Pancakes are prepared from soft dough, which is considered a very heavy food, experts say.

The Slavic holiday before Lent - Maslenitsa - is celebrated in 2017 from February 20 to 26. The main treat eaten these days is pancakes. Rarely will a person refuse this traditional dish at the very have a delicious week Orthodox calendar.

Who shouldn’t eat pancakes on Maslenitsa, how to eat them properly and which ones are the safest for the stomach?

Piping hot

While preparing treats, many are accustomed to eating pancakes without leaving the stove. However, doctors say that hot cakes cannot be eaten. Perfect option– prepare them in the evening, and warm them up a little in the morning.

“If you eat pancakes in the heat, then they are less easily digested, and this has a bad effect on the functioning of the pancreas. It is better to let the pancakes cool a little and eat them warm or even cold. In addition, although the dough for pancakes is soft, it is considered a heavy food, so people with gallstone disease and exacerbation of pancreatitis should not eat them,” says gastroenterologist Irina Shvedova.

No more than three

Maslenitsa lasts seven days, if you enjoy pancakes every day, then you need to think about their quantity. General recommendation– do not allow the stomach to become heavy.

“During Maslenitsa week, you should refrain from overeating pancakes and not participate in “Who can eat the most” competitions. On average, one pancake contains 200 kilocalories. An adult needs approximately 600-700 kilocalories for one meal. Accordingly, it is recommended to eat no more than three pancakes"- says nutritionist Irina Khromova.

With tea - without coffee

Oddly enough, there are even recommendations on what is the best way to wash down pancakes.

"Hot tea or other drinks in warm facilitate the digestion process. The exception is coffee, which on its own is difficult to digest, and even more so with pancakes. It is healthier to eat pancakes in the first half of the day than in the second half, and even more so at night. The easiest to digest pancakes and pancakes are those made from buckwheat flour, as well as traditional pancakes with heat,” the gastroenterologist continues to say.

With cabbage and cottage cheese

A huge advantage of pancakes is that they can be eaten with almost anything - sweet, salty, spicy. The filling can be anything.

“Pancakes with cabbage and cottage cheese have the least impact on digestion. And the most problems for the body, especially for the gallbladder, are caused by eating pancakes with caviar and lard. You can afford to eat a pancake with this filling once during the whole week. Pancakes with meat and honey are also difficult to digest. It’s easier with low-fat sour cream and butter,” warns the doctor.

By the way

• You can add a little to pancakes oatmeal- the amount of fiber will increase.
• It is better to dilute full-fat milk with water in a 1:1 ratio or use skim milk.
• It is better to use filling that is nourishing but dietary: dried fruits, fruits, vegetables, baby puree, berry jams.

The simplest and most affordable pancake recipe

Ingredients: half a liter of milk, 400 grams of flour, four eggs, vegetable oil for frying, salt and sugar to taste.

Preparation: Pour the sifted flour into a bowl, pour in the milk and mix well with a mixer. Then beat in the egg and add salt and sugar. Place the frying pan on the fire and add oil. When it's hot, we start baking pancakes.

Pancakes with oat milk

Ingredients: 500g flour, 200g oatmeal, two tablespoons of honey, half a teaspoon of salt, vegetable oil.

Preparation: fill the cereal with warm water, transfer it to a blender and stir. Then add 1.5 liters of water and mix again. In the resulting oat milk add honey. Then pour the flour into the milk, salt the dough and add two tablespoons of vegetable oil. In the meantime, heat up the frying pan and start frying the pancakes.

Pancakes without eggs

Ingredients: Half a liter of milk, 1 teaspoon of dry yeast, salt, sugar, 400 grams of flour, vegetable oil for frying.

Preparation: mix flour and yeast, add salt and sugar. Then heat the milk and pour in the rest of the ingredients. Mix the dough and leave it for half an hour. After the dough has rested, you can bake the pancakes in a greased frying pan.

Pancakes with beer

Ingredients: 3 eggs, one glass of milk, one glass of beer, 3/4 cup of flour, salt, vegetable oil.

Preparation: In a bowl, lightly whisk together the eggs, milk and beer. Gradually add flour. Add salt and oil and knead the dough vigorously for 3-5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 1 hour, after which you can bake the Maslenitsa treat.

