Pancake Tuesday

This will be a short one, but wanted to share a local custom with everyone.

In the US we celebrate Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras right before Ash Wednesday at the beginning of Lent as an excuse to be serious gluttons and drunkards, though you may only partake in one or both depending on your age, job, and marital status. In Ireland they celebrate Pancake Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday. According to Wiki (the source of all knowledge), the expression "Shrove Tuesday" comes from the word shrive, meaning "confess". Now I'm not sure what anyone was confessing about other than their love of Pancakes and how awesome our work is that they provided pancakes for us on this magical day! Why do they celebrate with Pancakes?? Let's go to Wiki again:
"Pancakes are associated with the day preceding Lent because they were a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent. The liturgical fasting emphasized eating plainer food and refraining from food that would give pleasure: in many cultures, this means no meat, dairy products, or eggs."
Well other than the meat part, that about covers it with pancakes!

What is interesting is that pancakes here are not the same as pancakes in the US. In the US you get stacks of fluffy golden pancakes that are smothered in butter and maple syrup. Or if you're lucky enough to be at an IHOP can be covered in Butter Pecan, Strawberry, Blueberry, or "other" berry syrup. OM NOM NOM!

Mmmmmm American Pancakes! Look how light and fluffy they are!

In Ireland pancakes are more like a crepe. Thin and rolled up very much so like a crepe without filling and more like a tortilla, these pancakes looked a bit dubious to me.

Hmmmmm. Not so sure...

But then I was told something I found even more puzzling but also very tempting. Here you squeeze lemon juice on your pancakes and then sprinkle sugar over the top of them.

Well, this could be interesting...

It was delicious!!! Sour, sweet, and a bit rubbery from the crepe consistency, it was fantastic! I know people don't normally associate a rubbery texture with delight, but it was like most other crepe type pancakes where it isn't fluffy like our pancake, but not tough like a tortilla.

I was also informed that many Irish fill the pancakes with nutella (a true weakness of mine!), and sometimes top it with bananas! I'd personally go sans bananas, but whatever floats your boat! They may also cover it with Golden Syrup which I'm guessing is a bit like our Karo Syrup, but not sure.

Oh Nutella how I love you, though I could do without the bananas

So this is what they do on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday instead of throwing a giant carnival of drunken debauchery. I kind of like it.

Happy Pancake Tuesday all!