Blueberry pancakes (American)

A pancake is a thin, flat, round cake prepared from a batter, and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Most pancakes are quick breads, which use a quick leavening agent such as baking powder, while some use a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Typically, pancakes are cooked one side on a griddle and flipped partway through to cook the other side. Depending on the region, pancakes may be served at any time of day, with a variety of toppings or fillings including jam, chocolate chips, fruit, syrup or meat.

Archaeological evidence suggests that varieties of pancakes are probably the earliest and most widespread types of cereal food eaten in prehistoric societies whereby dry carbohydrate-rich seed flours mixed with the available protein-rich liquids, usually milk and eggs, were baked on hot stones or in shallow earthenware pots over an open fire to form a nutritious and highly palatable foodstuff.^[1]

In the medieval and modern Christian period, especially in Britain, pancakes were made to use up stored items prior to the period of Lent fasting beginning on Shrovetide. Since eggs were forbidden foods during Lent, making pancakes on Shrove Tuesday was a good way to use up eggs before Lenten fasts began.

The pancake's shape and structure varies worldwide. There are numerous variations of them throughout Europe. In Germany, pancakes can be made from potatoes. A crêpe is a Breton variety of thin pancake cooked on one or both sides in a special crepe pan to achieve a network of fine bubbles often compared to lace – a savory variety made from buckwheat is usually known as a galette.

Etymology[link]

The Middle English word Pancake appears in an English culinary manuscript from 1430.^[2][3]

History[link]

The Ancient Greeks made pancakes called τηγανίτης (tēganitēs), ταγηνίτης (tagēnitēs)^[4] or ταγηνίας (tagēnias),^[5] all words deriving from τάγηνον (tagēnon), "frying pan".^[6] The earliest attested references on tagenias are in the works of the 5th century BC poets Cratinus^[7] and Magnes.^[8] Tagenites were made with wheat flour, olive oil, honey and curdled milk, and were served for breakfast.^[9][10][11] Another kind of pancake was σταιτίτης (staititēs), from σταίτινος (staitinos), "of flour or dough of spelt",^[12] derived from σταῖς (stais), "flour of spelt".^[13] Athenaeus is his Deipnosophistae mention staititas topped with honey, sesame and cheese.^[14][15][16]

Regional varieties[link]

France[link]

Crêpe

French crêpes, popular in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Portugal and Brazil (where they may be called panquecas or crepes) are made from flour, milk, and eggs. They are thin pancakes and are usually served with a large amount of sweet or savory filling, ranging from fruit or ice cream, to seafood (in Brazil, most usually ground meat). In Francophone Europe, crêpes are often sold in special stands, along with Nutella for topping.

French crêpes have become very popular in many East Asian countries, including Japan, South Korea, The Philippines, Thailand and China, where they are sold in numerous crêpe stands and kiosks. They are often served with whipped cream and fruits, or non-sweet spreads such as various vegetables.

A galette bretonne (or galette breton) is a large thin pancake made of buckwheat flour, mostly associated with the regions of Normandy and Brittany in France. It is often cooked on one side only.

Western Europe[link]

Kaiserschmarrn

Pannenkoek with bacon and Gouda cheese

German pancakes are called Pfannkuchen (Pfanne and Kuchen meaning 'pan' and 'cake'). In some regions (Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxonia) pancakes are called Eierkuchen, as the term Pfannkuchen refers to Berliners there. In Swabia sliced pancake strips (Flädle) are often served in soup.

Kaiserschmarrn is a light, caramelized pancake that is split into pieces, filled with fruits and/or nuts, sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with a fruit sauce. It is believed that it was first prepared for Kaiser Franz Joseph I of Austria. It is popular in the former Austria-Hungary and Bavaria.

The Netherlands[link]

In the Netherlands, pancakes are called pannenkoeken and eaten at dinnertime. Pancake restaurants are popular as family restaurants and serve many varieties of sweet, savory, and stuffed pancakes. Pannenkoeken are slightly thicker than crêpes and usually quite large (12" or more) in diameter. The batter is egg-based and the fillings can include sliced apples, cheese, ham, bacon, candied ginger and many other ingredients — alone or in combination — as well as "stroop" (molasses), a thick sugar syrup. One classical Dutch filling is a combination of bacon and stroop.

Poffertjes are another Dutch pancake-type dish. They resemble American pancakes somewhat, but are sweeter, and much smaller. The require a specially dimpled pan, preferably in copper. The technique used also varies; they are flipped repeatedly before a side is completely done, in order to attain a softer interior.

