Where Did Pancakes Originate From?

It is very hard to say where did pancakes originate from. This food has been present on our tables for many centuries and it is rather hard to state where it comes from and when was it first made and of course by whom.

Pancakes are eaten almost in every home and it is very common phenomenon that people around the world wonder where did pancakes originate from.

The history of pancakes was investigated and it can be said that this food is the descendant of early Neolithic flatbreads, which were made on stones. Later pancakes were made by Romans, who swaggered across the Europe. It is known that pancakes made by Romans were served with pepper and honey.

Pancakes were made not only by Romans. They were also made by English and Dutch people. The earliest saved culinary manuscript from 1430 mentions pancakes. English and Dutch settlers brought pancakes made from flour to America for the first time.

In America, pancake generally refers to the classic white-flour kind, which is often made with buttermilk instead of milk. But it was not always like this. The original American pancakes were made from ground cornmeal by Native Americans, who called it nokehic. It was introduced to European settlers in the early 1600s, and it was renamed from nokehic to "no cake". In 1700s, the Dutch people added buckwheat pannekoeken to the American menu, and the British introduced the tradition of pancake feasts, held on Shrove Tuesday as a final celebration before the Lent.

By the 1800s, hoecakes (made from cornmeal) became popular in America. These pancakes are called like this, because they were cooked on the blade of a hoe over an open fire by field laborers. In addition, rice cakes became more popular. Delicate cornmeal johnnycakes came from Rhode Island. Miners and lumberjacks favored sourdough pancakes made from "wild" yeast starter.

Nowadays, when people are rediscovering all kinds of wonderful recipes the interest in regional American cooking is becoming bigger and bigger.

For more details you might want to read the guide to the origins of pancakes that can be found on my website dedicated solely to homemade pancakes