While we continue to recover from the stacks of puddings and sweets from Christmas, today is Pancake Day with no shortage of more sugary goodness.
Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, was a feast day that began in the times of the Anglo-Saxons.
Before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday, it was the last opportunity to use the reserves of eggs and fats before the long 40-day fast leading up to Easter.
So whip out the flour, eggs, milk and salt, recruit some friends and enjoy this feasting tradition.
Golden syrup or lemon juice and caster sugar are the old-fashioned toppings for our thin pancakes in England.
However, traditions from other parts of the world can inspire a new twist for pancake lovers.
Austria’s Kaiserschmarrn are fluffy pieces of pancakes mixed with nuts, raisins or apples.
China prefers more savoury and chewy pan-fried pancakes dipped in soya sauce.
The widely known French crêpes are rolled up with either sweet fillings like syrups, fruit or powdered sugar or savoury fillings such as sautéed vegetables.
India favours pancakes made with a fermented batter of rice, black lentils and mixed spices.
In North American, thick buttermilk pancakes are a hit served with maple syrup.
Cachapas are traditional in Venezuela and Columbia and are made from fresh ground corn mixed into a thick batter.
So whatever your taste buds or heritage, there is a variety of pancakes for everyone to try on Pancake Day.
Image courtesy of vagueonthehow via Flickr, with thanks.