Northern Europe[link]

Scandinavian pancakes

Scandinavian pancakes are similar to the French crêpes. In some of the Scandinavian countries they are served with jam as a dessert with a variety of savory fillings. Traditional Swedish variations can be exotic. Beside the usual thin pancakes, called pannkakor, which resembles the French crêpes and, often served with whipped cream and jam, are traditionally eaten for lunch on Thursdays with pea soup, the Swedish cuisine has plättar which resemble tiny English pancakes, and are fried several at a time in a special pan. Others resemble German pancakes but include fried pork in the batter (fläskpannkaka); these are baked in the oven. Potato pancakes called raggmunk contain shredded raw potato, and may contain other vegetables (sometimes the pancake batter is omitted, producing rårakor). Raggmunk and rårakor are traditionally eaten with pork rinds and lingonberry jam. A special Swedish pancake is saffron pancake from Gotland, made with saffron and rice, baked in the oven. The Norwegian variety is commonly eaten for dinner, traditionally with different sorts of jams or sugar. It is common to add lemon juice to the sugar for extra taste. The pancakes are often served after a soup. Another special ``Swedish pancake´´ is the äggakaka (eggcake), also called skånsk äggakaka (scanian eggcake), it is almost like an ordinary Swedish pancake but it is a lot thicker and also a lot more difficult to make due to the risk of burning it. It is made in a frying pan and is about 1½ to 2 inches thick and is served with lingonberries and bacon.

Finnish pancakes greatly resemble "Plättar" and are called "Lettu", "Lätty", "Räiskäle" or "Ohukainen". In Finland pancakes are usually eaten as dessert with whipped cream and/or pancake-jam, sugar or vanilla ice-cream. In Finnish, "Lettu" and "Pannukakku" (literally "Pancake") have different meanings, the latter having structurally closer resemblance to hotcake, and baked in an oven instead of using a frying pan. Ålandspannkaka, Pancake of Åland, is an extra thick variety of oven-pancake that includes cardamom and either rice- or semonia porridge to the dough.

Icelandic crepe-like pancakes are called "pönnukaka", and smaller, thicker pancakes resembling North American pancakes are "lumma". The pancakes are usually a bit browner than the traditional Swedish ones. Pönnukaka are usually cooked on a special Icelandic pancake pan, which is made to get the pancake as thin as possible, and it is important to never wash the pan, not even with water. Pönnukaka are eaten with sugar, but if eaten at a café they might have ice cream instead. In Iceland, North American-style pancakes are cut in half and used as sandwich bread, similar to Icelandic flatbread.

Æbleskiver (Danish meaning apple slices (singular: æbleskive)) are traditional Danish pancakes in a distinctive shape of a sphere. Æbleskiver are cooked on the stove top by baking in a special cast iron pan with several hemispherical indentations. Batter is poured into the oiled indentations and as the æbleskiver begin to cook, they are turned with a knitting needle, skewer or fork to give the cakes their characteristic spherical shape. Æbleskiver are not sweet themselves but are traditionally served dipped in raspberry, strawberry, lingonberry or blackberry jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

East-Central and Eastern Europe[link]

Palacinky, Slovak pancakes

Hortobágyi palacsinta

Home-made naleśniki filled with sweet white cheese (Poland)

In Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia pancakes are called palatschinke, palačinka, and palacinka, respectively (plurals palatschinken, palačinky, palacinky). In Romania they are called clătită (plural clătite). In countries of former Yugoslavia (Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, and Bosnia) they are called palačinka (plural palačinke). In these languages, the word derives from Latin placenta, meaning cake. These pancakes are thin and filled with apricot, plum, lingonberry, strawberry or apple jam, chocolate sauce or hazelnut spread. Eurokrem, Nutella and Lino-Lada fillings are favorite amongst younger population. A traditional version includes filling pancakes with cheese, pouring yoghurt over them and then baking in an oven. Kaiserschmarrn is an Austrian pancake including raisins, almonds, apple jam or small pieces of apple, split into pieces and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

In Hungary, pancakes called palacsinta (also derived from Latin placenta) are made from flour, milk or soda water, sugar and eggs. Sweet wine is added to the batter. The filling is usually jam, sugared and ground walnuts or poppy seeds, sugared cottage cheese, sugared cocoa or cinnamon powder, but – especially in hortobágyi palacsinta – meat and mushroom fillings are also used. Gundel palacsinta is an Hungarian pancake, stuffed with walnuts, zest, raisins and rum, served in chocolate sauce. The dish is often flambéed. Hungarian pancakes are served as a main dish or as a dessert.

In Poland, thin crêpe-style pancakes are called naleśniki (pronounced naleshniki). Like any crêpe or blintz, they can be served with a variety of savory or sweet fillings as a main dish or a dessert. Sweet fillings include fresh fruits (e.g. bilberries), jams, and soft white cheese with sugar. Savory fillings include fried vegetables, fried chicken, minced meat, and a variety of added ingredients such as potatoes, mushrooms, cabbage, or ham. The Polish pancake was adopted by the Russian and the Ukrainian cuisines, which call them nalesniki.^[17]

In Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, pancakes may be breakfast food, appetizer, main course, or even dessert. Blintzes (Russian: блинчики blinchiki) are thin crepes made without yeast. Blini (Russian: блины) are thicker pancakes made from wheat or buckwheat flour, butter, eggs, and milk, with yeast added to the batter. Blini cooking has a long history in Russia, dating back to pagan traditions and feasts, which are reflected in today's "pancake week" celebrated in the winter before the Great Lent. Small thick pancakes made from yogurt or buttermilk based batter (without yeast) are called oladyi (оладьи) (diminutive: oladushki оладушки, further abbreviated as ladushki ладушки).

