Palačinky

Czechs do NOT have pancakes.  There I've said it and I'm not wrong.

Czechs have palačinky which is translated to "pancakes".  Palačinky would be better translated to crêpes but Czechs will swear up and down that palačinky are pancakes.


American pancake batter is thick and is made from flour, milk, eggs and baking powder.  Sometimes milk is substituted with buttermilk.  American pancakes are thick, usually ⅓ inch (1 cm) each and about 4 inches (10 cm) across and a serving consists of 3 or 4 pancakes.

Silver Dollar pancakes

Pancakes are served with butter and maple syrup.  Blueberry pancakes are popular and you just add blueberries to the batter.  Kids (and some adults too) like chocolate chip or strawberry pancakes and are topped with whipped cream.

Sometimes we call pancakes hotcakes or flapjacks.  Silver Dollar pancakes are only 2 - 3 inches (5 - 7 cm) across.


Palačinky batter is made from flour, milk, eggs, and salt, with no baking powder.  They are very thin and look like crêpes.  They are never served with butter or syrup.




There are both sweet and savoury versions.  The sweet versions are usually rolled up with plum, apricot, blueberry or plum jam.



Many times you can get palačinky filled with fruit or Nutella with whipped cream and powdered sugar (confectionary or icing sugar).



Savoury options include spinach and garlic or ham and cheese.

Now don' get me wrong.  I like palačinky.  After all, who doesn't like crêpes?  But Czechs are passionate that palačinky are pancakes.  Stubborn, but they are not alone.  It's the same across Europe.