The fluffy American pancake isn’t all there is to pancakes. Every country has a variation of this ultimate breakfast foods that also counts as the comfort food.
Would you be surprised to hear that even the Romans ate pancakes which they sweetened with honey? And it goes even further back in time. If we can think of pancakes as flat cakes that people made from batter and then fried to eat, then this is a food 30,000 years old.
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The modern pancake is, of course, much younger.
Here are some of the pancakes from around the world to bring some diversity to your breakfast.
From France: Crêpes
There are three differences between American pancakes and crêpes. No 1 is that the latter contains no leavening agents. No 2 is that they require melted butter instead of oil. And no 3, crêpes are made with more liquid compared to American pancakes.
To make the batter: Combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp. sugar, ¼ tsp. salt, 1 ½ cups milk, 4 large eggs, 3 tbsp. melted butter. The batter should be left to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes and may be refrigerated up to 1 day.
From Malaysia: Apam Balik
Also known as peanut pancake turnovers, Apam Balik are pancakes filled with sweet peanut filling or peanuts and sugar. They are served and eaten as snacks throughout Malaysia and Singapore either in the thick or in the thin version. Apam Balik has a honeycomb texture because yeast is used as an ingredient.
To make the batter: Whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour, 4 tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. instant yeast, ¼ tsp. baking powder, 1/8 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 1 ½ cup warm milk, 2 tbsp. oil and 2 eggs kept at room temperature. The batter should be left to sit for up to 3 hours and may be refrigerated overnight.
To make the filling: Mix 1 ½ cups ground roasted peanuts, 3 tbsp. brown sugar, 3 tsp. cane sugar and unsalted butter.
From Russia: Olady
Olady is a traditional sweet in Russia that contains, among others, two key ingredients, namely baking soda and buttermilk, although classic olady is made with yeast and the olady made with baking soda is referred to as simple pancakes.
To make the batter: Whisk 2 large eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, ¼ tsp. salt, 3 tsp. sugar, and then add 1 cup + another 2 tbsp flour and stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Mix 1 tsp baking soda for approximately 1 minute. The batter should be left to sit until starting to form little bubbles.
From Greece: Tiganites
Tiganites or Greek pancakes are one of the easiest variations to make. They turn out fluffy and are usually served in Greece with warm honey and chopped walnuts. Other traditional toppings include cinnamon and yogurt.
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To make the batter: Add 1 tsp dry yeast to 2 cups of lukewarm water and stir until the yeast dissolves completely. Then add 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, and 2 cups all-purpose flour and whisk until batter is smooth.