Greece and Cyprus[link]

Greek pancakes are called tiganites (τηγανίτες, from ancient Greek τηγανίτης) and are popular all over Greece and Cyprus. They are slightly thicker than crêpes and can be sweet or savory. Their main ingredients are flour, olive oil or butter, milk and eggs. They are usually drizzled with honey and cinnamon, and sometimes topped with cheese, nuts, fruits or vegetables. Various small shops in Cyprus sell crepes, called creperies either savory or sweet varieties. Tiganites can be served for breakfast or dessert, and in some places like Corfu, Patras are customarily served in the feast days of Saint Spyridon and Saint Andrew. In Cyprus the pancake recipe is used for a similar dish such as Genoese canelloni -- ground meat with tomato sauce, cheese, and sometimes bechamel sauce -- instead of the traditional canelloni dried pasta sold at supermarkets.

United Kingdom and Ireland[link]

Scotch pancake and fruit pikelet

English pancakes have three key ingredients: plain flour, eggs, and milk. The batter is runny and forms a thin layer on the bottom of the frying pan when the pan is tilted. It may form some bubbles during cooking, which results in a pale pancake with dark spots where the bubbles were, but the pancake does not rise. English pancakes are similar to French crêpes, and Italian crespelle, but are not "lacy" in appearance. They may be eaten as a sweet dessert with the traditional topping of lemon juice and sugar, drizzled with golden syrup, or wrapped around savory stuffings and eaten as a main course. On Shrove Tuesday, it is custom to eat pancakes, when lemon juice may be added to top the pancake. Yorkshire pudding is made from a similar recipe, but baked instead of fried. This batter rises because the air beaten into the batter expands, without the need for baking powder; the result is eaten as part of the traditional roast beef dinner. Oatcakes are a savory variety of pancake particularly associated with Staffordshire.

Scotch pancakes (or Scottish pancakes) are more like the American type and are served as such. In Scotland they are also referred to as drop scones or dropped scones.^[18][19][20] They are made from flour, eggs, sugar, buttermilk or milk, salt, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar.^[18][19][20] Smaller than American or English pancakes at about 3.5 in / 9 cm in diameter, they are made by the traditional method of dropping batter onto a griddle (a girdle in Northumberland or in Scots). They can be served with jam and cream or just with butter. In Scotland pancakes are generally served at teatime.

Welsh pancakes, known as crempog, ffroes and other names, vary considerably. Some are very much like American pancakes, others may be made with yeast (called crempog furum) or oatmeal (although this is also true of American pancakes) and some are like scotch pancakes.^[21][22]

Crumpets and pikelets are sometimes considered a variety of pancake.

Spain[link]

Frixuelos.

Spanish pancakes are called Frixuelos or Filloas and are very popular in the north-west of Spain. They are made from flour, milk, and eggs (sometimes they also use blood). They are thin pancakes and are usually served with a large amount of sugar or honey. They are a typical Carnival sweet dessert in Galicia, Asturias and León. Those with blood are typical of the pig slaughter feast.

North America[link]

North Americans at times garnish pancakes with fruits like banana.

Stacks of "silver dollar" pancakes.

American or Canadian pancakes (sometimes called hotcakes, griddlecakes, or flapjacks) are pancakes that contain a raising agent such as baking powder; proportions of eggs, flour, and milk or buttermilk create a thick batter. Many recipes remind the reader that the ingredients should be mixed until they are just combined, even if lumps remain, as the lumps will smoothen out during the cooking process.^[23][24] Sugar and spices such as cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg are sometimes added. The pancakes can be made sweet or savory by adding ingredients such as blueberries, strawberries, cheese, bananas, apples or chocolate chips to the batter. This batter is ladled or poured onto a hot surface, and spreads to form a circle about ¼ or ⅓ inch (1 cm) thick. The raising agent causes bubbles to rise to the uncooked side, before the pancake is flipped. These pancakes, very light in texture, are usually served at breakfast topped with maple syrup, butter, jam, peanut butter, nuts, fruit and/or honey. Pancakes may be served with a bit of powdered sugar and whipped cream, or with cane syrup or molasses instead of syrup or honey. Some pancake recipes use yogurt to give the pancakes a semi-thick, relatively moist consistency.

Johnnycake (also spelled "jonnycake," johnny cake, and "journey cake") or Johnny Bread is a cornmeal flatbread that was an early American staple food, and is still eaten in the West Indies and Bermuda.^[25] The modern johnnycake is stereotypically identified with today's "Rhode Island" foods, though jonnycakes are a cultural staple in all of the northern US.^[26] A modern jonnycake is fried cornmeal gruel, which is made from yellow or white cornmeal mixed with salt and hot water or milk, and frequently lightly sweetened.

