15 February 2021
We can't travel at the moment, but we can at least get a taste of exciting destinations through delicious international recipes – and as it's Pancake Day, what better place to start than with a selection of recipes for this humble food created from simple batter!
We've rounded up some great variations that you can recreate in your own kitchens in anticipation of your next expert-led tour. So join us in a gastronomic journey from Iceland to Vietnam, as we go around the world in eight pancakes.
A staple in many of our breakfast routine, the crêpe is incredibly versatile and can be filled with either sweet or savoury fillings. From bananas with dulce de leche to spinach and ricotta, there's nothing quite like a crêpe, and with a list of ingredients you may already have in your kitchen cupboard it's an easy treat to whip up at a moment's notice.
A recipe we love is from Nigella Lawson's fabulous book, Feast. Find the recipe online here.
If you've visited to Iceland before, you might know that the locals like to start their day with a pönnukökur. Eaten for festive occasions as well as being an everyday food, the Icelandic pancake is similar to a French crêpe, but made with more ingredients and cooked in a traditional skillet that heats incredibly quickly and cooks the pancake fast. Gently flavoured with cardamom, it's easy to eat three or four of these in one sitting!
For the full recipe, take a look at Honest Cooking's version here.
A fantastic recipe for delicious Peruvian pancakes that uses simple ingredients has been shared on a website called Dame Cacao by someone who worked at a kitchen in Ollantaytambo. The kitchen in question belongs to the Chocolate Museum there, but while we can't travel at the moment we can at least recreate these thick little pancakes at home. Optional toppings range from dulce de leche to chocolate sauce and bananas – time to get creative!
Find the full recipe here.
Technically a flatbread rather than a pancake, the Ethiopian injera is not only a food but also an eating utensil - with the bread being used to scoop up other dishes. One of the key ingredients is teff flour, a gluten-free grain that originated in North Africa, but it is available online and in health food shops, so shouldn't be too tricky to source here in the UK.
View the full recipe on The Spruce Eats here.
Looking for a savoury version for Pancake Day? Well, how about Italian crespelle? These delicious pancakes are perfect for filling with ricotta and spinach, and rolling up in a baking dish before being covered with a rich sauce and popped into the oven - not unlike cannelloni. Italy Magazine discusses the origins of this dish, writing "historical rumours point to Caterina de' Medici for introducing these savoury crepes to French cuisine with the help of her Tuscan chefs. Based on various culinary literature, it suggests that actually crepes were Florentine and the French adapted them into what we now enjoy in both sweet and savoury forms."
For the full recipe, why not try Italy Magazine's crespelle here.
If you head to Thailand, you're likely to come across vendors selling deliciously sweet banana pancakes. Roti carts can be found all over the country and they are well worth a stop! Topped with a variety of treats, we're particularly fond of them stuffed with sliced bananas. The pancake is then folded around a layer of banana and it is cooked on both sides until golden brown, with sauce drizzled on top afterwards – heaven!
View a great recipe for these pancakes here.
If you're a social media user, you may have seen videos of golden Japanese pancakes jiggling in trays over the past year. These pancakes have become incredibly popular lately, and after sampling some it's easy to understand why. Topped with bacon, maple syrup or just plain icing sugar, these little pancakes are well worth some time in the kitchen!
To make these yourself, try the BBC Good Food recipe here.
Croatian pancakes are known as palačinke (pah-lah-CHEEN-keh). Similar to the French crêpe, these pancakes are thin and can be adapted to suit both sweet and savoury tastes. Many vendors around Croatia sell palačinke and the fillings range from lemon and sugar to meat, giving you the choice between a sweet snack or a full meal.
Find the full recipe here.
8 Easy Pancake Recipes From Around The World was published on 15 February 2021
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