One of the best things about this household staple is the long shelf life of the ingredients and the ease in which to make them. Whenever kids are hungry for a snack or meal, almost every kitchen is stocked with the necessities to whip up a batch of delicious pancakes. Here are some quirky pancake facts including crazy contests, wacky history, and more to share with little ones next time you are gathered around the table getting ready to dig into a plate of hotcakes!
Pancake Pile-Up Board Game
An educational game for toddlers that helps to develop sequence skills. In a fun, relay-style competition, players flip over cards and race to complete the stack of pancakes as displayed.
Strange Pancake Trivia, History, Contests, and More
Kids who love hotcakes will enjoy learning everything they can about their favorite breakfast food. Children's books about pancakesare fun to add to the story time for little foodies. Served piping hot and topped with syrup, these piles of goodness are the perfect start to every day. Ever versatile, they can be enjoyed as a delicious dessert drizzled in chocolate sauce and a dollop of whipped cream. Continue reading to learn about the history of pancakes, how many Americans consume every year, all the different varieties, and more information to tempt the taste buds.
(1) People who live in the south eat more than anywhere else in the United States.
According to recent surveys, approximately 33% of all consumption occurs in the southern states. Even more interesting, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has more pancake houses than any town in the country. There are more than ten restaurants serving up hotcakes every two miles.
(2) Aunt Jemima was first sold in stores in the late 1800s.
The Pearl Milling company produced this ready-mix food, the first of its kind when it hit the shelves in Missouri. In 2020, parent company Quaker Oats rebranded the pancake mix, recognizing the stereotype associated with racial inequality. Aunt Jemima, reminiscent of a "mammy" from the south, is a reminder of the Jim Crow era when segregation and discrimination was at its height. The original face of the brand was based on Nancy Green, a Civil War-era slave from Tennessee.
(3) The biggest pancake ever was made in Manchester, England in 1944.
Measuring 49 feet in diameter, 1 inch thick, and weighing in at 6,614 pounds, the concoction met the qualification standards of being both flipped and edible. The Co-Operative Union based in Manchester, England created this behemoth hotcake on August 13, 1994, landing them a Guinness World Record. This gigantic pancake was eventually sliced into 15,000 pieces and sold to everyone who gathered around to raise money for charity.
(4) The most expensive pancake sold in a restaurant costs more than $1,300.
The Opus One restaurant in the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel a sells a culinary experience which includes lobster, caviar, and Dom Perignon champagne. Next time you visit London, stop by this famous restaurant to check out this outrageous menu item. Others have gained recognition for their exorbitant price tag. For instance, Serendipity 3 in NYC sells a concoction called Caviar Dreams for $3000. The base, a buttermilk pancake, is not especially expensive. However, when topped with Russian Ossetra caviar, Scottish smoked Salmon, and maple syrup with 24 carat gold flakes, the price tag soars sky high.
(5) The Romans are credited with making the first pancake.
Historians have traced the origins of this food back to the 1st century CE where the people mixed together milk, flour, eggs, and spices to create the original hotcake. Honey was also believed to be utilized as a sweetener. However, some believe pancakes can be traced back to the Stone Age, where flour made from cattails and ferns was mixed with water and set out on rocks to cook under the hot sun. While the result was a far cry from the delicious crepes and hotcakes we enjoy today, the concept of preparing and frying batter was the same.
(6) Pancake Day is always celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday.
This day was first recognized in 600 AD when the Pope encouraged people to get rid of all meat or animal related products during the Lent season. Not wanting to toss out valuable food items, families tossed together eggs, milk, flour and butter in order to get a few additional meals before the period of abstinence began.
(7) More than 75 billion pancakes are consumed every single year in the United States.
Approximately 2.5 tons of hotcakes are enjoyed by Americans annually. Surveys have shown that 12% of the population eat them every single week, while 29% eat them every two weeks. IHOP sells a whopping 700 million units per year.
(8) There are two very different types.
The most common type of pancakes consumed are typically served at breakfast. These thick, fluffy American-style version can be whipped up from scratch using common ingredients stocked in most kitchens- flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, salt, and on special occasions, chocolate chips. They are usually topped with maple syrup or fresh fruit. A thinner, crispier version of pancakes, called crêpes, originated in France. This delicious version is usually filled with sweet or savory foods. Sweeter versions are often. stuffed with whipped cream, fresh fruit, and a hazelnut or chocolate spread. Savory options include filling crêpes with a variety of cheese, meat, or even vegetables.
(9) William Shakespeare loved pancakes.
The most famous playwright who ever lived had a fondness for pancakes. He loved this food so much, in fact, that he made mention of them in two of his plays- As You Like It and All's Well That Ends Well. Instead of maple syrup, the characters in his plays are served pancakes with mustard, feeding a debate as to whether his preferred version is more of a savory type made with beef and served on Shrove Tuesday. He also alludes to superstitious beliefs, referencing ingredients consisting of flour, eggs, and "tragical, magical inchantments".
(10) A world record was set by a person who ate 113 pancakes in 8 minutes.
In 2016 at The World Silver Dollar Pancake Eating Championship, Matt Stonie crushed the previous record by scarfing down 113 hotcakes. Spectators in Chico, California cheered on the professional eater as he crushed to beat the clock walked away a champion. Of course, these hotcakes were served without butter or syrup!
Melissa & Doug Flip and Serve Pancake Set
A fantastic pancake play set for kids who will love serving up a pretend pile of steaming hotcakes. A sturdy, cardboard stovetop and placemat is included along with pancakes, toppings, spatulas, and other realistic utensils.
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Fabulous Books About Food for Kids