Yaniqueques or yanikeke are a Dominican Republic version of the jonnycake. They are a fried bread rather than a pancake and are a popular beach food.^[27][28]

Sourdough was used by prospectors and pioneers to make sourdough pancakes without having to buy yeast. Prospectors would carry a pot of sourdough to make pancakes and bread as it could last indefinitely, needing only flour and water to replenish it.^[29] Sourdough pancakes are now a particular speciality in Alaska.^[30]

A flapjack is a thick small pancake, generally around 10 cm in diameter. Flapjacks are often served in a stack with syrup and butter, which can be accompanied by bacon. The terms pancake and flapjack are often confused and today in the US are nearly synonymous. The Oxford English Dictionary records the word flapjack as being used as early as the beginning of the 17th century, referring to a flat tart or pan-cake. Shakespeare refers to pancakes in All's Well That Ends Well and to flap-jacks in Pericles, Prince of Tyre:^[31]

"Come, thou shant go home, and we'll have flesh for holidays, fish for fasting-days, and moreo'er puddings and flap-jacks, and thou shalt be welcome."

Act II Scene I

The word elements: flap- meaning a tossed mixture and jack, an uncertain word suggesting a variety, imply any ingredients could be called a flapjack.

A silver dollar pancake refers to a pancake about two to three inches (5 to 7 cm) in diameter, or just a bit bigger than the pre-1979 silver dollar coins in the United States, for which they are named. It is usually made by frying a small spoonful of the same batter as any other pancake. One serving is usually five to ten silver dollar pancakes.

German Pancakes or Dutch baby pancakes served in American pancake houses are bowl-shaped. They are eaten with lemons and powdered sugar, jam, or caramelized apples, as well as fritters. A David Eyre's pancake is a variation on the German pancake named for the American writer and editor David W. Eyre (1912–2008).

Mexican hotcakes are similar to US pancakes. Hotcakes are often made with cornmeal — as well as, or instead of wheat flour. Hotcakes are popular breakfast items at restaurants throughout the country, and are often sold by street vendors in cities and during the local celebrations of towns through the day; the vendors sell a single hotcake topped with different sauces such as condensed milk, fruit jam or a sweet goat milk spread called "cajeta".

Guatemalan pancakes are called Panqueques. They are made with the same ingredients as US pancakes. The toppings are usually fruits and honey. They are a very popular breakfast meal in Guatemala. Depending on where you are in the country, the "Panqueque" can be thin as a "Crêpe" or as fluffy as a North American pancake.

Asia[link]

Uttapam, an Indian(Tamil) style pancake.

Serabi

Dosa, prepared and served at a restaurant in Guntur, India.

Bánh xèo, a style of Vietnamese pancakes.

Banana pancakes are a menu item in Western-oriented backpackers' cafes in Asian countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, and China. This has elicited the term Banana Pancake Trail.

Chinese pancakes may be either savory or sweet, and are generally made with dough rather than batter.

In India the Pooda (sometimes called Cheela) is a pancake. They can be made either sweet or salty and are of different thicknesses in different places. They are made in a frying pan and are of a similar batter as their European counterparts

Dosa, Appam, Neer dosa and Uttapam could be said to be other Indian pancakes. They are prepared by fermenting rice batter and split skinned urad bean (black lentil) blended with water. What Punjabis call a meetha pooda are a common breakfast food item in the Punjab. It is a sweet pancake which can be eaten with pickles and chutney. Most of the pithas in Assam are types of pancakes served on occasions such as Bihu. In most parts of India there is a sweet pancake called malpua served.

The Indonesian pancake serabi is made from rice flour and coconut milk.

In Japan, okonomiyaki are made from flour, egg, cabbage and a choice of ingredients.

In Korea, pancakes include jeon, pajeon, bindaetteok, kimchijeon, and hotteok.

In Malaysia and Singapore, There is also another version, eaten by Malays, called apam balik which replaces the filling with sweet corn and condensed milk.

In Nepal, the Newar have a savory rice pancake called chataamari cooked with meat or eggs on top. In the Philippines, pancakes or "hotcakes" are also served with syrup (maple or imitation corn syrup) margarine and sugar or condensed milk. They are served for breakfast, but there are street stalls that sell smaller hotcakes topped with margarine and sugar as an afternoon snack.

In Vietnamese cuisine there is a variety of traditional pancakes; these include bánh xèo and bánh khọt in southern Vietnam, and bánh căn and bánh khoái in central Vietnam.

Australia and New Zealand[link]

In Australia and New Zealand, small pancakes (about 75 mm in diameter) known as pikelets are also eaten. They are traditionally served with jam and/or whipped cream, or solely with butter, at afternoon tea, but can also be served at morning tea. They are made with milk, self-raising flour, eggs, and a small amount of icing sugar.^{[citation needed]}

In some circles in New Zealand, very thin, crêpe-like or UK pancake-like pancakes (around 20 cm in diameter) are known as "flapjacks". The name may derive from their thinness, making them more likely to "flap". They are traditionally served with butter, or butter and lemon, possibly something sweet, and then rolled up and eaten.^{[citation needed]}

American-style pancakes are also popular in Australasia. They are eaten for breakfast or as a dessert, with lemon juice and sugar, butter and maple syrup, stewed fruits such as strawberries and cream, ice cream or mascarpone.^{[citation needed]}

Africa[link]

This meal, consisting of injera and several kinds of wat or tsebhi (stew), is typical of Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine.

