Celebrate Pancake Day Around the World

With February coming to an end, the next thing to look forward to is, of course, Shrove Tuesday or, Pancake Day as it is perhaps better known.

The tradition of Pancake Day started when people would celebrate before starting to fast for Lent. Originally it was about eating all of the luxury foods before the fasting began, but now we know it primarily as Pancake Day. Whether you choose to celebrate or just want a reason to make pancakes – Free Spirit has some ideas for you!

In the UK, the nation’s favourite Pancake Day topping is still the traditional lemon and sugar. However, some people like fruit, chocolate, or even savoury pancakes with bacon. Across the world, there are many different traditions and toppings, so we are going to look at some of our favourites.

In Germany, they enjoy pancake soup (Fladlesuppe). It is as it sounds, with strips of crepe rolled up and normally contains beef and vegetables too. Here, Pancake Day falls during their carnival season so there are also a lot of parades and parties to get involved in. This is a must-see for any foodies.

Another place known for its carnivals is New Orleans in the USA. Mardi Gras attracts around 1 million visitors every year, and this is how they celebrate the beginning of Lent. Some people in the USA start their celebrations as early as January. If you’re planning a visit here to celebrate, Mardi Gras is the perfect time, Mardi Gras literally meaning ‘Fat Tuesday’. Plus, be sure to book early as this is a very popular event. Rather than pancakes, their staple pastry is ‘king cake’, a cinnamon desert with a small plastic baby inside. Whoever finds this must bring the cake next year.

There are many other delicious foods to try while you’re here. For example, a popular dish at Mardi Gras is Gumbo or Jambalaya. Gumbo is considered a Louisiana staple; it is traditionally a thick chicken and sausage sauce served over rice. Whereas Jambalaya is more of a Cajun rice dish with shrimp, vegetables and chicken. The two are similar but try your hand at making Jambalaya at home if you aren’t able to venture there to try some.

Poland celebrates their version of Pancake Day a little earlier than the rest of us. This day looks a little different to the UK’s. Rather than having pancakes as the staple food, they prefer to have Paczki (Polish doughnuts) and Faworki (Angel wings). The doughnuts are unique in that they generally have a rose-flavoured filling although they can have various fillings. The angel wings are small bits of pastry that have been twisted and fried. Perfect for those who like more of a crunch!

Although Pancake Day isn’t celebrated as widely in Amsterdam, they still offer a unique take on pancakes. They offer ‘Poffertjes’ which are smaller, fluffier pancakes, made differently. The batter is made from buckwheat flour which could be what makes these so different. You can take a food tour which will see you sampling all sorts of different delicacies. First on the tour is the Poffertjes, then sample Dutch cheeses before going to try some local seafood. There will be something to everyone’s taste! If you see yourself as a foodie, this is a must-try tour.

In Denmark, pancake day is known as Fastelavln, and they have lots of different traditions. One of them involves children hitting barrels decorated with cat pictures to try and get the sweets out. Just like a pinata but whoever gets rid of the bottom of the barrel is crowned Cat Queen, while whoever takes off the final board is crowned Cat King! This unusual take on Pancake Day is a great reason to visit.

Rather than having traditional pancakes, Denmark opts for Fastelavnsboller which is a bun filled with jam or cream. Like at Halloween, Pancake Day is another time children dress up and go trick or treating for this sweet treat or money!

China has a much more savoury take on Pancake Day than the UK. Their Scallion pancakes are made with green onion and scallions. They are one of the most famous street foods you can find but why not try your hand at making them at home? As long as you have flour, oil and green onions you can give it a go. If you don’t have scallions, you could use chives or something similar.

Alternatively, another popular pancake recipe from China is having a thin pancake which you can then top with duck, chicken or pork. Duck pancakes are often sold in the UK at different restaurants but if you get the chance, a trip to China is a must-see experience. They have lots of restaurants serving both these savoury pancakes and sweet ones too. Put your taste buds to the test and try some street food while you’re here too.

Spain starts their celebrations on Jueves Lardero (Fat Thursday). It starts on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday. Traditionally they eat omelettes on this day rather than pancakes! Children get to finish school early, and they go around collecting eggs and chorizo to make their own snacks.

Similar to Mardi Gras, Spain also has a carnival to mark the occasion every year. Festivals are a fun way to get involved in a local culture and immerse yourself in different cuisine. In Spain, their carnival typically lasts for a whole week so you will have plenty of fun here! To make sure you’re at the centre of the action, be sure to visit Tenerife where they have street parties as well.