Photos from open sources

Maslenitsa was originally a pagan holiday of the ancient Slavs saying goodbye to winter and welcoming spring, buttering the god of cattle breeding Veseles by eating round pancakes reminiscent of the warm sun. We have selected the most Interesting Facts about pancakes and those who bake and eat them...

Why is the first pancake lumpy?

Today, this saying is associated with the fact that the first experience is most often unsuccessful - due to a poorly heated frying pan. However, there is a problem here - why did people in the past, instead of heating a frying pan, write proverbs?

In fact, the meaning is different. They used to believe that during Maslenitsa week the souls of the dead returned to earth. Therefore, the first pancake was intended for them: “At Maslenitsa, the first pancake is for the dead.”

Also, the first pancake was given to the poor so that they would remember all the departed. It was believed that the “souls” themselves take an active part in baking the first pancake, in fact, which is why sometimes it turned out “lumpy”.

Why is the pancake round and flat?

At first glance, this is a strange question. However, not all so simple. Everyone knows what the hell this is ritual dish, which used to be eaten at certain times of the year, namely, when it was believed that the souls of the dead came to earth.

That is, the pancake was considered as bread, connecting two dimensions - the real and the afterlife. It was believed that the “souls of the dead” lose the ability of three-dimensional vision and see everything flatly. That’s why the pancake was baked round and flat.

Where did the word "damn" come from?

The most common version is that “pancake” comes from the ancient Russian “mlyn” (from the verb “to grind”). However, it is not clear how the sound “m” turned into the sound “b”. Therefore, there is another point of view that connects the “pancake” with a distorted “reality”: they say, “souls” who come to the pancakes see everything from a distorted perspective, therefore the “reality” (reality) is perceived by them as a “pancake” (reality with a slight refraction ).

The third version connects “damn” with an obscene word, because it meant “lie”, “deception”, “delusion”. And since the pancake acted as a kind of imitation of bread for the “souls of our ancestors” with our “flat” perception.

Why couldn't you eat pancakes on ordinary days?

Today this rule is not observed. However, this used to be taken seriously. They ate pancakes only at the permitted time, when the “souls of grandfathers and great-grandfathers” came to rest in our reality.

It would never have occurred to anyone to eat pancakes at an ordinary, non-ritual time - they could have gone to their great-grandfathers forever. It was believed that only sorcerers, for the sake of communicating with the “dead,” could dare to violate this prohibition.

What celestial body is the pancake associated with?

Today it is believed that the “pancake” symbolizes the Sun. Mainly because round shape. However, in some Russian apocrypha one can also read a reference to the Moon. This looks more logical, since it was believed that the “souls of ancestors” do not perceive sunlight well and are under the protection of the lunar element.

Why does pancake taste like this?

That is, slightly sour. This is due to the belief that the “dead” prefer everything sour. And, say, salt in general can scare away and offend the “soul of an ancestor.” That is why pancakes with caviar are a “lordly” innovation and are in no way connected with the old tradition.

Why does a pancake need to be rolled into a tube?

At first glance it’s clear – because it’s more convenient. But according to a number of scientists, rolling a pancake into a tube began relatively recently - about 200 years ago. Before this, the pancake was mainly rolled into an “envelope” - and in the most intricate shapes. Then the so-called “pie” trend ruled – but this was also an innovation.

Because even earlier, pancakes were not rolled at all, since there was no filling. The pancake itself was considered a ready-to-eat product, and for fillings there was a format of pies, the appearance of which, by the way, was also associated with the “souls of ancestors” ritual.

And further:

The height of the tallest stack of pancakes was 82 cm. It was built in honor of the Maslenitsa celebration by employees of the Food Network UK TV channel. The cooking process itself took 13 hours. 253 eggs, 5 kilograms of flour and 15 liters of milk were spent. The stack consisted of 725 pancakes. The record was recorded on March 9, 2013.

1092 pancakes per hour - this is exactly the record for high-speed baking of pancakes set on August 13, 2013 by American restaurant owner Ros McCurdy. Before Ross, this unusual record belonged to Steve Hamilton, who baked 956 pancakes in an hour.