"Pancakes" in the Horn of Africa region (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia) are known as injera (sometimes transliterated enjera; Oromo: budenaa; Somali: canjeero). Injera is a yeast-risen flatbread with a unique, slightly spongy texture. Traditionally made out of teff flour, it is a national dish in Ethiopia and Eritrea. A similar variant is eaten in Somalia (where it is called canjeero or lahooh) and Yemen (where it is known as lahoh). In Eritrea and Ethiopia, a variety of stews, known as wat, sometimes salads (during Ethiopian Orthodox fasting, for which believers abstain from most animal products) or simply more injera (called injera firfir), are placed upon the injera for serving. Using one's right hand, small pieces of injera are torn and used to grasp the stews and salads for eating. The injera under these stews soaks up the juices and flavours of the foods and, after the stews and salads are gone, this bread is also consumed. Injera is thus simultaneously food, eating utensil, and plate. When the entire "tablecloth" of injera is gone, the meal is over.

Pancakes in South Africa refer to crepes. They are traditionally prepared by the Afrikaans community on gas stoves, and called a pannekoek in Afrikaans, eaten on wet and cold days. Pannekoeke are served with cinnamon-flavored sugar (and sometimes lemon juice); the sugar may be left to dissolve onto the pancake; if eaten immediately the pancake is crispy. It is a staple at Dutch Reformed Church fetes.^[32] American-style "silver dollar" pancakes are eaten in South Africa, as "plaatkoekies" or "flapjacks". In South Africa, there is a variation of the pancake called a crumpet. It is made from self-raising flour, eggs, milk and a pinch of salt. The smooth batter is fried in butter resulting in a slightly raised flat cake. Crumpets are always served hot, usually for breakfast, with butter and golden syrup.

In Kenya, pancakes are eaten for breakfast as an alternative to bread. They are served plain with the sugar already added to the batter to sweeten them. Kenyan pancakes are similar to English pancakes and French crepes. In Uganda, pancakes are locally made with bananas (one of the staple foods of the country) and usually served as a breakfast or as a snack option.

Pancake restaurant chains[link]

An IHOP restaurant in Poughkeepsie, New York

In the US, Mexico and Canada, a franchised restaurant chain named International House of Pancakes (IHOP) has restaurants serving pancakes at all hours of the day. The Original Pancake House is another chain of pancake restaurants across the US, and Walker Brothers is a series of pancake houses in the Chicago area that developed as a franchised spin-off of The Original Pancake House.

The popularity of pancakes in Australia has spawned the Pancake Parlour and Pancakes on the Rocks franchised restaurants. In British Columbia and Alberta, the restaurant chain De Dutch serves Dutch and Flemish-style pannenkoeken.

Pancake Day[link]

In Canada,^[33] the United Kingdom,^[34] Ireland,^[35] New Zealand, and Australia,^[36] pancakes are traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday, which is also known as "Pancake Day" and, particularly in Ireland and Scotland, as "Pancake Tuesday". (Shrove Tuesday is better known in the United States, France and other countries as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday.) Historically, pancakes were made on Shrove Tuesday so that the last of the fatty and rich foods could be used up before Lent.

Charity and school events are organized on Pancake Day: in a "pancake race" each participant carries a pancake in a frying pan. All runners must toss their pancakes as they run and catch them in the frying pan. This event is said to have originated in Olney, England in 1444 when a housewife was still busy frying pancakes to eat before the Lenten fast when she heard the bells of St Peter and St Paul's Church calling her to the Shriving Service. Eager to get to church, she ran out of her house still holding the frying pan complete with pancake, and still wearing her apron and headscarf.^{[citation needed]} Pancake Day is widely celebrated in Australia.

Every Shrove Tuesday since 1950 the towns of Olney^[37] and Liberal, Kansas have competed in the International Pancake Race. Only local women may compete; they race, and their times are compared to determine the international winner. In Olney the main women's race is augmented by races for local schoolchildren and for men.

The Rehab UK Parliamentary Pancake Race takes place every Shrove Tuesday, with teams from the British lower house (the House of Commons), the upper house (the House of Lords), and the Fourth Estate, contending for the title of Parliamentary Pancake Race Champions. The fun relay race is to raise awareness of the work of the national brain injury charity, Rehab UK, and the needs of people with acquired brain injury. In 2009, the Lords won.^[38] The race was won by the Lower House in 2010, before the Upper House reclaimed the title in 2011.^[38]

See also[link]

Food portal

References[link]

• Albala, Ken (2008). Pancake: A Global History. Reaktion Books. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-86189-392-5. Uchicago.edu

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pancakes

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on Pancake

• History of the Olney, England pancake race
• History of the pancake foodtimeline.org
• Video: "Blueberry Pancake Showdown", Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, January 2009

Tracy O'Neil Porter (born August 11, 1986) is an American football cornerback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Indiana.

