5 Flippin Fabulous Facts about Pancakes

It’s March and shrove Tuesday is upon us!  Here are 5 flippin fabulous facts that you might not know about pancakes!

ONE

In the U.K., Ireland, and Australia, Pancake Day (also known as Pancake Tuesday) is celebrated on Shrove Tuesday (which you might know better as Fat Tuesday). It’s the last day before Lent, the traditional Christian 40 days of abstinence before Easter. Traditionally, the custom was to empty the pantry of all sugar, fats, and eggs to avoid temptation and reduce waste. These ingredients were put to good use by making and consuming large batches of pancakes.

TWO

In 1935, Vogue told its readers that “pancakes are frankly difficult and not worth eating at all unless they are of paper thinness and succulent tenderness.” These days, they seem to have changed their tune—they at least offer a recipe for gluten-free chocolate banana pancakes online.

THREE

The flipping-a-pancake-while-running-a-marathon award goes to Dominic “Mike” Cuzzacrea, who completed a 1999 marathon at Niagara Falls in a time of 3 hours, 2 minutes, and 27 seconds—all while battling wind from the falls. Of course, he had to have some specialty gear, considering he was estimated to have flipped the pancake once every 1.8 seconds for the duration of the race. “There’s a special technique for the pancakes,” Cuzzacrea said last month while reminiscing about his pancake-flipping runs. “When you make them for a marathon, they have to be wrapped in Saran Wrap with weather stripping because they have to go through 5000 to 6000 flips over 26.2 miles, plus consider the elements of wind and rain.”

And, that wasn’t Cuzzacrea’s first time setting that particular record, nor would it be his only pancake-related record. He also holds the record for the highest pancake toss at 31 feet, 1 inch, which he set in 2010.

FOUR

Measuring over 49 feet in diameter and weighing 6,614 pounds, the world’s biggest pancake was made in Manchester, U.K. in 1994 by the Co-Operative Union, Ltd. And yes, in order to qualify for the record, the giant pancake must be flipped and be edible.

FIVE

If your love of pancakes knows no bounds (and you have a budget to match), the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel’s Opus One restaurant in Manchester, U.K. holds a place on the culinary map for having the “most expensive pancake in the world.” Created in 2014, it would set you back a solid £800 (around $980), but at least that includes lobster, caviar, and Dom Perignon champagne.