Are you celebrating the Chinese New Year?
It is a busy week with Shrove Tuesday, (Pancake Day)
Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day all within the week
Pancake Day has been celebrated by Britons for centuries. Known also as Shrove Tuesday, its exact date, rather confusingly, changes every year, because it is determined by when Easter falls. But it is always the day preceding Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), and always falls in February or March. This year, you'll need to get your pans ready for Tuesday, February 9th.
Traditionally, pancakes were eaten on this day to use up rich, indulgent foods like eggs and milk before the 40-day fasting season of Lent began. But although it is enshrined in Christian tradition, it is believed that Pancake Day might originate in a pagan holiday, when eating warm, round pancakes - symbolising the sun - was a way of celebrating the arrival of spring.
In England our pancakes each is rolled up by itself, with its own small slice of lemon. This pretty much sums up a traditional English pancake, and the authentic English Pancake recipe below will make this classic Shrove Tuesday treat, which has been made traditionally like this for hundreds of years
A TRADITIONAL ENGLISH PANCAKE RECIPE
makes 8 pancakes
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
- 75g plain flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 pint (300ml) milk
- 25g melted butter
traditional flavourings
- a little lemon juice for each pancake
- a little caster sugar for each pancake
- a wedge of lemon if serving more than one per person
These are traditional English pancakes not to be confused with Scotch Pancakes which are popular in America.
Ash Wednesday is a Christian festival. It marks the beginning of six and a half weeks of repentance, fasting and abstinence in preparation for the most important Christian festival of Easter. Many Christians will attend a religious service where the ashes are blessed by the church leader, and placed on their forehead.
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