Early years[link]

Porter attended Port Allen High School, where he played quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and cornerback. He earned first team All-District 3A honors in his first year of organized football as a junior and second-team as a senior after recording 93 tackles and 11 interceptions.

College career[link]

Porter played college football for the Indiana University Hoosiers from 2004-2007. During his senior year he earned All-Big Ten Conference first-team. He finished his career second in Indiana Hoosiers history with 16 career interceptions and first in interception yards with 413. He also became the first player in school history to return a punt, interception and fumble for touchdowns in his career. He finished his career with 212 tackles and 16 interceptions.

Professional career[link]

Pre Draft[link]

Porter improved his draft stock with an impressive showing at the NFL Combine. His 4.37 40 yard dash time there was tied for the 10th fastest of all of the attending players and his 4.07 20 and 11.22 60 yard shuttle times were each tied for 4th fastest at the Combine.^[1]

New Orleans Saints[link]

Porter was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played in five games during his rookie season before being placed on injured reserve after dislocating his wrist.

Late in the 4th quarter of the Saints' dramatic come-from-behind win in Week 7 of their 2009 season, Porter intercepted the Dolphins' Chad Henne on 4th and long; his 54 yard return resulted in a touchdown, sealing their win and keeping their season undefeated, for the time being (they would lose at home in Week 15 to the Dallas Cowboys).

Midway through the 4th quarter of the NFC Championship game on January 24, 2010, with the Minnesota Vikings already in the red zone and driving towards a score, Porter punched the ball out of the hands of Vikings WR Bernard Berrian; the fumble was recovered by the Saints. Later, with less than a minute left in regulation, and the Vikings almost within range of a game-winning field goal, Porter intercepted a pass from Minnesota's QB Brett Favre, sending the game to overtime. The Saints later prevailed with a final score of 31-28.

Porter's clutch performance in the 2009-10 season continued late in the 4th quarter of Super Bowl XLIV vs. the Indianapolis Colts. With the Colts in Saints' territory, Tracy Porter jumped Colts WR Reggie Wayne's route and intercepted Peyton Manning's pass, returning the pick 74 yards for a touchdown. The score ended the Colts' hopes of a comeback and sealed New Orleans' first Super Bowl victory. In interviews after the game, Porter credited his pick to film study of the Colts' season. "I'd seen it over and over -- third down," Porter said. "That was a big route for them to convert on. Through the numerous amounts of film study that we've done all week in preparing for the Super Bowl... it all happened just like I was watching it on film. I made the break on it, and here comes the end zone."^[2]

In the aftermath of the Super Bowl win, Porter was honored by his home town, Port Allen, which first jokingly renamed the city "Porter Allen" for a day in his honor,^[3][4] then later named a street after him.^[5]

Denver Broncos[link]

On March 22, 2012 Porter signed a one year contract with the Denver Broncos.^[6]

References[link]

External links[link]

• New Orleans Saints bio
• Indiana Hoosiers bio

The Swedish Chef is a Muppet that appeared on The Muppet Show. He was operated by Jim Henson and Frank Oz simultaneously and is now puppeteered by Bill Barretta.

Character[link]

A parody of television chefs, the Swedish Chef wears a toque blanche and has bushy eyebrows that completely obscure his eyes. He was one of the few Muppets to employ an actual puppeteer's hands, originally Oz's, in the designs – that is, they were visible to the audience through his sleeves and facilitated handling food and utensils.

Nearly all Swedish Chef sketches begin with him in a kitchen, waving some utensils while singing his signature song in his typical mock Swedish – a semi-comprehensible gibberish mimicking Swedish phonology and prosody. The song's lyrics vary slightly from one episode to the next, but always end with "Bork, bork, bork!" (translates as 'away/be gone') as the Chef throws the utensils (or whatever else may be in his hands) aside with a clatter that seems to startle him.

After this introduction, the Chef begins to prepare a recipe while giving a gibberish explanation of what he is doing. His commentary is spiced with the occasional English word to clue in the viewer to what he is attempting; for example, "Aweenda shmure da froog's legs." These hints are necessary as he frequently uses unorthodox culinary equipment (firearms, sports equipment, hand tools, etc.) to prepare his dishes. In the pilot episode of The Muppet Show, the Chef's commentary was supplemented by Chinese subtitles, but this was abandoned for all other episodes of the series. The sketch typically degenerates into a slapstick finale where the ingredients or equipment get the better of him.

In one sketch, a misaimed explosive charge slightly damaged the face of the puppet. The Chef's face remained scarred through the rest of the season.

