Pancakes - Pannekoeken - Crepes

Pancakes, along with waffles are to be found served in most cafes and restaurants and, unlike their British counterparts, tend to be made from a batter mix that is creamier and sweeter.  In fact you normally cannot get pancakes in most places in the UK as it is associated with Shrove Tuesday.  What has become a treat in the UK is taken for granted here in Belgium and is freely available.  There is, however, more to it than just a pancake, naturally.

I should start by saying that if you ask for a pancake with sugar and lemon, the waiter or waitress will check to see if they heard you right, at least twice.  Pancakes are served in Belgium with among other things, ice cream, jam, chocolate sauce, warm cherries, sugar, whipped cream and a few other dressings.  With one exception that I found whilst at the coast, they are never ever served with lemon.  If you ask you will more often than not be given a rather lame slice of lemon, which they sometimes forget to bring so you have to remind them.  You will also end up with three types of sugar, which is normal.  The only place I have found a pancake with lemon and sugar on the menu was as Siska's, a famous pancake and waffle café on the coast in Knokke. Here it was called the American.

 The drawback to pancakes in Belgium is the little known law that they can only be sold between the hours of 14.00 - 18.00 the sale of pancakes is strictly prohibited at any other times.  I believe this is to do with the Union of Pancake Cooks who, after years of struggle with domineering employers, have managed to introduce legislation to protect their rights.  Actually I am kidding, it just appears that whenever I want a pancake the cafes seem to cease making them for reasons best left to Stephen Hawking to work out.

I have often made illegal pancakes in the privacy of the home, in fear of being raided by the pancake police.  I do however go back to basics with mine and use just plain flour, eggs and milk, this way I really appreciate the special ones when I can get my act together to be at the right place at the right time.

I do believe that waffles can be eaten at anytime, so maybe it is a competition thing that the waffle makers have over the pancake makers.  We cannot call them tossers as I don't think I have seen a pancake cook frantically tossing away, but then it is in the privacy of the kitchen and I really don't want to know how they prepare the food.

Waffles can come with ice cream and or powder sugar, called bloem suiker.  The bloem is Dutch for flour and also flower, confusing or easier to remember do you think?  The bloem zuiker ends up everywhere especially if you try and make someone laugh while they are taking a bite.  I might add that these waffles are very light and delicious as they are freshly made.  You can get the dry dense ones in the supermarkets but they are not a patch on fresh ones.