h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Is it Pancake Day? What is Pancake Day? Does it fall on Mardi Gras every year or the same date every year? When you say pancakes I'm I supposed to think pancakes/flapjacks/griddle cakes or something more like crepes? If crepes, a sweet or fruit filling, or a savory meat or vegetable filling? Does anyone else swoon for the adorable buckwheat pancake, so yummy with molasses, or am I all alone in this infatuation?

Or, does pancake mean something else entirely, not unlike napkin/serviette or pants/trousers or cookies/biscuits or sweater/jersey/jumper?

In the UK pancakes are just basicly flour and water which is fried with something like lemon juice and sugar or jam on top when cooked..
Pancake day is actually Shrove Tuesday and is the day before Lent starts.

Actually I think that should be Shrove Tuesday marks the beginning of Lent, however I am not a regular Church Goer so others may know better than me.

Flour eggs and milk, strangely. Or it would just be Blue Peter stylee glue!

it's to use up the rich foods before Lent starts tomorrow - isn't that also the same reason for the Mardi Gras parades (and Rosenmontag here in Germany, which we had yesterday): one last party before 40 days of prayer and fasting?

Traditionally, to some degree, you use up all of certain types of foods so that you dont waste them over lent, this became pancake day.

If making prurely sweet pancakes, add a little sugar and a pinch of salt to your batter.

They are not quite as thin as crepes although it's a similar thing.

I dont like jam on pancakes, it's better on bread IMO.

Maple syrup, sugar, lemons, bananas, cream, butter, chocolate sauces or spreads, condensed milk... All make good toppings/fillings...

Yes, but you are posh, for me it's just flour and water and be damned!

Posh!? me!?



I wish.

Gosh that sounds so terribly middle class

what I meant was

'yeah right, watEvva!'

mind you, I do firmly believe that a bit of double cream will solve nearly EVERYthing... and if that doesn't work, high cocoa content chocolate will

I've always accepted the story that the idea of the pancakes was to use up food so it wouldn't go to waste before lent. But now I'm looking on it doubtfully. If the aim was to use up fancy foods which wouldn't be used during Lenten fasting, pancakes are a very poor choice. They are made of very basic ingredients and wouldn't use up much.

Even in days when people's food was a lot more basic, the ingredients of a pancake would have been daily staples that would be used even on days of cut-back eating.

So I'm wondering now.

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Erm, yes, I think it does.

It's connected with the idea of stuffing your face before fasting for 40 days like Jesus did in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the evil one.

'Fasting' generally means giving something up, such as smoking or shoplifting.

You mean, I must give up shoplisfting for 40 days? What about the nights then?

It's up to you to choose what you give up.
If you feel moved to give up shoplifting, give it up.

And,yes, that means at night, too.

Thanks to all who explained Pancake Day. I'll have to include pancakes next Mardi Gras. I might not give up pancakes for Lent, but I'll definitely give up shoplifting

Hmmm... never had heard of pancake day being on Fat Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Knew about King's cake, but not this. I'll have to study up on this more as well as Mardi Gras, especially since I found the baby in my slice of the King's cake at an event I attended at a school. Since I found one, I'm supposed to buy another King cake for everyone. Problem is, I found this out the day after Mardi Gras, and they don't sell the cakes here even on that day.

Oh well... still have the baby to remember to buy one next year.

King Bomba: I think the key is that you can put practically anything on top of the pancake, and that's what uses it up.
I'm half French, so I always think of pancakes as what people here call 'crepes', although I think of that word as just the French translation of all pancakes. If people here do them thicker (and much thicker in America, I gather) then, to my mind, it's just because they don't know how to do them properly. This is supported by the fact that I've never been able to cook them as thin as the ones we get on holiday.
Also, I only recently found out that a lot of British people don't do savoury pancakes (or 'galettes' as I know them). Every time we have pancakes at home or in France, the first one or two would always have something savoury e.g. fried onions, mince, mushroom sauce, a fried egg, etc. Strictly, they're supposed to be cooked to a slightly different recipe, but I just use the same ones.

Bob - that would suggest that pancakes are just a basic carb staple like bread, oats or rice. In that case though, would they be notable enough to reserve for one day? They'd more likely be constantly on the plate all year round.

Actually, King Bomba and Bob, I think I may know the answer to why pancakes were not on the menu during Lent. Prior to some date I can't remember and ought to look up, the Lenten fast was more strict than it is now, and a bit more complicated. There was no red or white meat, no dairy, no fish, no oil and no wine during weekdays. On Saturdays and Sundays oil and wine was permitted. On Palm Sunday and the Feast of the Annunciation, fish, oil and wine was permitted.

Poor little cake made with milk and eggs and fried in butter or oil was right out.

But if one looks at this in its historical context, it makes perfect sense to limit these foods during this season. Maybe not so much sense for the southern hemisphere, but for the northern.

Thanks for explaining the diary/meaty thing a bit better Nerd, I knew what I meant but did I get it into other people's heads? no I did not. Bad Robyn...

No, no, no. Goooo-ooood Robyn.

Actually I kind of miss the whole fish on Fridays rule. I really like fish. But is that wrong? So confusing.

fish... bleh... I like tuna but that 'fishy' aroma and flavour? *GAK*