This article is about the food. For the Irish style bread, see Soda bread. The pancake’s shape and structure varies worldwide. In the United Kingdom, pancakes are often unleavened mini pancake maker resemble a crêpe.
When potato is used as a major portion of the batter, the result is a potato pancake. Commercially prepared pancake mixes are available in some countries. Like waffles, commercially prepared frozen pancakes are available from companies like Eggo. Pancakes may be served at any time of the day or year with a variety of toppings or fillings, but they have developed associations with particular times and toppings in different regions.
In North America, they are typically considered a breakfast food and serve a similar function to waffles. The Ancient Romans called their fried concoctions alia dulcia, Latin for “other sweets”. These were much different from what are known as pancakes today. Lahoh is a staple in Somalia, Djibouti and Yemen.
Lahoh is a pancake-like bread originating in Somalia, Djibouti and Yemen. It is often eaten along with honey, ghee and tea. 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. A “pancake” in South Africa is a crêpe. Chinese pancakes may be either savoury or sweet, and are generally made with dough rather than batter.