In February 2012, another “pancake” record was set. English students set the record by holding the largest pancake flipping event. The event was organized by students from the University of Sheffield and broadcaster Dan Walker. 930 people took part in it. At the same time, they turned over a pancake in a frying pan; the whole action took the participants of the record-breaking action about 30 seconds.

The largest number of pancakes made by a team within 8 hours is 76,382 pieces. The record was set on May 9, 2009 in a hotel in Atlanta. The pancakes were prepared by 175 volunteers, and in 8 hours they served about 20 thousand people.

Dominic Kuzakri threw the highest pancake in New York - 9 meters 47 cm. The record was recorded on November 13, 2010. By the way, the previous record also belonged to Dominic, he improved his figure by 30 cm.

The world's largest pancake was baked on August 13, 1994 in Great Britain. The diameter of this giant pancake was 15 meters, 2.5 centimeters in height and 3 tons of weight. The pancake turned out to be quite filling, and it energy value amounted to as much as 2,000,000 kilocalories.

In Russia, they also tried to set a record and on Maslenitsa 2010 they baked the world's longest pancake, the length of which was 1 kilometer, weight 300 kilograms, and area of ​​150 square meters. This pancake strip was cut into 5620 pieces, which were treated to everyone

St. Petersburg resident Andrei Smirnov ate as many as 73 pancakes, weighing more than 2 kilograms, while celebrating Maslenitsa, and it took him only 60 minutes to do it.

According to research by Russian historians, the yeast pancake appeared somewhere around the turn of 1005-1006. Thus, in 2011, the Russian pancake turned 1005 years old

The most ancient pancake holiday in Europe - pancake races in Great Britain. They have been held since 1445. According to legend, in 1445, one of the housewives of the town, carried away by baking pancakes, completely forgot about the Maslenitsa service in the church. Hearing the ringing of church bells, she ran out of the house in a panic, holding a frying pan with a pancake in one hand and tying her cap with the other. From this incident the idea of ​​the “pancake race” was born.

