In the past few weeks, I've noticed that a lot of churches, schools and other organizations are having pancake fundraisers. While most Americans probably think of pancakes as a breakfast food, growing up in a Swedish-American household we often had pancakes for lunch or dinner. Swedish pancakes are similar to crepes, only a bit more chewy and buttery. You probably could fill them with savory things like a crepe, but we usually have maple syrup, jam, powdered sugar and/or whipped cream. And yes, it still counts as dinner.
On Thursday evening I joined my grandmother for a local Vasa lodge's pea soup and pancake fundraiser (ärtsoppa och pannkakor). But perhaps I should first explain this combination of foods to those of you who aren't familiar with Swedish cuisine. As part of a long-standing tradition, the Swedish military and other government institutions (like schools) serve pea soup followed by pancakes on Thursdays. I'm not really sure when this tradition originated, but wikipedia.org says it may have something to do with preparation for fasting on Fridays, back in pre-Reformation times. Whatever the origin, pea soup and pancakes are tasty and the meal is still served throughout Sweden on Thursdays.
Unfortunately Paul was sick with a stomach bug, so he wasn't able to make it for pancakes and pea soup. But I was still happy to have some time with my Grandmother, and I made sure to make Paul some pancakes the next morning since he missed out on the feast.
Showing posts with label pancakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pancakes. Show all posts
