Shrove Tuesday, otherwise known as Pancake Day, falls on Tuesday 13th February this year… that crepe’d up fast!
Whilst we know that it’s an excuse to indulge in yummy foods and eat as many pancakes as we can stomach, do we know what Pancake Day is really about? Let’s find out…
The day originally started as a way of using up leftover food and ingredients in the kitchen cupboards before Lent, which is an occasion where people often fast or temporarily give up a certain type of food, such as chocolate.
What exactly is a pancake? It’s a flat cake that often contains eggs, milk, flour and butter. Whilst most contain the same, or very similar ingredients, there are different types of pancakes. Arguably the two most popular form of pancakes are crêpes and ‘American-style’. The main difference between them is that crêpes are larger and thin, whilst American-style are smaller and thick. Crêpes have pancake ‘fillings’ whilst American-style pancakes have pancake ‘toppings’.
Britain uses approximately 52 million eggs on Pancake Day, which is 22 million more than every other day of the year! Local supermarkets often stock up on various pancake toppings such as lemon juice, golden syrup and Nutella in preparation for the day.
If you’re short on time and can’t make pancake batter from scratch, ready-made pancake mix has been around for approximately 130 years and is a quicker, easier option and is a method many people opt for on Pancake Day.
Pancakes can be either savoury or sweet, or a mixture of both! A popular topping of choice is bacon and maple syrup, with blueberries or a berry compote also favoured. Mmmmm!
Pancake races have long been a tradition, with the most well-known arguably being the Olney Pancake Race in Buckinghamshire. It takes place every year and has done since around 1445! The race is open to female Olney residents only and they don’t just compete with each other, they go head to head with the women of Liberal in Kansas, United States! This year marks the 71st race against Kansas.
Pancake Day is a great way to bring friends and family together in the kitchen, get messy and indulge in some delicious food. If you don’t fancy making them yourself, however, there are some great spots in York that are renowned for their yummy pancakes!
Brew and Brownie offers American-style pancakes which come in the form of a pancake stack and offers various delicious toppings ranging from savoury to sweet! Vegetarian and vegan-friendly Double Dutch Pancake House specialises in crêpes and has a huge selection of options to choose from! We really recommend both of these spots in York, which are both based in the city centre.
No matter what your pancake of choice today, we hope you have a scrumptious Pancake Day!
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