes have pink champagne, lobster, truffles, and caviar on the side. The dish costs $1,166 per serving!

8. Pancake syndrome is an allergic reaction that some people have after eating pancakes in tropical regions where certain mites can contaminate the flour in the pancake. 

9. William Shakespeare liked pancakes, often mentioning them in his plays.

Pancakes From Around the World

1. In Sweden, you can order Blodplättar, which are pancakes made of pork blood.

2. The potato pancakes that are traditionally served during Hanukkah are fried in oil as a reminder of the miraculous oil lamp that the Jewish holiday celebrates.

3. The French crêpe is thin and crispy. It is folded or rolled and heated in a sauce of sugar, butter, citrus juice, and liqueur. It is common in France to touch the handle of the frying pan and to make a wish while the pancake is turned, holding a coin in one hand.

4. In the United States, southerners eat the most pancakes, accounting for 32.5 percent of the pancake consumption.

5. In Canada and the United States, pancakes are often eaten for breakfast with butter and syrup.

6. Blinis are yeasted pancakes. They are usually from Russia and are made from buckwheat flour and served with sour cream, jam, honey, or caviar.

In conclusion, pancakes are an amazing food, so be sure to eat some on National Pancake Day! 😆