16 International Takes On The Mighty Pancake

The world of pancakes is vast, and not just in the chocolate chip to Double Stuf Oreo way. We're talking about international pancakes (not to be confused with IHOP), because pancakes are popular in almost every country across the globe. Of course, they're all made differently; in France, for instance, pancakes are thin and filled with sugar and lemon... we love them for this. In other countries they are drizzled with sweetened condensed milk -- a must-try classic dish from Thailand. But everywhere, they're delicious.

On September 26, also known as International Pancake Day, we thought it fitting to introduce you to the global world of pancakes. Because even if you're a big fan of a tall stack of buttermilk pancakes, that doesn't mean you shouldn't give the Austrian Kaiserschmarrn a try. (Psst, they use so much butter in their pancakes -- it's glorious.)

France: Crepes

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Crepes are possibly the thinnest type of pancake you can eat. In France, they're often eaten as a snack instead of breakfast. And they're filled with anything from sugar to ham and cheese.

Denmark: Aebleskiver

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These spherical Danish pancakes win for being the most fun to eat. They're the beautiful combination of fluffy pancake and airy pop over.

Poland: Naleśniki

K. Yasuhara/Flickr

Naleśniki is Poland's version of the crepe. They fill them with sweet ingredients such as fresh fruit and jam as well as with savory ingredients like fried chicken.

Australia: Pikelets

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Pikelets are similar to buttermilk pancakes but they're smaller and are traditionally served with afternoon tea. Also, they're topped with jam, whipped cream or butter -- never maple syrup.

Austria: Kaiserschmarrn

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Leave it to the Austrians to find the most delicious way to serve pancakes. These pastry geniuses have broken their pancake into pieces so that it gets even more buttery caramelization. They also top it with dried fruit and nuts.

Malaysia: Apam Balik

Flickr: Yun Huang Yong

Found at roadside stalls, these griddle cakes are traditionally topped with butter and ground roasted peanuts and sweet corn. These days, you can also find them in strawberry and chocolate flavors.

Somalia: Anjero

Flickr: Adriana Chirea

Anjero is a spongy, chewy sourdough pancake that has a slightly sweet and sour taste. Ethiopia has a similar one called Injera, which is slightly larger.

Thailand: Roti

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Street vendors sell these sweet rolled pancakes sometimes drizzled with sweetened condensed milk, sometimes with caramelized bananas and sometimes with both.

Russia: Buckwheat Blini

Flickr: DinnersOut

In Russia, blini are often served in connection with a religious rite -- not just as a Sunday morning affair. They're traditionally served with butter, sour cream, fruit preserves or caviar.

Finland: Pannukakku

Flickr: smerikal

The Finnish bake their pancakes in the oven rather than fry them in a skillet. They're also served as dessert, not for breakfast.

India: Malapua

ampersandyslexia/Flickr

Malapua is traditionally prepared in Bengali homes as a dessert or snack. There are many variations on this Indian dessert. Some recipes call for mashed bananas, others use cardamom, but all of them are awesome.

Netherlands: Pannenkoeken

gottasharepics (Kathy Dempsey)/Flickr

Also known as the Dutch pancake, these crepe-like pancakes are thinner and larger than the buttermillk version. And sometimes bacon, apples, cheese, or raisins are incorporated IN them.

Germany: Pfannkuchen

Flickr: Sofie Dittmann

Germany's version of the pancake is very similar to the French crepe.

Mexico: Hotcakes

Flickr: @tanke67 Vazquez

Mexican hotcakes are similar to U.S. pancakes only they're often made with cornmeal.

Iceland: Pönnukökur

All That Cooking

Icelandic pancakes are light and sweet. Try your hand at them with this easy recipe.

U.S.: Buttermilk Pancakes

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Fluffy, sweet and almost always topped with syrup -- they can be made with endless add-ins.

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