# what do americans put on their pancakes? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 4, 2003, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974 "2003-03-04T09:20:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/1 "2003-03-04T09:20:50Z")
Being Pancake tuesday, I thought that this would be a good time to ask. Here in the UK the most common filling is lemon juice and sugar - apparently 60% are done like that. But when I went into a Pancake Parlour in LA and asked for lemon juice and sugar they looked at me as if I as crazy. Eventually they managed to gather up a little bit of lemon after a bit of effort. Is that combination not done over there? ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/2 "2003-03-04T10:17:51Z")
I prefer really good jam with lots of chunky fruit. Strawberry is good. Guava’s my favorite though. It’s a minority opinion though I believe. I’ve never heard of lemon juice in my entire life, of course you 15 hours away, very few Brits make it this far. ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/3 "2003-03-04T10:23:37Z")
I’ve never celebrated Pancake Day until I moved to the UK. Pancakes are eaten as/when one desires in the US, not just one special day. As for what gets put on them, this varies by region, but for the most part, pancakes are eaten sweet - butter/spread and any of the following: maple syrup, corn syrup, honey, fruit flavoured syrups, or whipped cream and fruit (compote/coulis). I’m sure there are areas in the US that eat them savoury - probably the South - with white gravy perhaps? I’m not positive on this one. Lemon and sugar are nice, but fresh squeezed orange juice and sugar are even better. YAY for Shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Day 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/4 "2003-03-04T10:35:10Z")
So, as I understand it, you only eat pancakes in the UK once a year? and **Washte** , I grew up in Atlanta and Florida, but never heard of savory pancakes there. Just syrup or fruit, like everyone else. Had some nice chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream this weekend, but I’m sure that’s a modern affectation. Oh, and now I remember there being a thread a while back about making pancakes with ham or crumbled bacon in them. It was from a place in NY state, IIRC, and they said it’s “just the way Cowboys eat them”. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/5 "2003-03-04T10:42:56Z")
no, pancakes is anytime in the UK, but they are traditional today. A bit like turkey is not just for thanksgiving or christmas ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/6 "2003-03-04T11:23:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Here in the UK the most common filling is lemon juice and sugar Hmm I guess I need a little ignorance irradication here. When you say filling, do you mean that your pancakes are filled with something, or is it just another way of saying topping. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/7 "2003-03-04T11:32:50Z")
You should know that you are now responsible for us eating pancakes for breakfast this a.m., **scm1001**. With syrupy goodness. Or if you post a recipe for this lemon juice and sugar thing, maybe that way. Will lime juice work as a substitute? ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/8 "2003-03-04T11:57:15Z")
lime hmmm never tried it, might be worth a try. recipe well, take one hot pancake, sprinkle sugar (1-2 tspoons) evenly over. Squeeze lemon juice evenly over until sugar is damp but not flowing wet. Roll and enjoy while still warm ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/9 "2003-03-04T12:00:23Z")
Traditional British pancakes are like crepes. We have the thicker American style ones too, but when a Briton talks about pancakes he’s referring You squirt lemon juice on it, sprinkle on some suger, then roll it up and maybe add a little more. Here’s a link with a recipe for British style pancakes: [http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/smil/pancakes/pancake.shtml](http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/smil/pancakes/pancake.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/10 "2003-03-04T12:20:35Z")
:smack: That was meant to read: …when a Briton talks about pancakes he’s referring to something that looks like [this.](http://www.deliaonline.com/picturelibrary/jpeg230/cc/cc296-basic-pancakes-2.jpg) I’ve also found a load of pancake recipes [here.](http://www.bbc.co.uk/apps/ifl/food/queryengine?templatestyle=text&config=db&attrib_1=ingredient_id&oper_1=eq&page=1&pagesize=15&val_1_1=12) ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/11 "2003-03-04T12:20:37Z")
Should one then assume that you refer to powdered and not granulated sugar? My batter is already made the American way, with the whites beaten separately from the yolks, then folded in. Makes very fluffy, light pancakes but not so good for rolling, so I’ll have to try that the next time. I don’t know that the thicker ones would taste good with citrus. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/12 "2003-03-04T12:24:40Z")
Yep. I’ve never heard of lemon and sugar on pancakes. The American tradition is generally butter with hot maple syrup. Sometimes preserves or a fruit spread is used, but I would guess just butter and maple syrup is the majority topping by far. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/13 "2003-03-04T12:28:07Z")
**ShibbOleth** : We use granulated or caster suger (which is finer). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/14 "2003-03-04T13:27:54Z")
Maple syrup on American-style pancakes. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/15 "2003-03-04T13:34:32Z")
My great-grandfather, who was a lumberjack, put bacon grease and sugar on his pancakes. Guess you can do that when you work your ass off all day, everyday. I prefer butter and maple syrup. Blueberry pancakes, please. ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/16 "2003-03-04T13:40:38Z")
And there are Indian (rice) pancakes (_Dosa_ in the vernacular). These can be had anytime (AM, Lunch, Snack, Dinner…etc). Read about them [here](http://www.interlog.com/~john13/recipes/indian8.htm), [here](http://www.bawarchi.com/contribution/dosas.html) and [here](http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/asia/indian/01/rec0172.html). ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/17 "2003-03-04T13:57:52Z")
Southerners definitely don’t eat savory pancakes unless we’re in a Vietnamese or Ethiopian restaurant. Pancakes and gravy? Blech! Butter and maple syrup is the classic. Most restaurants make their pancakes from nasty mixes, so the pancakes come out thick and pasty and terrible; the pancakes I make at home are thinner, toastier in flavor. I’ve got wild blueberries in the freezer that I picked over the summer, and on the rare occasions when I make pancakes, I always add a handful of those berries to the batter. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/18 "2003-03-04T14:08:01Z")
Most Americans, I’m sure, eat pancakes with “pancahe syrup”. Pancake Syrup is generally sugar syrup (or even corn syrup) with maple flavoring and maybe a little maple syrup added. A lot of big brands – Log Cabin, Mrs. Butterworth’s – are such pancake syrups, _not_ maple syrup. I was startled several years ago when my girlfriend offered to " make" pancake syrup for me – she warmed sugar syrup and added maple flavoring. It was the only time I’d ever seen it done at hme. At the CalMeacham house we eat only pure maple syrup. It’s more expensive, but worth it. At the International House of Pancakes they used to (still do?) have a “bar” of different syrup containers at each table. There were different flavors and several different fruit toppings. You can buy crepes in the US, of course, and many people make their own, but it seems to me that comparing crepe toppings with pancake toppings is like comparing lemons and maples – they’re two differrent things. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/19 "2003-03-04T14:13:37Z")
tonight I shall be having Pancakes wrapped around Sausages and bacon. then I shall go and play football for an hour to work off the damage to my heart the pancakes will do. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974/20 "2003-03-04T14:13:40Z")
Mr. Ruby prefers peanut butter and jelly on his american-style pancakes. I’m a syrup kind of gal. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-put-on-their-pancakes/158974.md?page=2)