The Chef is referred to by name in one episode, in which Danny Kaye plays his uncle. Kaye reels off a very long name but adds, "But we call him Tom" – much to the Chef's amusement.^[1] In 2010, the Chef was seen wearing a wedding ring, implying that the character is married.^[2]

Computer translations[link]

This article may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (October 2008)

The Chef's gibberish gained a life of its own with the creation of a Unix lex filter capable of converting standard English to "chefspeak" in 1992. The filter quickly became a staple of hacker culture and eventually spread to the mainstream with "Swedish Chef" translators on several websites, most notably the Dialectizer ; there is a popular Mozilla Firefox add-on called "Börk Börk Börk!", which allows the selective "translation" of text from web pages of the user's choice. In 2003, Opera Software – a Norwegian company – published a special "Börk" version of its internet browser, which turned the MSN website into "Swedish."^[3] Google offers "Bork, bork, bork!" as one among its choices for user interface language^[4] and Meebo and Guild Wars both offer "Börk!" as one of their language preferences. There also appeared a plethora of USENET newsgroups named after the chef's speech, the first being "alt.swedish.chef.bork.bork.bork", after which the repeated ending was incorporated into groups such as "alt.french.captain.borg.borg.borg" and other groups following this pattern. This "börk filter" was used in the Darkwind MUD as a curse, of sorts, when characters could be transformed into "little vikings" (to stay somewhat in theme) for a short duration.

The Norwegian company Trolltech, who develop the Qt Development Frameworks, used this "encheferization" for a more serious purpose – although the friendly rivalry between Norwegians and Swedes perhaps was its inspiration.^{[citation needed]} They encouraged software development testing departments to use an "encheferizer" as a plug-in for the part of their product that provided internationalization and localization. Whereas it could not be expected that a test team would know every language to which a product might be aimed, by translating the parts that were supposed to be internationalized through the encheferizer to produce a localized version for Swedish Chef speakers, testers could immediately spot mistakes in the internationalization – parts that had been missed – as anything that had not been localized (encheferized) would show up in the language of the original author of the text. All the same, a tester would be able to test the product functionally, as it takes little language skill, and no software, to be able to decheferize the text: its meaning is clear even when encheferized.

The generally longer encheferized text could also help with graphics testing because it could show up errors where, for example, not enough space had been left for languages that morphologically tend to use more characters than most, such as German. While not perfect, and not intended to be, it stands as a good first stage to check an internationalization effort.^[5]

Inspiration[link]

Some claim that the Swedish Chef was inspired by a real life chef. One example is Friedman Paul Erhardt, a German American television chef known as "Chef Tell".^[6][7] Another example is Lars "Kuprik" Bäckman, a real life Swedish chef. Bäckman claims that his rather unsuccessful appearance on an early edition of Good Morning America caught the attention of Jim Henson, who later bought the rights to the recording and created Bäckman's Muppet alter ego. Bäckman's Dalecarlian accent would explain the chef's strange pronunciation. Muppet writer Jerry Juhl denied Bäckman's story and insisted the character had no real-world counterpart: "I wrote, rehearsed, rewrote, brainstormed, and giggled uncontrollably a thousand times with Jim Henson as we dealt with the Swedish Chef, and I never once heard him mention an actual Swedish chef..."^[8]

According to Brian Henson in one of his introductions for The Muppet Show, "Jim Henson had this tape that he used to play which was 'How to Speak Mock Swedish'. And he used to drive to work and I used to ride with him a lot. And he would drive to work trying to make a chicken sandwich in Mock Swedish or make a turkey casserole in Mock Swedish. It was the most ridiculous thing you had ever seen. And people at traffic lights used to stop and sort of look at him a little crazy. But that was the roots of the character that would eventually become the Swedish Chef."

Merchandising[link]

The first Swedish Chef merchandise item was a ceramic coffee mug produced by Kilncraft in the UK in 1978. It was part of a series of 12 featuring various Muppet Show characters, and featured coloured line drawings on either a white or beige ceramic cup.

In 1980, Jones New York offered a small collection of blue and yellow Swedish Chef kitchen linens including an apron, pot holders, and toaster cover. Miss Piggy linens in pink were also available.

From 1988 to 1989, the Swedish Chef had his own short-lived breakfast cereal for sale in grocery stores, called "Cröonchy Stars." Cröonchy Stars brought with it a small variety of Swedish Chef items, most notably a stuffed Chef doll complete with non-removable wooden rolling pin and spoon. There was also a coffee mug bearing a picture of the Chef and the logos of Post Cereal and Cröonchy Stars.

In 2000, German company Igel released a large (35 cm) plush Swedish Chef as part of the second wave of its stuffed Muppets line. In addition, there was a life-sized version available measuring nearly five feet tall. Though expensive, the huge Chef proved popular enough with collectors that the line was expanded the following year with five-foot plush versions of Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo the Great, Animal, Statler and Waldorf.

Also in 2000, UK food chain Little Chef released a small toy car called Swedish Chef's Sporty Sponge (the Chef riding a cake on wheels) as part of line of promotional Muppet Corgi cars.

