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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
7 min
19/01/2026
Ready to flip out over the world's most batter-ific creations? This article covers every iconic version, from crispy dosas and fluffy American pancakes to savoury Korean jeon and sweet Thai coconut pancakes. This one dish proves that every culture has risen to the occasion when it comes to turning a simple batter into something extraordinary.
Pancakes might be one of those dishes that make breakfast seem so effortless, but they do take some effort. But what makes pancakes so special isn't just their innate goodness; it’s their range, i.e., the different forms and thicknesses they take on, based on their local lore. The French make delicate crepes with or without filling, Koreans pack theirs with kimchi and scallions, and Indians make two special pancakes with fermented rice batters. From bustling street corners in Beijing to worn-out breakfast tables in Kerala, pancakes have a story to tell.
The word ‘crepe’ derives from the Latin ‘crispa’, meaning curled or wrinkled, which perfectly describes their form. Made from a simple batter of flour, eggs, milk, and butter, crepes can swing both ways – sweet with chocolate and strawberries, or savoury with ham and cheese. In France, crepes are traditionally served on Candlemas (February 2), when Pope Gelasius I first offered them to French pilgrims visiting Rome in 472. Crepes come from France’s Brittany region, with these treats being made with white wheat flour since the early 20th century. The tradition holds that if you flip a crepe while holding a coin and catch it in the pan, your family will prosper for the year.
Korean jeon represents a whole family of savoury pancakes, typically served as appetisers, side dishes, or snacks. The most famous variety, bindaetteok, first appeared in cookbooks in the 1670s as binjatteok, originally topped with pork and enjoyed by the wealthy. Made with ingredients ranging from mung beans to kimchi to seafood, jeon can be spotted by the green onions sticking out from all sides. They also have a crispy exterior and soft, slightly gummy interior. Pajeon, the scallion pancake version, is another popular variety, perfect with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce that Koreans reserve for rainy days.
This legendary South Indian dish, which can be called a pancake (closely resembling a crepe), traces its roots back to the 1st century AD, when it was first mentioned in ancient Tamil literature. The batter, made from fermented rice and black gram beans ground into a batter, along with fenugreek seeds, is ladled onto a hot tawa and spread into a thin layer until it crisps up, achieving its signature golden-brown colour and crispiness. Dosas can be plain and simple or stuffed with spiced potatoes to become masala dosa. Masala dosa even made it to the Best Rated Pancakes on TasteAtlas list, alongside pajeon and appam.
This traditional Thai dessert has been loved since the Ayutthaya period, and recently has been popping in and out of the limelight thanks to tourists and rankings from food websites. Khanom khrok are little coconut pancakes, made with rice flour and coconut milk, cooked in special cast-iron pans with round indentations, which yield half-spheres with a crisp outside and a little watery but cooked insides. The toppings range from sweet corn, taro, or green onions. Street vendors cook them fresh and serve them in cups; watching the batter bubble and transform is half the fun.
The OG pancake (maybe not the oldest), which everyone knows and is loved by the Americans, evolved from Native American traditions of cooking cornmeal on hot rocks. European settlers later adapted the concept using wheat flour, which became more widespread by the 1800s. Originally, pancakes held symbolic meaning for Native Americans, representing the sun in early religious rituals. Today’s pancakes are made with flour, eggs, milk, and baking powder (or buttermilk for an extra fluffy batch). These thick, cake-like pancakes are all about that rise. The magic happens when baking soda creates bubbles in the batter, yielding those characteristic fluffy pancakes.
This Chinese breakfast crepe is a savoury street food item, sold by vendors early in the morning across the nation. According to legend, during the Three Kingdoms period, Chancellor Zhuge Liang's soldiers lost their woks, so he ordered cooks to spread batter on shields over flames, and jianbing was born. Wheat and grain flour are spread thin on a hot griddle, an egg is cracked on top and spread over the crepe, followed by scallions, cilantro, and crispy crackers (baocui). The whole thing gets brushed with sweet bean sauce and spicy chilli paste, then folded into a neat envelope.
The name literally translates to ‘grilled as you like’, perfectly capturing the spirit of this Japanese pancake. Two main styles compete for dominance: Osaka-style, where ingredients are mixed into the batter, and Hiroshima-style, where everything is carefully layered. Osaka-style combines cabbage, flour, eggs, and your choice of meat or seafood into a thick, hearty pancake. Hiroshima-style adds yakisoba noodles and is topped with a fried egg, creating a towering masterpiece. Both versions get drizzled with sweet-sour okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, and topped with bonito flakes and seaweed. Hiroshima alone has over 2,000 restaurants specialising in this dish!
This bowl-shaped South Indian breakfast staple, made from fermented rice and coconut milk batter, is particularly beloved in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka. According to food historian Gil Marks, appam first appeared in the southern tip of India, though some speculate it originated from Jewish communities there. The secret to appam's distinctive shape lies in the curved pan (appachatti) that creates crispy lace-like edges and a soft, spongy centre. Street vendors known as ‘hopper men’, especially in Sri Lanka, typically serve them in batches of three to eight per person. It’s usually served alongside coconut milk curry, but they can also be filled with steamed eggs, chutneys, fish, meat, or vegetables.
Each culture has taken flour, eggs (in most cases), and liquid and reimagined them into something uniquely their own. These pancakes are windows into how communities gather, celebrate, and share food. Some are street food grabbed on the go, others are leisurely weekend breakfasts, and a few are desserts fit for emperors. What they all share is the ability to bring people together over something warm, comforting, and delicious.