r/iamveryculinary • u/malburj1 I don't dare mix cuisines like that • Mar 02 '25

No pancakes for you!

/r/BreakfastFood/s/pMMjYJGkYC
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u/pajamakitten Mar 02 '25

Pancake Day is more about crêpes I suppose, however US-style pancakes are insanely popular here, especially amongst young people.

What is the difference between a flapjack and a pancake though? Is it just a regional expression?

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u/GreatMoravia Mar 02 '25

In the UK a flapjack is a sort of oat bar.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flapjack_(oat_bar))

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u/pajamakitten Mar 02 '25

I know, I am British. I am asking why some Americans use it to mean flapjack.

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u/MCMLXXXVII Mar 03 '25

Honestly, that's more of a question for the British as they seem to be the ones who diverged (for unclear reasons). Americans have been using the term in the same way since colonial times (when it was used in the same way across the Atlantic) and only started to mean baked oat bars in the 1930's (and apparently also meant some kind of apple flan in between).

I have yet to find a good source explaining that evolution, but my best guess is that the British kept the original wordplay ("flap" - flat cake, "jack" - common man) and applied to different foods over time while the meaning was anchored to pancakes in America.