From Funen to Mexico - Pancakes are for Everyone

Pancakes are amazing, and they can be eaten at any time of the day for any occasion. Breakfast in bed, dessert with ice cream, or savory pancakes with fillings are just a few of the many possible pancake variations. But why do we actually eat pancakes, and how are they eaten in other parts of the world?

Pancake Traditions

There are many traditions associated with pancake eating, although most of them have more or less been lost today.

One of these traditions is Candlemas. It is an old Christian holiday celebrated on February 2nd to mark that half of the winter had passed, and brighter times were on the way. It was often celebrated with large feasts where, among other things, Danish barley pancakes were eaten. However, Candlemas was abolished as a holiday in 1770, but in some places in Denmark, it is still celebrated with pancakes.

Another of these traditions occurs shortly after Candlemas and is simply called Pancake Day or “Shrove Tuesday” – because most of the ingredients in pancakes are white. Pancake Day falls on the first Tuesday after Shrove Sunday and is also an old Christian tradition. Christians were supposed to fast for 40 days leading up to Easter, and during that period, they were not allowed to eat, for example, eggs, flour, or milk, so these ingredients had to be used up before the fast. And is there a better way to use up all your flour, milk, and eggs than by making piles of pancakes?

Around the World with Pancakes

It’s not only in Denmark that we have a rich tradition and culture around pancakes. In the USA, pancakes are an almost indispensable part of a good brunch, even though they don’t quite resemble the pancakes we have at home. They are both smaller and thicker, and they have a more fluffy consistency.

A little south of the USA, there is also a very rich tradition for pancakes – namely the Mexican corn pancake tortilla. A tortilla can be many things, and depending on how it’s made, it has different names. With cheese, it’s a quesadilla, and with chili sauce, it’s an enchilada – even the hard taco shell originates from the pancake. One thing they all have in common, however, is that with their meat filling, they are far from resembling our dessert pancakes with syrup and jam.

At home, however, we have started to have a greater tradition for savory pancakes. There are many recipes for savory pancakes, which are not necessarily tortillas, but still taste really delicious for dinner.