12 Cooking Secrets delicious pancakes- How to cook and bake delicious pancakes? Secrets from the chef. Who doesn't love delicious pancakes? And even with with different fillings? And on Maslenitsa, God himself ordered to bake pancakes and eat them! But how can a young housewife cook delicious pancakes? My own experience is not enough, so the women's magazine site ForLove.com.ua suggests that before preparing pancakes, you get acquainted with the most important secrets of preparing and baking pancakes, as well as read the most best recipes preparing delicious pancakes and pancakes not only for Maslenitsa, but in general for the table any day. Let's start with the secrets of making pancakes. After all, even experienced housewife does not always know how to properly and tasty cook thin pancakes or pancakes with kefir, pancakes with milk or yeast pancakes, regular pancakes or sour pancakes, buckwheat pancakes or classic pancakes, stuffed pancakes or thick pancakes, pancakes, pancakes, pancakes, pancakes... Secret of making delicious pancakes No. 1: Be sure to sift the flour for pancakes, even if you are sure that it is absolutely pure - sifting loosens the flour with air, and then the dough becomes soft and fluffy. You need to sift the flour immediately at the time of preparing the pancakes, but not ahead of time. Secret of making delicious pancakes No. 2: When preparing pancakes, you can only use fresh eggs, and before adding eggs to the dough, they must be beaten well. Secret of making delicious pancakes No. 3: Salt and sugar for making pancakes and pancakes... dissolve, stirring, in a separate bowl, then you need to strain the liquid through a sieve so that pieces of undissolved salt and grains of sugar do not get into the dough and spoil its structure. And only the already strained liquid with sugar and salt dissolved in it is poured into the pancake dough. Secret to making delicious pancakes No. 4: Often pancakes don’t turn out well because the sequence and specific order of actions when preparing pancakes is not followed. In order for the pancakes to turn out “correctly” - tasty and beautiful, you should never pour freshly sifted flour into the liquid mixture! First you need to mix in one pan liquid ingredients pancake batter (remember to dissolve salt and sugar separately and then filter), then pour into another pan required amount sifted flour, and then, in a thin stream, slowly, continuously stirring the dough, pour in liquid consistency into a saucepan with flour. Secret to making delicious pancakes No. 5: To make really tasty pancakes, you should know that egg yolks for the dough are prepared separately from egg whites. Not all sugar and salt should be diluted with water, but only part of them, or only salt should be dissolved in water. Both the yolks and whites must be beaten or simply ground very well with sugar. It is advisable to beat the whites well with a mixer. After this, the yolks mashed with sugar are first (!) added to the pancake dough, the dough is mixed, beaten a little, and only then whipped whites are added to the pancake dough! This is how the dough for delicious pancakes is prepared. Secret of making delicious pancakes No. 6: Good recipe preparing pancakes and pancakes involves adding a certain amount of creamy or vegetable oil. Just add it to the dough after adding flour and the final kneading of the dough - at the very end. Otherwise, the dough will turn out dense, too elastic and tasteless. And you need to add oil - in moderation, but no more. Secret of making delicious pancakes No. 7: To bake sweet pancakes, you can add more sugar to the dough (to get thin pale pancakes you need less sugar, but because too large quantity sugar, pancakes can burn), and when adding soda to the dough, you must take a little of it and quench it with liquid citric acid, previously dissolved in water, or you can quench soda acetic acid in the ratio - a quarter teaspoon of soda and a couple of drops of vinegar (the soda should completely dissolve). The most delicious yeast pancakes are made if the dough is mixed with milk, and the fluffiest ones are made if yeast dough mixed with water. Yeast pancake dough cannot be mixed as usual unleavened dough for pancakes. For yeast pancakes to turn out well, it is advisable that the dough rises 2-3 times. If the dough has not “fermented”, the pancakes will be dense and tasteless, and if the yeast dough has fermented, then they will be inexpressive, pale and with an unpleasant sourness. When preparing pancakes sour milk or kefir, soda must be quenched with acid in a separate bowl and added to the pancake dough immediately before adding flour. Secret to making delicious pancakes No. 8: To make delicious pancakes and pancakes, it is advisable to beat the pancake batter a little, but not too much. To prepare yeast pancakes, it is important to be able to catch the moment when the dough has already risen, but has not yet “fallen” - then they need to be baked. Secret of preparing delicious pancakes No. 9: To obtain rosy, tasty pancakes and pancakes, you need to heat an iron frying pan well, preferably with a thin bottom or cast iron frying pan with a thick bottom, or regular modern frying pan with non-stick coating. It is advisable to thoroughly heat the pancake pan over high heat before baking pancakes, or even better, heat it with coarse table salt, shaking it regularly in the pan. After calcining the pan with salt, you do not need to wash it - just wipe it with a clean, dry cloth. It is important that only pancakes are cooked in the pancake pan, and that it is stored in a separate, clean place, because washing the pancake pan is not advisable. Some people prefer to grease the pan with lard the old fashioned way - but this is not an acquired taste. It is best to grease the bottom of the pan with butter, but if it is in short supply, then sunflower oil refined oil will do. You can turn pancakes with a fork, a special elongated fork made from table set or a wooden spatula. Secret to making delicious pancakes No. 10: Use a small ladle to pour the batter into the frying pan - and only add a little bit of batter so that the pancakes don’t turn out too thick and clumsy. When pouring the dough into the frying pan, hold the ladle in one hand and the frying pan in the other. Moreover, the dough must be poured onto the hot surface of the frying pan quickly, and turning the frying pan back and forth so that the dough is quickly and evenly distributed over the surface of the frying pan. Fry the pancakes over good, but not excessive, heat for 30 seconds - one side of the pancake. When turning the pancake, it should easily separate from the surface of the pan, and you need to determine the moment when the pancake can already be turned over by the following signs - the appearance of bubbles in the baked pancake and the edges of the pancake acquiring a brownish tint. Secret of making delicious pancakes No. 11: Baked pancakes should be placed on one plate of suitable diameter, and the layers between the pancakes should be greased with butter, and the top of the pancake mound should be covered with a clean towel so that the pancakes breathe, but do not cool down. Secret of making delicious pancakes No. 12: Pancakes can be formed into triangles, wrapped in tubes, handkerchiefs. Pancakes can and should be stuffed with different fillings and minced meats - mushrooms and onions, minced meat with onions, stuffed with chopped herbs and eggs, sweet cottage cheese with raisins. Also, children and adults love to gobble up pancakes on both cheeks with various jams, jam, honey, condensed milk, chocolate butter, sour cream. And the most main secret delicious pancakes - pancakes should be eaten immediately after they are prepared, as they say - “hot, hot!” Following the simple rules for preparing delicious pancakes, the Maslenitsa holiday will delight you and your loved ones with only the most delicious and beautiful pancake “suns”. And may all your pancakes on Maslenitsa be delicious and not a single one “lumpy”! Author: Tatyana Laptishcheva

Pancakes are one of the dishes without which modern Russian cuisine is unthinkable. However, suncakes first appeared before our era. Thus, the history of this dish goes back more than two decades.