2002 was celebrated as the 25th anniversary of The Muppet Show, which brought a flurry of new Muppet toys and collectibles. Included in this was a line of action figures from Palisades Toys, which would run through 2005 and grow to include many dozens of figures. Palisades' Swedish Chef items include:

• A large and very detailed Swedish Kitchen playset, with a very realistic miniature kitchen and over 40 accessories including many cooking tools and odd items such as a saw and tennis racket.
• The first Swedish Chef action figure, included with the Swedish Kitchen playset, has a blue striped shirt and plaid pants.
• "Culinary Catastrophe" Chef, an exclusive figure sold at the 2003 San Diego comic Convention, includes the lobster banditos from the show and their guns. The body of the Chef has a different paint job so it appears to be splattered with food, and his clothing colours are different.
• Classic Swedish Chef has plainer clothing colours than the earlier Kitchen version and comes with several accessories including his gun and a basketball hoop.
• Santa Swedish Chef, an eBay exclusive item for the 2004 Christmas season, is dressed as Santa Claus and includes a holiday wreath and lights.
• A small non-articulated PVC figure featuring Chef holding a spoon and a live chicken in a pot.

In 2003, Sideshow Collectibles offered a Swedish Chef bust statue as part of the third wave of its line of Muppet busts. Other modern Swedish Chef items include yet another plush doll (this time a smaller 18" one), a Disney metal lapel pin, and a small tin of mints.

Stamp[link]

The United States Postal Service released a souvenir sheet featuring Jim Henson and ten Muppets including the Swedish Chef in 2005.^[9]

Video game[link]

A Muppets game for Nintendo Game Boy Advance was released and one of the levels featured the Swedish Chef. The goal of the level was for the Swedish Chef to hit Rizzo and his rat friends with a frying pan because they were trying to steal food. An obstacle to avoid was chickens throwing eggs at the Swedish Chef.

Appearances[link]

Besides appearances in the The Muppet Show, the chef also appears in The Muppet Movie (1979), The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), Muppet*Vision 3D (1991) an attraction found at several Disney Parks, The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Muppet Treasure Island (1996), Muppets From Space (1999), It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002), Studio DC: Almost Live (2008), a sketch for the cast of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and an episode with Hannah Montana star Jason Earles and Cory in the House's Jason Dolley, the Popcorn (song) (2010), and The Muppets (2011).

In popular culture[link]

• The Swedish Chef has been impersonated on Saturday Night Live by Andy Samberg.
• The Swedish Chef appeared in Robot Chicken episode "Federated Resources" voiced by Victor Yerrid. As the Swedish Chef observes various people and things, all ending in 'ork' to agree with his rhyming scheme, 'börk'. These things include Björk, Mork, a dork, a New York poster, Quark, band member Tork, video game Zork, a hot dog made with pork, a fork, a spork, and an orc. When his wife asks him what's wrong, Swedish Chef tells his wife to get off his case. In "Schindler's Bucket List," Swedish Chef was present at Gonzo's funeral.
• The Swedish Chef's song has been humorously misconstrued as a "scathing editorial" against former Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork by Stephen Colbert's political commentator character on The Colbert Report.^[10]
• He also appears in the Family Guy episode "The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou". When Stewie brings up the death of Jim Henson causing wrong-sounding Muppets, it cuts away to a wrong-sounding Kermit the Frog asking a wrong-sounding Swedish Chef to cook him something. They later appear at the end discussing the events that proceeded as a wrong-sounding Fozzie Bear enters asking if they want to hear a joke.
• The interface of the Google can be viewed in several different languages by choosing a setting in its preferences, one of them being "Bork, bork, bork!". ^[11]
• Several videogames, such as Guild Wars have a "Bork, bork, bork!" language setting.
• The Swedish Chef appears in The Simpsons episode "The Food Wife" voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He is seen in Marge's dream. When they agree that "Everything's more fun with Homer", the Chef sings in mock Swedish about Homer.

NASCAR[link]

Swedish Chef was featured on the #9 Dodge Dealers Dodge of Bill Elliott in the 2002 Tropicana 400 in an advertising campaign in which he and his fellow Muppets were featured on a select few race cars.

The Swedish Chef and Scandinavian Languages[link]

• A guide to learning Swedish by Urban Sikeborg states that special care should be given to pronunciation, otherwise "...you might end up sounding disquietingly like the Swedish Chef in The Muppet Show."^[12]
• In the German synchronization of the Muppet Show, the Swedish Chef is actually Danish and his song is "Smørrebrød, Smørrebrød røm, pøm, pøm, pøm". However, in the Swedish edition, he is still Swedish.
• During a meeting with members of the Danish Football Association, the English association football player Paul Gascoigne claimed to speak Danish and proceeded to impersonate the Swedish Chef.

See also[link]

	Muppets portal
	Fictional characters portal

• Jive filter
• Swedish cuisine
• Cröonchy Stars

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Swedish Chef on Muppet Wiki, an external wiki

Look up bork in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Bork, Bork, Bork! Mozilla Firefox add-on - Translate pages to Bork and bork (block) unwanted things.
• Google "Bork! Bork! Bork!" interface