Chocolate Pancake

Breakfast platters around the globe have long relied on pancakes for a wholesome start to the day. Once you add a topping of thick and molten hot chocolate to these traditional breakfast favourites, you get a simple dish that gives a good enough reason to get out of bed in the morning. A delicious platter of chocolate pancakes starts by sifting together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, egg, sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla extract are whisked together thoroughly, mixed with the dry ingredients, and dotted with chocolate chips or chunks to create the pancake’s batter. Small portions of the batter are then poured onto a heated griddle or skillet and finally topped with a hot sauce made from chocolate and heavy cream.

The chocolate filling and topping that make pancakes irresistible may be relatively new, believed to be conjured after the mass popularisation of this ancient Mesoamerican delight in 17th century Europe and the subsequent invention of the chocolate press in 1828, but pancakes have been around for millenniums now. Historians opine that pancakes have been a staple since the Stone Age 30,000 years ago. Pancakes find mention in the writings of ancient Greek poets Cratinus and Magnes. It is also believed that the Greco-Roman cultural exchange back in the day ensured that Romans enjoyed their fair share of this flour magic. Shakespearean literature and writings of the Renaissance indicate a common recipe of the pancake with spices, rosewater, sherry, and apples.

The term ‘pancake’ was attributed to the dish in 15th century Europe that enjoyed its tender texture and delectable flavours as much as naming it. It was not until the 19th century that pancakes sailed across the Atlantic to the New World and soon pancake became the favourite breakfast meal for the Americans. In the U.S. today, Shrove Tuesday is celebrated annually as Pancake Day. Legend has it that Christians were traditionally prohibited from consuming animal products like milk, eggs, and butter during Lent. To prevent the stocks from getting wasted, people used to make pancakes in large numbers on the last holiday of feasting before Lent, the Shrove Tuesday, popularising it as the Pancake Day.