In the Christian tradition, today the the final day before the beginning of Lent, also known as Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), Faschingsdienstag, Malasada Day, Sprengidagur, Martes de Carnaval, and Pancake Day! All these terms refer to the last hurrah of overdoing it before the Lenten fasting begins. Celebrating by eating pancakes uses up your supply of oil, eggs, milk, and sugar, which you may be giving up until Easter. So let’s celebrate the pancake!
Pancake Race
Many communities have a pancake festival or some kind of gathering to eat pancakes together before Lent. One of the oldest is in the village of Olney, England where an annual Pancake Race dates back five centuries! On Shrove Tuesday, women compete against each other in a 415-yard race in which they must carry a pancake in a skillet. The legend is that when the church bells rang for Shrove Tuesday service in the year 1445, a certain housewife was not finished grilling the cakes. Not wishing to ruin her pancakes, she ran to the church with pan in hand. The traditional race will be carried on today in Liberal, Kansas as well. The Kansas event is now a three-day festival.
The Pancake Project
The Pancake Project is a blog chronicling the art of the pancake. The author has been experimenting with creative cakes for over ten years, and welcomes submissions of your best flapjacks. See pancakes that look like other food, scenes, and even 3D artworks made of pancakes! Other pancake blogs include Illinois Pancakes with reviews of pancake restaurants in Illinois and Daddy Cakes, which is a blog attached to a baking products store, but they feature pancake news and stories from all over.
History of the Pancake
Pancakeology has a wealth on information about pancakes. The history of flatbread goes back at least to ancient Rome, where Alita Dolcia (another sweet) was consumed. The use of pancakes before Lent dates back to medieval times in Europe. Native Americans already had soft flatbread made from cornmeal before the Europeans arrived. Why are pancakes so popular? Because they are made of simple ingredients people have on hand, can be made quickly with available appliances, and lend themselves to additions of your favorite flavorings. With some variations, fried flatbreads are found in dining places all over the world. Image by Flickr use Gilmoth.
World Records
The largest pancake breakfast ever was held on February 9th, 2008 when the Fargo (North Dakota) Kiwanis Club served up 34,818 pancakes! The Guinness organization awarded the Kiwanis the record of “most pancakes made in 8 hours“. The “most pancakes made by an individual” title belongs to Steve Hamilton of Chris Cakes, who poured and flipped 956 pancakes on May 6th, 2009. In February of 2009, chefs Sean McGinlay and Natalie King built a stack of pancakes 29.5 inches tall at a hotel in Glasgow, Scotland to claim the “tallest stack” record.
Pancakes in Literature
In the rarely-seen children’s book Little Black Sambo, the story ends with a large dinner of pancakes. The racially-charge illustrations and the name itself overshadowed the basic story of a boy and four tigers. In 1957, Sam Battistone and Newell Bohnett started a restaurant and used a combination of their names to name it Sambo’s. The chain used pictures of the story’s characters to decorate its dining rooms and advertising, including the pancakes. The connection with the book led to charges of racism, and the restaurant chain went bankrupt in 1981. Other children’s book featuring pancakes are The Great Pancake Escape and If You Give a Pig a Pancake.
Pancake Events
The International House of Pancakes (iHop) is celebrating Pancake Day on February 23rd, when Lent will be well underway. The explanation is that the odd date extends their fundraising drive for the Children’s Miracle Network. So whether you can take advantage of the free pancakes depends on whether you are giving up those treats for Lent. However, you can still donate to the fundraiser!
The Pancake Bunny
The most famous pancake on the internet is that which lies on the head of Oolong, the Pancake Bunny. Hironori Akutagawa took photographs of his very patient pet rabbit with various items balanced on his head. The picture of Ooolong balancing a pancake became ubiquitous in a picture used for forums and websites with the caption “I have no idea what you’re talking about… so here’s a bunny with a pancake on its head.”
Pancakes!
James Provan made a name for himself with the joyful music video Pancakes! in 2006. Happy Pancake Day!
