Pancake Day: Where’s it All Whipped Up From?

Pancake Day, also known as Shrove Tuesday precedes Ash Wednesday in the Christian calendar and usually falls in February or March.

Celebrated in many countries, Pancake Day pinpoints the beginning of Lent- a period of 40 days when Christians fast before Easter Sunday just as the Bible states that Jesus did in the desert whilst being tempted by the devil.

The term ‘Shrove’ meaning ‘confess’ refers to Christians’ final purge before encountering the religious practises and sacrifices that come with Lent, whereas ‘Mardi Gras’- French for ‘Fat Tuesday’ and refers to the practise of eating richer, fattier foods before fasting.

Pancakes came into association with the annual event because they’re made from filling ingredients such as milk, eggs and sugar; the perfect pre-starvation snack.

Top Pancake Fillings & Toppings

History aside, nowadays Pancake Day is more associated with the infinite debate about what filling or topping to have on your stodgy treat. There are tonnes of variations around the world and endless combinations to enjoy.

 1. Fruit Jam & Chocolate or Hazelnut Spread

Traditionally eaten in Austria, Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic amongst other nations, these pancakes are served with apricot, strawberry, apple, plum or loganberry jam alongside chocolate or hazelnut spread. Inevitably, Nutella is popular amongst younger generations.

2. Savoury

From cheese and spinach, to ham and cheese to fruit, savoury filling can be a scrummy alternative to heavier options. Favourites from around the world also include goat’s cheese with salad, chicken with leek, mushroom with mascarpone and carrots with coriander. As pancakes can be filling on their own, using fresh and healthy ingredients can allow you to enjoy the treat guilt-free as a main meal.

3. Yoghurt & Honey, Cinnamon or Syrup

Enjoyed a great deal across Europe, plain Greek-style pouring yoghurt is placed across the pancake and mixed with cinnamon, honey or syrup for a sweet taste. Flavoured yoghurt is also consumed by many. A traditional Austrian version called Kaiserschmarm involves filling pancakes with cheese, pouring yoghurt over them and oven baking. It’s also often drizzled with ingredients such as almonds, raisins or small pieces of apples split into pieces and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

4. Chocolate or Peanut Butter

Whether it’s chocolate chips, sauce or chunks, or even cocoa powder in the preparation stages, this is an intense and indulgent way to celebrate Shrove Tuesday. Often eaten in England and the US, chocolate pancakes are frequently teamed with whipped cream or for more of a balance, enjoy with chopped banana, strawberries, blueberries or raspberries or indeed any other fruit that takes your fancy.



5.  Lemon & Sugar or Crêpe Suzette

Like fish and chips, this topping is a great British tradition. The wonderful balance of bitter lemon juice and sweet sugar satisfies many a craving. A low-fat favourite, Crêpe Suzette is a zesty French classic made with orange and lemon juice as well as orange flavoured liqueur for a bit of a kick.

6. Breakfast Fry-Up

Proof that pancakes can be eaten at any time of the day, this version is potato based. Made with boiled and mashed potatoes, these pancakes act as a carby component to any breakfast platter. They’re delicious served with morning favourites such as bacon, sausages or scrambled eggs. Classic butter, sugar and eggs based pancake batters can also be used for this filling if you’re not keen on potatoes. 

The Sacrificed- ‘III’ (31/01/2012 – Roxx Records/Divine Metal Distribution)

     The Sacrificed is a metal and progressive Christian Rock band from Lakeland, Florida who were formed back in 2005. Despite different backgrounds and musical influences such as Dream Theater and Iron Maiden, the band shared Christian faith. Their first demo, ‘The Da Vinci Hoax’ was released in March 2007 and was signed by Roxx Records in 2009 and recorded their debut album ‘2012’ in July of the same year, aiming to reach a much wider audience. After adding two more band members, ‘III’ is intended to be simple yet powerful and represents this as the band’s third effort, whilst also reflecting the three nails that were meant to have pierced the hands and feet of Jesus Christ when he was crucified.

'Powerful' Album Artwork

      Despite being wary of uproar the mainstream world may bring to the controversial album art, the band emphasise that their music and lyrics can reach out to any listener. Commencing with the theatrical, scary movie style spoken lyrics ‘A plane has crashed into the world trade centre…’, ‘The World is Changing’ attempts the Angels & Airwaves, 30 Seconds to Mars or Rise Against flair with very little effect. Merging into ‘Falling’ which immediately crash lands into a much heavier, metal style. Subconsciously, many perceive metal as full of anger and hatred and The Sacrificed’s attempt to eradicate this idea with terrible sound effects but decent guitaring, combined with odd vocal styles and lyrics. The worship and prayer orientation of this album is almost like a parody of more mainstream metal music.

      ‘Ark of the Covenant’ works well in terms of rhythm and instrumentation, but its aspiration to be powerful and not for the faint hearted is definitely questionable. Perhaps even laughable. However, The Sacrificed speak from the heart and make music about what is important to them, which is something to admire from any band or artist. Yet, referring to divisive topics, even amongst the Christian community, such as the reality of the crucifixion of Jesus and how horrific it was meant to have been, does not bode well with the Christian or Metal conventions as such. ‘The Nephilim Agenda’ (yes, I have no idea either!) and ‘Times Up’ illustrate almost inaudible vocals, excessive guitar solos and no worship elements whatsoever. From my experience, Christians tend to devote time to showing God, and people around them how much they appreciate him, in a joyful and more peaceful manner, with the likes of Hillsong United and Phil Wickham.

      Although, with a much lighter, more sentimental elegance, ‘Words on The Gin’ has the potential to be much more effective, but is very lacking lyrically. ‘Behold The Power of God’ may come across as another emotion or worship driven offering, but The Sacrificed opts to revert back to their odd merge of Metal and God. By convention, Metal tracks tend to be rather long, but ‘Regeneration’ is so repetitive, its 4 and a half minutes snails by, much like ‘Offended’ does.

The Sacrificed: Merging Metal and Christianity  

      Concluding with ‘Before the Storm’ and ‘24’, ‘III’ fails to provide the promise The Sacrificed propose they are capable of. With an unruly merge of Metal and Christianity, inaudible or ineffective lyrics and a few decent guitars solos thrown around, the album, especially for a third release, it abysmal and fails to reach out to either Metal heads or Christians.

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