While I was writing the last post, I thought I might need to elaborate on the whole pancakes – crumpets thing. When I first moved over to Europe, I became very confused about the same things having different names …. Let’s start off with crumpets.
In South Africa, a crumpet is generally served sweet, has a similar recipe to what we call pancakes (and the French call crêpes), but it has sugar and baking powder in its recipe. I understand this is similar to what the Scottish call pancakes. They would look something like this:
In England, a crumpet is really bland and bread-like. You would never consider eating it just like that with nothing on top. You can identify one quite easily, because they are generally full of holes.
A South African pancake (or pannekoek in Afrikaans) is what the French call a crêpe. The most traditional way to eat them in South Africa, would be with cinnamon sugar. And we don’t have to wait for Pancake Day to arrive once a year to have them! “Pannekoek weer” (pancake weather) is generally any grey rainy day. In other words every day in Manchester! Most South Africans will remember pancakes and cinnamon sugar from the annual “kerkbazaar” (church fête!) where it’s an institution. These days though, pancakes have been made fashionable and sought after by Harriey’s Pancakes which originated in Hazyview, just outside the Kruger National Park, although their chain has expanded throughout South Africa. At Harrie’s you’re spoilt for choice from savoury fillings to sweet ones! A visit to Hazyview without a trip to Harrie’s is just wrong – very wrong!
When an Englishman refers to a pancake, he is referring to a South African crumpet ….
I told you it was all very confusing!
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