Abroad in Wales

Pancake Day

Here in the United Kingdom, Mardi Gras is celebrated in a much more conservative and traditional way.  Instead of getting flat drunk and tossing beads about, the British make pancakes.  Crepes, to be more precise.  

 During the Lent, Catholics, Anglicans, and some Protestant sects gave up rich foods.  Any perishable ingredients would need to be used up before the Lenten season.  Fat Tuesday was the perfect time to do this.  So using the rest of milk, eggs, and sugar, they make a thin, crepe-like pancake and top it with sugar, lemon, jam, or fruits.  Some towns even have 'pancake races', where contestants race for the finish line with a skillet in hand, flipping the pancake in the air as they go!

One of my floormates let me try one and it was delicious!  However, our group celebrated with a little more....American flare.  One of our Welsh friends has been begging for American pancakes, and we decided this was the perfect time to make her some.  Bacon, eggs, pancakes, real maple syrup, and juice while watching The Goonies.  Doesn't get much better than that.
 

Posted at 08:32AM Feb 08, 2008 by Jill S Brink in General  |  Comments[0]