Pancake Day: from sweet to savoury, let's go around the world in pancakes

To usher in lent, which starts tomorrow, Shrove Tuesday has officially landed. Luckily for us, the day is also named Pancake Day, marked by feasting on as many perfect pancakes as you can get your hands on. For a bit of culinary fun, get clued up on pancakes from various parts of the world and try some of our recipes

From France's crêpe Suzette to Britain's crumpets, countries across the globe have their own local variants, with both savory and sweet specialties to sample. Here's a look at some of the world's different types of pancakes.

Crêpe Suzette - France

Crêpe Suzette is the ultimate French pancake. Invented by Auguste Escoffier at the end of the 19th century, the crêpe Suzette shouldn't be confused just any old flambéd pancake.

This French classic must be served with a sauce flavored with orange zest and a dash of Grand Marnier liquor to truly earn its name. The dish is apparently named after the young woman (Suzanne) who was dining with the future king of England, Edward VII, when he sampled the dish.

Hirams plattär - Sweden

Take the ingredients and technique of choux pastry and the look of the classic French crêpe and you basically have this Swedish specialty. This pancake, however, has a slightly puffier consistency and is usually served with yellow cloudberry jam. This can usually be found at a certain famous Swedish furniture store.

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Crumpet - UK

A staple of the breakfast table or a great afternoon snack, crumpets are a quintessentially British speciality. The crumpet -- whose name can also be slang for a pretty girl -- is made with fresh yeast which makes the mixture rise.

This gives crumpets their soft and spongy texture, as well as their characteristic holes. Crumpets can be enjoyed with marmalade or simply spread with butter.

Dorayaki - Japan

This is essentially a Japanese version of American pancakes. Unlike the US variety, Tokyoites — who lay claim to the specialty — use a kidney bean purée to fill two pancakes which are then stuck together while warm. This paste is called "anko" and can easily be made at home or bought from Asian food stores.

Msemen - Morocco

Visitors to the North African kingdom will no doubt be familiar with this specialty, which looks like homemade French crêpes at first glance. It is, however, quite different. First of all, msemen are folded on each side to form a square shape. But, more importantly, the dough is made from fine-grain semolina. This is kneaded for a long time to form a very thin film. Msemen are enjoyed with honey and a glass of steaming hot Moroccan mint tea.

Dosa - India

Among the various forms of Indian flatbreads and pancakes, dosas are a must-try. These Southern Indian pancakes are made from black eyed peas and fermented rice. They can be garnished with vegetables, ground meat, chutneys and more.

Paratha - India

There are many kinds of breads in Indian cuisine that can resemble pancakes. There are naans, of course, but paratha breads are perhaps more pancake-like still. Partha breads are a bit like puff pastry versions of chapatis, made from wholemeal wheat flour, corn flour or millet flour. They aren't cooked in the same kind of oven traditionally used to make naan breads and there's no fermentation stage with yeast when preparing the dough.

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Farinata - Italy

This Genoan recipe is a veritable institution in Italy. Farinata is a savory pancake made from chickpea flour, water, salt and oil, which is cooked in a wood-fired oven. Each region has its own variants and preferences for Farinata, which can be eaten with pesto or gorgonzola, spread on the pancake straight from the oven.

And also ...

The world has a huge range of other pancakes and flatbreads for foodies to try. There's the Russian blini, the Algerian mahjouba, the Moroccan baghrir (thousand-hole crêpes), the Mexican tortilla, American pancakes, Danish ebleskivers, the Ethiopian injera and northern China's jian biang. 

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Buckwheat pancakes

Buckwheat pancakesJustin Patrick 

Makes: about 24

Difficulty: Easy, 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups buckwheat flour

1.25ml (1/4 tsp) bicarbonate of soda

2.5ml (1/2 tsp) baking powder

Pinch of salt

3 large eggs

375ml (1 cups) buttermilk

5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence

Vegetable oil, for frying

Method:

1) In a large bowl, mix together the buckwheat flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. The batter should be fairly runny: if it is too thick, add a splash of water.

2) Lightly coat a non-stick pan with a few drops of oil. Place a large spoonful of batter in the pan, to coat the base. Cook for about 3 minutes, turning when little air bubbles form on the edges. Cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Repeat for the remaining batter.

3) Serve pancakes with fresh berries and honey, butter or maple syrup. - Callie Maritz & Mari-Louis Guy

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Chicken & leek pancakes

Chicken & leek pancakesCraig Scott 

Makes: about 12

Pancakes:

240g (2 cups) cake flour

Pinch of salt

2 extra-large eggs, beaten

350ml milk

30ml (2 tbsp) sunflower oil, plus a little extra for frying

Filling:

3-4 leeks, finely sliced

30ml (2 tbsp) butter

250g baby spinach leaves, blanched

2 chicken breast  fillets (or 2 fish fillets), poached and cubed

Sauce:

60g (4 tbsp) butter

45ml (3 tbsp) flour

375ml (1½ cups) milk

100g cheddar cheese, grated, plus extra for the top

Dash of ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

1) To make the pancakes, sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Combine the eggs, milk and oil and pour slowly into the well, mixing with a wooden spoon until smooth. Strain through a sieve into a jug and refrigerate for 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat a non-stick 18cm pan and brush with a little oil. Pour in a little batter and swirl to coat the pan in a thin layer. When it begins to set, loosen the pancake and flip. Cook for another 30 seconds, then slide onto a plate. Repeat for the remaining batter. Place a piece of bake paper between each pancake as you stack them.

2) For the filling, fry the leeks in butter till soft. Remove from the pan, combine with spinach and chicken and set aside.

3) For the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour to form a roux. Add the milk and stir constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, stir in the leeks, spinach and chicken and adjust seasoning to taste.

3) Divide the filling between the pancakes, roll up and place in a greased baking dish. Sprinkle over extra cheese, cover with foil and bake at 160°C for 20 minutes until pancakes are heated through and cheese has melted. Serve immediately with salad. - Sunday Times Food Weekly

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Banting-friendly coconut & flaxseed pancakes

Banting-friendly coconut and flaxseed pancakesToby Murphy 

Serves: 4 - 6

Ingredients:

100g coconut flour

10g flaxseed, ground

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

30ml (2 tbsp) xylitol

3 large eggs

50ml almond milk

5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence

150ml water

15ml (1 tbsp) coconut oil, for frying

Method:

1) In a bowl, combine the coconut flour, flaxseed, cinnamon, salt and xylitol.

2) In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, almond milk and vanilla together.

3) Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix well. Add the water gradually, mixing continuously, until you have a thin batter (but not too runny).

4) Heat coconut oil in a non-stick pan and add spoonfuls of batter to make pancakes. When bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake, flip it over and fry on the other side until cooked. Serve hot or cold. These are delicious with yoghurt, a hint of lime juice and fresh strawberries, or fresh figs and honey. - Sally-Ann Creed

Golden pumpkin flapjacks

Golden pumpkin flapjacksMatt van Lill 

Ingredients:

1 portion basic flapjack-style pancake batter

250ml (1 cup) mashed cooked pumpkin

30ml (2 tbsp) brown sugar

Pinch of grated nutmeg

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground mixed spice

15ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil, for frying

Cinnamon sugar and honey, to serve

Method:

1) Mix the mashed pumpkin, brown sugar and spices into the pancake batter.

2) Heat oil in a non-stick pan on the stove, drop in a tablespoon of batter and fry until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and fry the other side until golden. Set aside to keep warm and repeat for remaining batter.

3) Serve with cinnamon, sugar and honey. - Callie Maritz & Mari-Louis Guy