Can Pancakes be part of a Healthy Diet?

Origins of Pancakes.

A pancake is typically a flat cake made from eggs, milk and butter, fried in oil in either a frying pan or a griddle.

Pancakes are found in almost every culture. The earliest references of them are found in the poems of Cratinus and Magnes; 5th century BCE poets.

The ancient Greeks made pancakes called ‘tagenias’ which translates as frying pan.

Then, around the first century CE, the Romans sold a hot dish made from milk, flour, egg and spices, known as ‘Alita Dolcia’ (‘another sweet’) on market squares.

By 15th century, many European countries made their own types of pancakes from scratch using ingredients such as wheat, buckwheat, alcohol (wine or ale), herbs and spices (cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg).

In the UK, Ireland and Australia ‘Shrove Tuesday’ (or ‘Fat Tuesday in the US), is the last day before Lent starts. This is 40 days of abstinence practised by Christians known as Lent. ‘Shrove’ originates from the word ‘Shrive’ which means to confess. Christians used to empty their pantry of all sugar, butter, eggs etc. to make and eat pancakes, on that day, to avoid temptation and reduce waste.

Apparently, William Shakespeare liked pancakes and mentioned them in his plays. The saying ‘flat as a pancake’ has been around since at least 1611.

Facts About Pancakes. Some Quite Strange!

It’s a tradition in France to touch the handle of the frying pan and make a wish, holding a coin in one hand, while the pancake is turned.

In Olney in England, there is an annual pancake race. The first race was in 1445! It’s believed that this tradition was inspired by a harried housewife who arrived at Church on Shrove Tuesday, clutching her frying pan, complete with a pancake!

Check out this video of the race in pre-Covid times. (Do you remember those times?) And watch the guy on his unicycle.

In the UK, on Pancake Tuesday, an average of 2 pancakes per person are eaten. This is approximately 117 million just on that day.

Pancake World Records

• The highest pancake toss was 9.47m (31 foot and 1 inch) in New York in 2010.
• The world record of flipping-a-pancake-while-running- a-marathon award goes to Dominic Cuzzacrea, in 1999. He ran this at Niagara Falls, in the time of 3hrs. 2 minutes and 27 seconds.
• The world’s largest pancake was made in Manchester in 1994. It was over 49 feet in diameter and weighed about 3 tonnes!
• The most expensive pancake was made in 2014 by the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel in Manchester, UK. This creation included lobster, caviar and Dom Perignon champagne and cost £800. Check it out on the link below.

https://pin.it/eH79PzR

Can Pancakes be part of a healthy diet?

They are usually made with refined flour and topped with sugar and/or syrups. If I’m honest, that’s exactly how I like them!

However, if we use whole wheat flour we would have the benefits of:-

Fibre. Which is good for, amongst other functions, our digestion.

Iron. Which is essential to support our immune system.

Protein. Needed for growth and repair of our bodies.

Calcium. Essential for building our bones and beneficial for muscle and nerve functions.

And if you add fruit and maybe nuts to them, even better.

So, pancakes can be healthy. In my next post, I will share a recipe with you.

Do you eat them? If you do, what toppings do you use?

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Sources: mentalfloss.com, easyfood.ie, mobile–cuisine.com, idealhome.co.uk, justfunfacts.com, homesteading.com, thefactsite.com, tonsoffacts.com, mobile.fatsecret.com, healthyeating.sfgate.com, eatingwell.com, healthbenefitstimes.com,