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I had “Little Black Sambo” as a kid! I don’t know where it went, but my copy was a small, red hardcover with ink drawings in black and white, and not at all like above, unless that was from the restaurant? The illustrations were more life-like than cartooney. Thanks for the flashback!
posted by Joscel on 2-16-2010 at 9:24 am
The illustration here is from the restaurant. The copy of the book my grandmother owned had the extreme stereotype illustrations and had racist slang terms in the story. Even as a little child, I knew that was out of bounds.
posted by Miss Cellania on 2-16-2010 at 9:29 am
I love pancakes! I liked the Pancake Project blog; too bad it hasn’t updated this year.
reCaptcha: maple the (Mmm… maple syrup)
posted by Sillstaw on 2-16-2010 at 10:55 am
Don’t forget Paczki Day!
posted by FiZ on 2-16-2010 at 11:00 am
I was going to mention Paczki! Somehow they always end up overlooked, no matter how delicious they are!
posted by Liz on 2-16-2010 at 11:11 am
Not all Christians start Lent on Ash Wednesday.
posted by L on 2-16-2010 at 11:27 am
L–Catholics tend to observe Lent more than other Christian sects. Don’t forget–they broke from the Catholic church to begin with ;)
posted by shirleyfeeney on 2-16-2010 at 12:39 pm
Pancake Day??
No way. It’s Paczki Day!!!!!!
http://www.freep.com/article/20100216/NEWS05/100216011/1319/Paczki-Day-is-alive-in-Hamtramck
posted by DownriverDem on 2-16-2010 at 1:26 pm
The Lubbock (Texas) Lions club holds the record for most pancakes, not Fargo, ND Kiwanas.
http://lubbockonline.com/stories/021610/loc_563518130.shtml
posted by HuNoze on 2-16-2010 at 1:49 pm
I grew up in Eastern Pennsylvania where we called the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday Doughnut Day.
posted by JMB on 2-16-2010 at 2:54 pm
My mother was shocked when I told her “Little Black Sambo” was racially insensitive. She must have had a pretty tame version growing up because she remembers it fondly.
posted by L:ynnie on 2-16-2010 at 3:27 pm
I used to go to a Sambo’s when I would visit the Oregon Coast with my grandparents. The walls were painted like the jungle with tigers wearing top hats and carrying plates of pancakes everywhere. When the original Sambo’s burned down they built a newer, more modern restaurant. No jungle, no tigers in top hats, not as good.
posted by Amanda on 2-16-2010 at 4:49 pm
I can’t believe Steve Hamilton of Chris Cakes has the record with only 956 cakes; and in Kansas, for God’s sake!!
I have participated in an event called RAGBRAI (the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) which attracts upwards of 10000 to 15000 who pedal their bicycles across Iowa over the period of a week. My first time on this event was in 1978, and I distinctly remember meeting and eating with the founder of Chris Cakes (and the original “Chris”), Mr. Lorin Christiansen in Storm Lake (IA) that year. Since then, I can’t remember a year where they (or their franchises later on) haven’t been cooking up pancakes at least once per day along the route….and after having seen how they can feed the masses on an event like this I find it hard to believe that Mr. Chris or one of his sons doesn’t hold that record, or that it is much higher than 947.
I guess back in the day no one was keeping count; they were just busy cooking pancakes.
-”BB”-
posted by Bicycle Bill on 2-16-2010 at 7:06 pm
I highly recommend this video from one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands – “Hotcakes” by Gas Huffer. A song all about pancakes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwf37qDDfOU
posted by Edee on 2-16-2010 at 8:32 pm
Today is known as Kinkling Day in my family. Every year my Grandmother would make loads of fried donuts sprinkled with powdered sugar. I have always wanted to continue the tradition but I have read her recipe and it looks so complicated. Maybe next year!
posted by Ann on 2-16-2010 at 8:42 pm
Again, I’m telling you Lubbock Lions made the most pancakes in 8 hours-66,459. Way surpassing the Kiwanis measly 34,818.
http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/051309/loc_439182376.shtml
posted by HuNoze on 2-17-2010 at 11:53 am
“L–Catholics tend to observe Lent more than other Christian sects. Don’t forget–they broke from the Catholic church to begin with ;)”
Actually, I was referring to those who follow the Eastern Orthodox faith. Lent started on Monday for them. And the Catholics broke from them originally.
posted by L on 2-17-2010 at 5:18 pm