Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day to many of us, is an important day in the calendar in many countries. In many places, particularly in the Caribbean and South America, it is carnival time. However here in the UK, with our Christian cultural heritage, it is the day that we are supposed to use up all our rich food such as butter and eggs before giving it up for Lent. Hence today we celebrate Pancake Day!
I guess most of you are busy planning just what toppings you will be having on your pancakes tonight and who will be brave enough to flip them in front of the kids. But did you know that the pancake is actually a staple food in many African countries? Of course they aren’t quite like pancakes as we know them.
In Ethiopia the pancake is eaten daily in every house and it is truly a staple of the Ethiopian diet, pretty much like bread is over here. These Ethiopian pancakes are called injera and are made from a grain called teff which is also sometimes mixed with wheat or barley. A similar pancake can be found in neighbouring Somalia called a lahoh. The flour is mixed with water and then left to ferment like a starter dough. It is then spread out in a flat circle on a clay plate above a fire and baked to become a sort of pancake flatbread. The top is usually quite porous and the bottom drier which makes it better for soaking up the juices of the stews that are usually served with the injera. In Ethiopia the pancake is said to be used as the tablecloth, the plate, the utensils and the meal all in one handy, nutritional package. A portion of stew is placed onto the pancake and then the pancake is ripped into pieces and the stew and pancake are eaten by hand. I think this is a great idea, just think of all the washing up saved! Although having said that, Sara our Marketing Manager, once ate an injera that she swears tasted exactly like a lemon flavoured dishcloth so they are not to everyone’s taste!
If you fancy trying this yourself you can find Ethiopian and Somalian restaurants in London and other big cities. However if you fancy trying the real thing then a trip to Ethiopia is the only way to go. Lily, Rob and Sara have all been to Ethiopia and fallen in love with the place so if you have any questions you can give us a call.
Posted by Ruth