WASHINGTON —
Tuesday was IHOP's National Pancake Day. Time magazine celebrated the event with a list of Hollywood's 10 best breakfast scenes. Why do most Americans eat pancakes only for breakfast?
Because bread is better. Pancakes used to be anytime food in the United States. Around the time of the American Revolution, it was traditional to serve pancakes during dinner - the largest meal of the day, consumed in the early afternoon. But those pancakes were thin, like the French crepe or the Swedish pannkakor, which are still enjoyed at all times of day. In the 1780s, American cooks started adding the chemical leavener pearl ash to their pancake batter. The rising agent transformed the delicate, crepe-like rounds suitable for sopping up the remnants of a meat stew into thick, fluffy, satiating fare, perfect for a filling breakfast. Griddle cakes also had the benefit of speed. While yeast required hours to leaven a dough, chemical agents could produce a thick cake in minutes, enabling frontier cooks to have a bread equivalent on the table before morning farm work began. Scattered advocates notwithstanding, the thicker pancakes never caught on as dinner food. Cooks had hours to prepare the day's showpiece meal, and colonials preferred yeast leavening to the off-flavor that chemical leavening produced. Even today, people who aren't used to baking soda say that chemically leavened baked goods have a soapy taste.
Note that Tuesday was National Pancake Day, not International Pancake Day, even though it's the brainchild of the International House of Pancakes. That's not an oversight. On the day before Lent begins - when New Orleans erupts for Mardi Gras - many British Commonwealth countries celebrate Shrove Tuesday, also known as pancake day. The tradition helps households use up perishable and Lenten-unfriendly foods like milk and eggs. Hold that "happy pancake day" call to your British friends until next week.
Online Extras
Related Photos
Why not pancakes for dinner?
- Online Extras
-
-
How to get the most out of your air conditioner this summer
Experts say preventative maintenance on your air conditioner can save you hundreds of dollars.
-
What you need to know about preparing for tornadoes
Tornado survivors and seasoned observers suggest people do two simple things to prepare for tornadoes: Know where to take shelter, and move quickly when the time comes.
-
Bibles reinstated in Ga. state park lodges, cabins
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal Wednesday ordered the Department of Natural Resources to return Bibles that were removed from cabins and lodges at state parks after a guest complained about them.
-
Millersville players help couple resuscitate ailing child
The Millersville University baseball team came up with a great save this week, but it had nothing to do with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament being played at Point Stadium.
-
VIDEO: How robots will shape the future
Robots could revolutionize everything from learning to fitness. Tech reporter Rich DeMuro shows how companies are using robots to shape the future.
-
Apple's iPad2 heart risk found in research by 14-year-old
Gianna Chien's study — which found that Apple's iPad2 can, in some cases, interfere with life-saving heart devices because of the magnets inside — is based on a science fair project that didn't even win her first place.
-
Do school bus drivers undergo background checks?
Castro was a school bus driver from 1991 to 2012, during which time he was accused of domestic violence. Do they perform background checks on school bus drivers?
-
VIDEO: Student's rant admonishing teacher goes viral
Watch this viral video of a student being kicked out of class and chastising his teacher for her usage of "packets."
-
VIDEO: How young is too young for a gun?
After the accidental shooting death of a 2-year-old, many people are asking how young is too young to be around guns?
-
Most and least-fit states in the U.S.
A new report released by the Centers for Disease Control highlights adult fitness levels based on participation in aerobic and muscle-building activities. Find out which states came in with the fittest and least-fit populations.
- More Online Extras Headlines
-
Obama Offers Drone Strike Defense
Raw: Heckler Interrupts Obama on Guantanamo
A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs
Johnson: Don't Blame Islam or UK Policy
Raw: 80-Year-Old Climbs Mount Everest
Wash. State Man Arrested Following Ricin Scare
Chain-Reaction School Bus Crash Injures About 50
Raw: Scuffles in London After Hacking Death
Texas Students Coach Teachers on Fitness
New Forecasting Tool Eyed for Hurricane Season
Meet MJ, the Bike Riding Tabby Cat
Britain Attack Believed Linked to Radical Islam
Raw: Kevin Durant Tours Moore After $1M Pledge
Man Shot While Questioned in Boston Probe
Weiner Launches Bid to Become NYC Mayor
School Storm Protection Spotty in Tornado Zones
Moore Native Toby Keith Tours Tornado Damage