Historical reference

Many people believe that pancakes are an original Russian dish. However, in fact, they were the first to start making sour flatbreads as early as the ancient Egyptians in the fifth century BC.

In Rus', the first pancakes made from appeared around 1005-1006. There are several legends about how exactly the first pancake was “born”. So, according to one version, the owner simply forgot it in the oven oatmeal jelly. It thickened, fried, and, after “taking a sample,” everyone decided that it turned out very tasty.

It is noteworthy that from the very beginning, pancakes were a dish for the preparation of which they traditionally used exclusively extremely high quality products. This was due to the fact that they were endowed with sacred meaning - they, like kutya, were intended to commemorate deceased relatives. According to tradition, they were baked after the funeral and distributed to the poor with a request to remember the newly deceased.

However, over time, the meaning of this dish has changed. They turned into the main dish of Maslenitsa - the holiday of farewell to winter. Golden round pancake began to be seen as a symbol of the spring sun and the Slavic deity Yarilo. Each housewife had her own secret recipe, which was passed down from mother to daughter by inheritance. Those who did not have the opportunity to bake the treat themselves could buy it from street vendors - fortunately, on Maslenitsa this food was sold literally “on every corner”: in taverns or from peddlers right on the streets.

The fillings were very varied - mushrooms, caviar or fish. Those who had more modest incomes were content with pancakes filled with or.

The so-called “pancakes with seasoning” were considered a special delicacy. They were prepared in a special way - they were fried on one side, and any filling was put on the other and the dough was poured on top. Then the baked goods were turned over to the other side and fried. The result was a double pancake with a “hot” filling in the middle. These baked goods were filled fresh forest mushrooms, herbs, vegetables, boiled egg.

Curious facts

It would seem that we know everything about pancakes. However, there are several interesting facts that probably remain unknown to a wider audience.

Housewives are now baking pancakes from. In Rus', it has long been considered pancake flour. Thanks to her, the dough turned out to be very aromatic, and the baked goods had a pleasant, slightly sour taste.

The well-known proverb “the first pancake is lumpy” has nothing to do with the mistakes of ancient culinary specialists. In fact, it is associated with the Komoeditsa holiday, the main characters of which were... bears. These animals were called “comas” in Rus'. Komoeditsa was timed to coincide with the awakening of animals after winter hibernation, and pancakes were brought “as a gift” to the bears in their den in the early morning. This is exactly how the proverb “The first pancake is comAm” arose, which over time was transformed and acquired its modern meaning.

Not only the baking of pancakes, but also their consumption was associated with a huge number of traditions. So, they were allowed to be taken exclusively with their hands. No cutlery could be used, and a person who cut a pancake with a knife was considered a real criminal in Rus'!

Abroad, pancakes are prepared from almost the same products, but each nationality has its own characteristics associated with their baking and consumption. So, in the UK for pancake dough ale and malt flour are used. American pancakes - small size and very plump. In fact, these are pancakes that are served in a heap, with a layer of maple syrup, berries or vegetables. The Germans serve it with pancakes, and the Spaniards bake them from and stuff them with minced meat. And in China they add a huge amount of onions to the dough.

Today in the world, in addition to ordinary Russian pancakes, French crêpes folded into “envelopes”, incredibly tender Czech “palaces” with vanilla or cheese sauce, American pancakes, a Mongolian version of pancakes called gambir, as well as an Ethiopian pancake made from teff flour called “injera”.

Composition and calorie content of pancakes

The main ingredients that make up any type of pancakes are flour, milk and eggs. The remaining components vary - and as a result, also changes. It is noteworthy that filled pancakes have an order of magnitude more calories. In pancakes without filling, the indicator is 189 Kcal per 100 grams of baked goods. This volume of product contains 5.1 g, 3.1 g and 32.6 g.

