I tried American, French, Dutch and British pancakes - one was a 10 out of 10
Pancakes might look simple, but there's a world of different batters, toppings, and cooking styles that are surprisingly very different from each other. From fluffy stacks you get in America to thin, crispy-edged rounds you see in France, every version claims to be the ultimate choice.
But with pancake day officially here, I decided to taste-test five different styles from around the world to determine which deserves the crown as the best and is worth serving up this evening for the special day. I compared taste, texture, and overall satisfaction with every bite. Here's what happened during my syrup-soaked experiment.
For this taste test, I tried supermarket-ready-made pancakes, including Sainsbury's Scotch pancakes, Sainsbury's Sweet (British) pancakes, Abra-Ca-Debora Original Dutch-style pancakes, Sainsbury's buttermilk pancakes and Lidl's Chocolate and Hazelnut-filled crepes. This was to avoid any cooking errors that might have affected my impression of the dish.
I also opted for a sweet rather than a savoury taste test for these pancakes with the same ingredients for each one, including maple syrup, whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.
After conducting my experiment with my niece and nephew, I headed to Instagram to ask my followers which pancake is their favourite. With an audience of 170 people, 23% voted for British pancakes, 38% voted for crepes, 31% voted for American pancakes, 8% voted for Dutch pancakes, and there were no votes for Scotch pancakes.
However, I have listed my honest ranking below. Do you agree? Let us know in the comments.
5. Abra-Ca-Debora Original Dutch-style pancakes
There are many different pancake styles in Europe, beyond the French pancake. A popular choice I have spotted in supermarkets is the Dutch pancake.
According to Fleur The Foodie: "The classic Dutch pancake, pannenkoek, is a whole pan-sized pancake that is thicker than a crêpe. Pannenkoeken (the Dutch word for Pancakes) is a Dutch delicacy, made of flour, eggs, milk, and sugar. You can eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner."
When I asked my friend, who was born and raised in the Netherlands, how to eat this pancake traditionally, he said locals always eat it hot, with cherries and whipped cream or cheese. To stick with the taste test, I went for some berries and cream.
While Dutch pannenkoek and British pancakes look quite similar, there are a few noticeable differences in texture and taste. The pannenkeok is slightly richer, more buttery, and more eggy with a more bready flavour.
It also has a thicker yet still flexible and chewy texture. I personally didn't enjoy this as much because it tasted a bit bitter, and I was not a fan of the texture.
My 14-year-old niece and seven-year-old nephew also agreed that this pancake style was less favourable than the others mainly due to its taste. Overall, we ranked this pancake a four out of ten.
Ranking second-to-last on the list is traditional British pancakes, also known as sweet pancakes. For those wondering what British pancakes are, they are "closer to French crepes, but they tend to be a bit smaller and slightly thicker," as explained by Caroline's Cooking.
Compared to American pancakes, which "have a raising agent in them, while British ones do not. As a result, American pancakes fluff up as they cook, making them thicker and lighter."
Traditionally, you would eat a British pancake with lemon juice and sugar. I personally do not like this combination. I am a massive fan of lemon, but I think it is too tart and tangy against the rather neutral-tasting pancake.
However, even without lemon and sugar, it was still rather lacklustre with just maple syrup. A British pancake tastes light and sweet with a slightly eggy, buttery flavour, but overall quite neutral.
Texture-wise, this isn't my favourite; I prefer a crepe or a fluffy pancake over this style. I would give the British pancakes a five out of 10.
"Scotch pancakes, also known as Scottish drop scones, are small pancakes traditionally cooked on a griddle," said a chef at Mad About Macarons. "Unlike large American pancakes, the batter is much thicker and dropped by spoon onto the pan, creating soft, fluffy rounds that are usually spread with butter or jam.
Scotch pancakes taste mildly sweet and buttery, like a smaller and softer version of an American pancake. I really enjoy these types of pancakes, especially freshly hot with some syrup and fruit.
These pancakes are also great for savoury sides and are reminiscent of the kind you get at McDonald's breakfast alongside a sausage patty. However, despite enjoying these pancakes a lot, my niece and nephews ranked them rather low due to their "bland" taste.
Compared to the American pancake, which is sweeter and fluffier, the scotch pancakes were rather forgettable to the younger generation. However, I would still give these pancakes a seven out of ten. Click here to find out how Mary Berry makes her version of Scotch pancakes.
A crêpe is a thin pancake that originated in France in the 13th century. Crêpe quickly became popular because they were cheap and required few ingredients.
According to Del's Cooking, crêpe are made from "eggs, milk, flour, and butter (or vegetable oil). That's it! No, there is no sugar in a classic crêpe recipe, so that you can then use the filling of your choice, sweet or savoury.
"If you know you make exclusively sweet crepes for dessert, it's ok to add one Tablespoon of sugar in the batter." It was quite difficult to find plain crepes at the supermarket, as most only offered chocolate-filled ones.
From my previous experience, crepes have always been light and airy delights, enjoyable with most toppings and fillings, but I still prefer a fluffier pancake. I believe a great pancake is the star of the show, not the fillings and toppings. The crepe flavour and texture can get lost amongst all the other ingredients.
In this taste test, I also ate the chocolate version as seen in the picture above. This was extremely delicious, but had a bit too much chocolate for my niece and me, whereas my youngest nephew enjoyed it the most.
Likewise, the poll I conducted on Instagram also ranked crepes as the most popular. Overall, I rate this pancake style an eight out of 10.
In my number spot is the American pancake, with a score of 10 out of 10. You cannot go wrong with a fluffy, sweet pancake that's also light and moist.
These pancakes go with absolutely anything, but their taste and texture remain the main focal point of the dish."American-style pancakes, as we think of them today, probably came about in the 1700s," reported All Recipes.
"Unlike baked goods, pancakes were made quickly on the stove or over an open flame and didn't require special bakeware. In the 1870s, the term 'flapjack' entered the American vocabulary to describe this type of American-style pancake, and its popularity grew."
According to Nigella, to make American pancakes, all you need is two and a half teaspoons of baking powder, one pinch of salt, one teaspoon of white sugar, two large eggs, 30 grams of butter, 300 millilitres of milk, 225 grams of plain flour, and butter for frying.
I recommend serving these pancakes with maple syrup and whipped cream, along with your fruit of choice. But of course you can enjoy them with a crispy piece of bacon or some breakfast sausages.