Well now I'm thinking about it.

[pyrrhiccomedy]

Standard pancake topping in the US and Canada = butter and maple syrup.

Standard pancake topping in Australia = lemon juice and sugar.

Standard pancake topping in Great Britain = ???

Does anywhere else even eat pancakes? Are they still a breakfast food

Comments

[digiphantom]

The only thing I can think of is that in Japan for the longest while they ate a simple BF; fish and rice, or something along those lines. Then with the Meiji Era (late 1800's I think) America brought along sweet, bready foods for BF, like jellies and donuts and waffles. Oh my!
I could be wrong, though.

Standard pancake topping in Australia = lemon juice and sugar.

What kind of...sick operation...?

srsly though, no offense to Aussies.

[pyrrhiccomedy]

"WELCOME TO WESTERNIZATION. HAVE SOME DONUTS."

No wonder it went over pretty well in Japan!

And actually...lemon juice and sugar is really good on pancakes. I think I like it better than syrup and butter. ._.

[irrationalsense]

Pyrrhic:

Because I (NY, USA) had pancakes just yesterday (syrup) and stumbled upon this later, I happened to mention this topic thread to my mom. She was quite interested in these different variations.

When I mentioned the commenters' responses on how pancakes are eaten in Japan, I quoted your brilliant "Welcome to Westernization" quote.

My mom knows nothing of Hetalia, of America's representation in Hetalia, etc.

Her response, word for word: "Donuts? Not hamburgers?"

...It's on these occasions where it is hard to be a Hetalia-fan because you get all these funny looks when you start laughing hysterically for "apparently" no reason.

[jinsai]

Waffles are dessert food in Japan, not breakfast. But yeah, these days most Japanese people have toast, bread, or eggs for breakfast (usually hard-boiled eggs). Lots of them still have rice, but young people rarely have fish anymore (for breakfast that is).

Lemon juice and sugar is awesome on pancakes! Though, I blasphemes by saying this I know. The rest of my family uses (real) maple syrup.

[jinsai]

Actually, it's rare but I've had pancakes with a sort of butter+sugar+lemon juice topping in the States too, and I actually prefer that to maple syrup. It's not quite as sweet.

They eat pancakes in Japan too, but here it's a dessert food, as are waffles and crepes. They usually top pancakes and waffles with ice cream and fresh fruit.

I would say cereal and/or toast is the most common breakies in the states for everyday. Eggs, hash browns, bacon (or Canadian bacon), etc. are something we eat more on weekends when we have the TIME for a proper breakfast.

..at least, that was my experience growing up.

[pyrrhiccomedy]

They eat pancakes in Japan too, but here it's a dessert food, as are waffles and crepes. They usually top pancakes and waffles with ice cream and fresh fruit.

I didn't know that! Awesome! =D

I would say cereal and/or toast is the most common breakies in the states for everyday. Eggs, hash browns, bacon (or Canadian bacon), etc. are something we eat more on weekends when we have the TIME for a proper breakfast.

Oh, yeah, for sure. Breakfast for me is usually "a cup of coffee and a slightly-undercooked piece of toast, if I'm really feeling fancy." XD But those are the KINDS of foods that people in the US and Canada think of as "breakfast foods," you know? And I'm curious what the difference is for other countries.

I mean, how common is it to even have a category like 'breakfast food?' Because I can make eggs, bacon, toast, and pancakes at 7 o'clock at night, and I'll still think of it as "having breakfast for dinner."

[jinsai]

What I've heard is that a common breakfast in Spain is a really thick hot chocolate and some type of sweet bread - usually churros. That sounds delicious to me! I really don't like American breakfast food though, because it seems too greasy and heavy to me. I rarely eat breakfast, and when I do, it's usually coffee and some sort of bread or a small chocolate to keep my stomach from growling until lunch.

I'm weird though. I've actually sat at a restaurant and waited for the lunch menu to kick in before ordering. Breakfast to me is a thing Other People eat.

[onikotsu]

Breakfast for me is usually an "ohfuckgottagetoutthedoornow" operation for me, I eat on the move. When I get to toast my bread it's a good day. But when I have time it's scones or waffles for me. I like lemon-poppy seed/mocha chocolate chip scones and I believe waffles are best with cinnamon and vanilla added in. But I know some of my friends sit down with a bowl of cereal and a English muffin everyday.

[pyrrhiccomedy]

Oh God, mocha chocolate chip scones? Fffff. God, I'm so hungry...

But where are you from! This is not relevant anthropological information if you don't say where you're from. D=

[onikotsu]

I can send you the recipe if you want, they are good.

Ah sorry about that, me=fail, I'm from Pennsylvania.

[may_chan]

woah, lemon juice and sugar? That is ... interesting.

I love breakfast food, but I rarely eat them in them morning. My roommate eats cereal, especially the granola one, every freaking morning. My family tends likes french toast except me. Nowadays, I really like just regular pancakes (butter and syrup FTW), and a warm bowl of buttery grits! Since I'm Chinese, I know we normally eat congee for breakfast. Sometimes with those crispy crullers~ YUMMY!

[pyrrhiccomedy]

Does congee for breakfast have any particular kinds of stuff in it? =o Like, are there things people put in it that would make you go "oh, that's more of a breakfast congee?"

[may_chan]

Hmm, I dunno about a breakfast" congee, but its often to eat those crullers with them in the morning. My mom makes them really plain so we can put whatever we want to mix with it like eggs, meat, veggies, etc.

[pyrrhiccomedy]

...I'm so hungry now. D=

[innamoramento]

From what I've heard, the pancake is still alive and kicking in European countries, but a lot of them have more savory versions, whereas most Americans would likely balk at the mention of a savory pancake. Funny you should mention this, I failed spectacularly at making crepes the other day and wound up with burnt semi-pancake things. Someday I will master the crepe...

And I'll keep that in mind if I go to Australia. I'm very allergic to citrus, especially lemons.

[innamoramento]

Oh, and for the second half of that question-- cereal, no doubt. Oatmeal, granola, smoothies, all sorts of not-good-for-you pastries, hash browns, eggs, bacon, sausage. One of the favorites in my house was strawberries, bananas, and whipped cream. Nowadays I still make it with yogurt in the whipped cream's place. My father is a fan of having half a grapefruit with a cherry in the middle, too.

[pyrrhiccomedy]

Savory pancakes? =o Like...you put...cheese in them?

/total lack of comprehension

[innamoramento]

Cheese, bacon, sausage, all that! Dutch pancakes are apparently really good with savory stuff mixed in, and there's usually beer in the batter, too. XD