On this episode of Sprung On Food, host Kae Sprung talks the history of pancakes with returning guest Erika Kwee (Pancake Princess). The episode traces pancake-like foods back to early agriculture and Ötzi the Iceman, then follows written records from ancient Greece (tēganitēs) and Roman recipes, through medieval Shrove Tuesday “Pancake Day” traditions and England’s pancake races.

It explains how American pancakes became fluffy through chemical leaveners like pearl ash, saleratus (baking soda), and commercial baking powder (including Rumford), then highlights the rise of boxed mixes via Pearl Milling Company/Aunt Jemima, the brand’s 2021 renaming, and diner culture culminating in IHOP. They also touch on pop-culture moments, records, and recipe suggestions like Golden Diner’s NYT recipe and Erika’s own.

You can follow and support this week's guest, Erika Kwee here:
Blog: https://www.thepancakeprincess.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/thepancakeprincess
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pancake.princess
Substack: https://thepancakeprincess.substack.com/

See behind the scenes photos and video here: http://instagram.com/sprungonfood

Check back for new episodes, and make sure to also subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@iamsprung

You can also learn more and follow Kae Sprung here:
Website: http://katherinesprung.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamsprung
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamsprung

Looking for half off your first 2 months to help make your own podcast? I recommend Riverside and Descript. You can find links below to sign up*:
Riverside: https://riverside.cello.so/kbhJQ48RO1S
Descript: https://descript.cello.so/4oB9cH6HfXH

About the show:
Sprung On Food is a digital and podcast series, hosted by Katherine "Kae" Sprung, an award-winning pastry chef and food and media entrepreneur. This season, we're talking about favorite foods- the history behind them and the role they play in the world today. Each episode features a special guest to talk about their favorite food, and help comment on the historical origins and pop-cultural and modern society moments tied to that food. Its food history meets food pop-culture, a dose of education, with sprinkles of comedy.

*Please note that I'm an affiliate and might receive a commission from the links. If you plan on signing up for either app, please consider using the link to help support a fellow creator!

00:00 Pancake Love Intro
02:17 Toppings And Boundaries
04:12 Defining The Pancake
05:42 Prehistoric Origins
10:10 Ancient Greece And Rome
12:17 Medieval Pancake Day
13:28 Pancake Races Idea
16:20 Colonial Recipes To Fluff
17:36 Leavening Breakthroughs
24:37 Mixes Diners And IHOP
28:27 Best Pancake Spots
32:31 Pop Culture And Records
36:14 Recipe Picks Farewell
38:12 Closing Credits