The benefits and harms of pancakes

The benefits of pancakes are determined by chemical composition this pastry. It contains (positive effect on metabolism, normalization of activity immune system), (powerful, affecting the functioning of the reproductive system and skin condition) and (decreasing the level of, stimulating the gastrointestinal tract). It also contains (strengthening the heart muscle), (normalizing kidney function), (cell regeneration, removing toxins), (preventing anemia and thyroid diseases) and (responsible for the condition of bones and teeth, promotes mental activity).

At the same time, pancakes, especially with fillings, are quite high in calories, and therefore people who are prone to gaining extra pounds should not get too carried away with this dish.

Moreover, now ready-made pancakes are sold in many supermarkets, but the quality of such baked goods leaves much to be desired due to huge amount flavorings and preservatives added to it by unscrupulous manufacturers. Therefore, if you still decide to enjoy pancakes, it is better to bake them yourself.

Thin pancakes with milk

Among huge variety Traditionally very thin pancakes are especially popular among gourmets, in fact lace pancakes from yeast-free dough. They are often called “French” in contrast to traditional Russian ones, which are prepared with yeast and are quite dense.

To prepare fifteen pancakes with a diameter of 20-22 centimeters you will need: 0.5 liters of milk, three eggs, 200 g of flour, two tablespoons of butter (you can take both refined and vegetable oil, without a pronounced odor), the same amount of sugar and half teaspoon salt.

Please note that in order for the dough to be homogeneous, all ingredients must be room temperature. Therefore, it is better to remove milk and eggs from the refrigerator in advance. In case you use butter, it must first be melted and allowed to cool. Note that baked goods made with butter will be more golden brown and will have a distinct creamy flavor.

Wash the eggs and break them into a prepared container. Add salt and sugar. Stir the mixture using a mixer, or just a whisk or fork. Please note that you do not need to beat the eggs into a foam, you just need to ensure that the salt and sugar are completely dissolved.

Pour about 150 ml of milk into the mixture. Mix thoroughly and sift the flour into the container with the future dough. Mix thoroughly again so that the dough is completely homogeneous, without a single lump. Then pour in the remaining milk and stir again. Add the butter and mix until the dough has the consistency of butter.

It is better to grease the frying pan with oil only before pouring the dough for the first pancake onto it. However, if the pancakes stick, you should lubricate it every time before pouring the dough. Please note that it is better to use vegetable oil to grease the pan, because the pancakes will burn.

In order for the baked goods to turn out not just thin, but truly openwork, with holes, the pan should be heated as much as possible.

Turn the pancake over when the top side is no longer sticky. A wooden spatula should be used for these manipulations.

Pancakes on kefir with boiling water

Many housewives use not milk, but milk to make pancakes. The pancakes end up being thin, porous, and they literally melt in your mouth.

You will need: kefir (400 l), boiling water (200 ml), two eggs, 250 g of flour, two tablespoons of sunflower oil, 75 g of sugar, half a teaspoon of soda and literally a pinch of salt.

Eggs should be thoroughly beaten with sugar and salt. Pour kefir into the same container, add pre-sifted flour and beat again.

Boil water, dissolve soda in it and begin pouring it into the dough in a thin stream, stirring constantly. After this, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and let the dough sit for about five minutes.

Heat the pan well. Grease it with vegetable oil and start frying pancakes.

Zucchini pancakes

Not only flour is used to make pancakes. Pancakes from .

To prepare them you will need: fresh zucchini(450 g), kefir (300 g), four eggs, a tablespoon of vegetable oil, 5 g of salt, and butter, which will be used to grease the pan.

Grate the zucchini fine grater. Squeeze out the juice. Beat the eggs with salt and add them to the zucchini. Pour in kefir and add finely chopped parsley. Stir and add sunflower oil. After this, mix again and let the dough stand for about a quarter of an hour.

Heat a frying pan and grease it sunflower oil. Form pancakes. They need to be fried from both barrels until the color turns golden. After this, grease each pancake with butter.

