Pancakes Around the World: 18 Kinds Worth Waking Up For
Batter on a hot surface — the idea is universal, the results are gloriously not. France goes paper-thin, India ferments and crisps, Japan builds a savoury cabbage skyscraper, Uganda rolls eggs into a chapati and names it after a watch. Here are 18 pancakes from around the world, each with an authentic recipe.
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Crêpes
FrancePaper-thin and endlessly adaptable — Brittany's gift to both breakfast and midnight.
Discover Crêpes, the heart and soul of French street food! These wonderfully thin, golden pancakes hail from the windswept region of Brittany in the north-west of France and have since charmed kitchens the world over. Whether you …
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Masala Dosa
IndiaA fermented rice-lentil crepe, crisp as parchment, wrapped around spiced potatoes.
Discover Masala Dosa, one of India's most iconic dishes! This crisp, golden pancake is made from a fermented batter of rice and lentils and wrapped around a fragrant, lightly spiced potato filling. With its delicate crunch, …
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Okonomiyaki
JapanThe savoury cabbage pancake of Osaka, painted with sauce and dancing bonito flakes.
Discover Okonomiyaki, one of Japan's most beloved savoury treats! Affectionately nicknamed the "Japanese pizza", this hearty pancake brings together a simple batter and a generous tangle of fresh cabbage, then finishes with a …
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Blini
RussiaYeasted buckwheat rounds made for smetana and caviar — a thousand years of Maslenitsa.
Discover the variety of Russian cooking with Blini! These thin, golden-brown pancakes are a delight whether you serve them sweet or savoury. Light and delicate, they can be folded around a spoonful of soft cheese, draped with …
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Bánh Xèo
VietnamThe 'sizzling cake': turmeric-crisp rice batter folded over shrimp and bean sprouts, wrapped in herbs.
Meet Banh Xeo, the sizzling rice pancake that has become one of Vietnam's most beloved dishes. Crisp and golden, tinted a sunny yellow with turmeric, it is folded over a generous filling of meat, vegetables and fragrant herbs. The …
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Kaiserschmarrn
AustriaA fluffy pancake torn to golden shreds and sugared — fit for an emperor, named after one.
Say hello to Kaiserschmarrn, one of Austria's most beloved sweet treats! This wonderfully fluffy, shredded pancake is studded with plump raisins and finished with a generous flurry of icing sugar. Simple to make yet utterly …
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Poffertjes
NetherlandsTiny yeasted puffs flipped by the dozen, buried in butter and icing sugar.
Meet Poffertjes, the puffy little pancakes that bring a touch of joy to any Dutch coffee table! These airy, bite-sized treats puff up golden in their dimpled pan and are traditionally finished with a snowfall of icing sugar. …
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Baghrir
MoroccoThe thousand-hole semolina pancake that drinks honey-butter through every pore.
Meet Baghrir, Morocco's beloved "thousand-hole pancakes" — light, spongy and utterly irresistible. Made from semolina and yeast, these airy little pancakes are riddled with tiny bubbles that soak up every drop of warm honey and …
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Hoppers
Sri LankaBowl-shaped fermented rice crepes with crisp edges and a soft heart — often crowned with an egg.
Meet Hoppers, one of Sri Lanka's most beloved everyday classics! These bowl-shaped pancakes are made from little more than rice flour and coconut milk, yet they deliver a wonderful contrast of textures — lacy and crisp at the …
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Cachapas
VenezuelaSweet corn pancakes folded over salty queso de mano — Venezuela's roadside romance.
Discover Cachapas, one of Venezuela's most beloved bites! These plump, faintly sweet corn pancakes are folded around a slab of soft white cheese that melts into every bite. Golden at the edges and tender in the middle, they make a …
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Cong You Bing
ChinaLaminated scallion pancakes, flaky and chewy at once — China's savoury spiral.
Meet Scallion Pancakes, a much-loved snack from the streets and home kitchens of China! These crisp, layered flatbreads are made from little more than dough and a generous scattering of fresh spring onions, yet the result is …
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Pajeon
South KoreaCrisp-edged scallion pancakes, best with makgeolli on a rainy day — Korea says so.
Say hello to Pajeon, one of South Korea's most comforting savoury treats! This traditional Korean pancake brings together a light, slightly chewy batter and a tumble of fresh vegetables for a snack that is every bit as satisfying …
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Pannkakor
SwedenThin, buttery and rolled with lingonberries — Thursday pancake tradition since forever.
Discover Swedish pancakes, a beloved staple of Scandinavian home cooking! These wonderfully thin pancakes can be served sweet or savoury, making them just as welcome at the breakfast table as they are for pudding. Simple to whip …
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Anjero
SomaliaSomalia's spongy sourdough pancake, drizzled with honey or sesame oil at breakfast.
Discover Anjero with Honey, the softly fermented pancake that opens the day in kitchens across Somalia. Made from little more than flour, water and a whisper of yeast, it emerges from the pan lacy and full of tiny bubbles, ready …
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Rolex
UgandaAn omelette rolled in a fresh chapati — Uganda's beloved street breakfast ('rolled eggs', get it?).
Meet the Rolex, Uganda's most famous piece of street food — and no, it has nothing to do with watches. The name is a cheerful mangling of "rolled eggs", and that is exactly what it is: a vegetable-flecked omelette wrapped up in a …
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Rakott Palacsinta
HungaryCrepes stacked into a layered cake with walnuts and jam — Hungary's pancake architecture.
Discover Rakott Palacsinta, the layered Hungarian pancake bake that turns a simple stack of crêpes into a proper feast. Savoury minced meat, a creamy paprika sauce and a blanket of melted cheese are built up layer by layer, then …
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Apfelpfannkuchen
GermanySkillet pancakes with caramelised apple slices — German Sunday mornings in one pan.
Few dishes capture the cosy spirit of a German kitchen quite like apple pancakes. Tender slices of juicy apple folded into a light, airy batter and fried until golden, they are the kind of treat that works just as happily as a …
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Injera
EthiopiaTechnically a pancake, spiritually a way of life — the fermented teff flatbread of Ethiopia.
Meet Injera, the soft, tangy flatbread that sits at the very heart of Ethiopian dining! Made from nutty teff flour and fermented until it turns pleasantly sour, this spongy bread doubles as both plate and cutlery, ready to scoop …
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