 Crempogau, made using the Anglesey recipe | |
| Alternative names | Ffroes |
|---|---|
| Type | Pancake |
| Place of origin | Wales,United Kingdom |
| Main ingredients | batter |
Thecrempog (plural: crempogau) is aWelshpancake made withflour,buttermilk,eggs,vinegar and saltedbutter. Traditionally made on bakestones or griddles, thecrempog is one of the oldest recipes in Wales. They are also known asffroes,pancos andcramoth and are normally served thickly piled into a stack and spread with butter. It istraditionally served at celebrations in Wales, such asShrove Tuesday and birthdays.
The word "crempog" has its origins in theWelsh language, but is similar to theBreton wordkrampouezh, which is also a type of pancake.[1][2] Comparisons are often drawn between the two Celtic languages which share ancestry in theBrittonic language, though the krampouezh is more dainty than the crempog and is today closer to acrêpe than a pancake.[3][4]
The English wordcrumpet may be derived from crempog orCornishkrampoeth.[1][5]
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The history of food in Wales is poorly documented, and much of what is known lies in verbal and archaeological evidence. Wales has a long history of baking using abakestone (Welsh: maen), a large round portable flatstone.[6] The flagstone was replaced by a metal plate known as agradell (griddle), and these appeared among the list of objects made by blacksmiths in theLaws of Hywel Dda (13th century).[7] Bakestones were commonly used throughout rural Wales for makingflatbreads with evidence of their use found in farmhouses and in the homes of landed gentry.[7] Early flat stones were placed on a tripod over an open fire, though in many areas, especially in south-west Wales, a specially designed circular iron frame with a half hoop handle was used.[7] By the early decades of the twentieth century built-in wall ovens were common throughout kitchens in Wales, though these would be wood and coal burning.[8] The tradition of using a bakestone coexisted with these newer ovens. Heating the large ovens was generally confined to one day a week and was used to make bread and cakes to last the family until the next week.[8] These were augmented with whatever could be cooked over the open fireplace using the bakestone.[8] Common foods cooked using this method werecacen radell (griddle cake),bara crai' (unleavened bread),cacen gri (speckled cakes) andcrempog.[8]
Although there is no documented evidence of the earliest crempog recipe, the basic ingredients, readily available in Wales suggests a long history. The recipe forcrempog reflects very old cookery traditions that were once common throughout Britain.[9] Bobby Freeman, writing in 1980, states thatcrempog, along withcawl, is the one Welsh ingredient to have endured from past times.[9] Despitecrempog being a staple of Welsh cuisine due to its ease of preparation in past times, it is also connected to traditional celebrations.[9]Crempog was served onShrove Tuesday throughout Wales and was associated with birthdays, especially in south Wales, where the stack of pancakes are cut down in wedges and served like a cake.[9][10]
For the standardcrempog recipe, butter is melted in warmbuttermilk and then poured into a well of flour and beaten. The mixture is meant to stand for a few hours. A second mixture is made using sugar,bicarbonate of soda, vinegar and beaten eggs. The mixtures are then combined to make a smooth, densebatter.[11]
The thick batter is poured onto a hot bakestone or griddle, over a moderate heat. Thecrempog is cooked until golden on both sides and served in a stack with butter spread on each pancake.[9]
InAnglesey andCaernarfonshirecrempogau were prepared ascrempog furum, a pancake made with yeast, orcrempug wen where the normally coarse flour was replaced withrefined flour.[12] These pancakes were meant for the family of the house with the servants of the house being servedcrempog surgeirch orbara bwff, an oatmeal-based pancake.[12]
Althoughcrempog is the term most commonly associated with Welsh pancakes they were known by different names around the country.Crempog was the term most often used in north Wales, while in parts ofCarmarthenshire andGlamorgan they were known ascramwythen (singular:cramoth).[9] In other parts of Glamorgan they were known asffrosen (plural:ffroes), while inCardiganshire they were calledponcagen (plural:poncagau).[9] In some areas of both Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire they were known aspancosen.[13]
As with most meals there are no specific recipe forcrempog.[13] The Glamorganshireffroes are almost identical to Scottish pancakes (drop scones), which may have been brought to the region by Scottish labourers during the industrialization of the south Wales coalfields, but the piling of them into a stack smothered in butter harks to Welsh traditions.[13]
A Welsh verse[14] sung by children refers to crempogau:
In English:
