Monday 7 March 2011

British Stuffs Review: Pancake Day

For many people in the UK (and many other parts of the world), tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday, otherwise known as Pancake Day when people get strangely excited about eating pancakes. (Do they not realize they could eat pancakes every day if they chose?)  Almost every grocery store in the country has reserved special endcaps or erected stands for the display of pancake mixes so no one forgets to stock up on their necessary supplies. 

Historically, Shrove Tuesday* is a Christian holiday falling the day before Ash Wednesday.  More religious types will surely know better than me, but I believe I am correct in saying that Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the period where Christians are suppose to give up certain things, and apparently fat, butter and eggs are in the list of forbidden items.  So as to not waste the eggs, butter and fat one might have in their cupboards on the Tuesday before Lent, they would use the ingredients to make pancakes.  Sounds good to me. 

Before you get too excited with visions of Denny's breakfast dancing in your head, in the UK pancakes' best friend, syrup, isnt naturally included in Pancake Day.  Oh, and if you've never had pancakes outside the US, a pancake won't be a pancake either. 

Here is what you would likely be served on Pancake Day:
...and the lemon is not some avent-garde garnish.   What we have here are thin, crepe-like, pancake-ish things with sugar sprinkled on them, finished with a squeeze of lemon juice.  Blech!  What would Aunt Jemima say!?

Forgive me when I say that as nice as Pancake Day is, Fat Tuesday (the end of Mardi Gras) is a much better celebration of Shrove Tuesday!


British Stuffs Rating: 3/5 Paddington Bears




Read more of my British Stuff Reviews here.
Courtesy of ladyliberty at 11:58 am
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7 comments:

  1. Anonymous7 March 2011 at 12:52

    You need to roll your pancakes up with sugar and lemon juice INSIDE them. Not fold them and then squirt juice on top. Oh, they're heavenly!! We don't eat them for our meal - we have them for afters. And I think I prefer my American-style pancakes for breakfast. So, you see, there's plenty of room for both kinds! Make it a real pancake day and have pancakes for all three meals! :)

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  2. Travel With Lulu7 March 2011 at 13:17

    I must admit that I can't wait to try our Texas-style pancakes with sour lemon and sweet sugar - it might be our newest tradition. Certainly cheaper than maple syrup here

    I hope you'll join me for my Expat Linky Party on March 19th

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  3. ladyliberty7 March 2011 at 15:27

    Last year, I did the sprinkling and squirting when the pancakes were flat and then rolled them and still didnt like it. I'm not a fair judge though b/c I dont really like lemon flavour at all. He'll have the lemon, I'll have the syrup (and yes, for dessert, not a meal) although I'd still rather have a hurricane and a po'boy for Fat Tuesday :)

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  4. Julia7 March 2011 at 18:06

    In my family we use sugar and the juice of an orange for a much better taste :) Yummy.

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  5. Anonymous8 March 2011 at 21:27

    I would have MUCH preferred a praline filled King Cake today. Instead I turned to a Nutella filled crepe. You gotta do what you gotta do.

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  6. - just a girl11 March 2011 at 19:08

    They look like skinnies. Not as yummy?

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  7. ladyliberty15 March 2011 at 14:02

    They are like skinnies, and are very yummy with syrup, but not lemon and sugar.

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