We ate pancakes on Maslenitsa from morning to evening, alternating with other dishes. Yeast pancakes were very popular during this period. They were very often sold from trays on every corner, and in taverns and eateries they were served along with sour cream, mushrooms, caviar, herring, sprat, whipped cream, jam, and honey. They washed down these pancakes with tea, whipped milk, and hot milk. IN famous restaurants in large cities, along with the menu, specially printed congratulations on Maslenitsa were placed on the tables, which were often written in verse and decorated with bright drawings. They also talked about pancakes.

1. Why is the first pancake lumpy?

Today this proverb is interpreted in the sense that the first experience is most often unsuccessful. They say the first pancake fails due to a poorly heated frying pan. True, no one explains why our ancestors were so careless, and instead of heating the frying pan they made up proverbs. In fact, the meaning of the proverb must be sought elsewhere. Our ancestors believed that during Maslenitsa week the souls of the dead return to earth. Therefore, the first pancake was intended for them: “At Maslenitsa, the first pancake is for the dead.” Sometimes the first pancake was given to the poor so that they would remember all the departed. It was believed that the “souls” themselves take an active part in baking the first pancake, in fact, which is why sometimes it turned out “lumpy”.

2. Why is the pancake round and flat?

Seems like a strange question. Everything seems to be clear. But it's not that simple. Probably everyone knows that pancake is a ritual dish that was customary to eat at certain times of the year, when it was believed that the souls of the dead came to earth. That is, in essence, it was believed that pancake is bread, but which connects two dimensions - the real world and the afterlife. The ancestors were sure that the “souls of the dead” lose the ability of three-dimensional vision and see everything flatly. That’s why the pancake was baked round and flat.

E. Shtyrov Maslenitsa

3. How did the word “damn” come about?

There is no definite answer - scientists are still heatedly arguing. The most common version is that “pancake” comes from the ancient Russian “mlin” (from the verb “to grind”). True, it is not clear why over time the sound “m” mutated into the sound “b” in this word. But, for example, in the word “mill”, which also comes from “grind”, this did not happen - we don’t say “belnitsa”! We prefer the version of some linguists who associate “pancake” with a distorted “truth”: they say, “souls” who come to the pancakes see everything from a distorted perspective, therefore “truth” (reality) is perceived by them as “pancake” (reality with a slight refraction). By the way, there is another interesting version that the word “damn” is related to one obscene word. Initially, this same word meant “lie,” “deception,” “delusion.” And since the pancake acted as a kind of imitation of bread for the “souls of ancestors” with a “flat” perception of our reality, family ties with the vulgar word are not excluded.

4. Why couldn’t you eat pancakes on ordinary days?

Now this is considered some kind of heresy. But our ancestors treated this very pedantically. We ate pancakes only at the permitted time, when the “souls of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers” came to visit our reality. It would never have occurred to anyone to eat pancakes at an ordinary, non-ritual time - they could have gone to their great-grandfathers forever. It was believed that only sorcerers, for the sake of communicating with the “dead,” could dare to violate this prohibition.

5. What celestial body is the pancake associated with?

Today, for some reason, most scientists are sure that the “pancake” symbolizes the Sun. Mainly because of the round shape. However, in some Russian apocrypha one can also read a reference to the Moon. This seems more logical, since it was believed that the “souls of ancestors” do not perceive sunlight well and are under the protection of the lunar element.

6. Why does pancake taste like this?

I mean, slightly sour. This is due to the belief that the “dead” prefer everything sour. And, say, salt in general can scare away and offend the “soul of an ancestor.” That is why pancakes with caviar are a “lordly” innovation and are in no way connected with the old tradition.

With a wide pan. Pre-revolutionary postcard. (formerly 1917)

7. Why does a pancake need to be rolled into a tube?

Because it's convenient, of course. The filling may fall apart. But the point here is different: according to a number of historians and folklorists, we began rolling pancakes into a tube relatively recently - about 200 years ago. Before this, the pancake was mainly rolled into an “envelope” - and in the most intricate shapes. Then the so-called “pie” trend ruled - but this was also an innovation. Because even earlier, pancakes were not rolled at all, since there was no filling. The pancake itself was considered a ready-to-eat product, and for fillings there was a format of pies, the appearance of which, by the way, was also associated with the “souls of ancestors” ritual. But we'll talk about this another time.

"Private Correspondent"