30 Aug /16

Palacinka

Palacinka – Word of the day - EVS Translations
Palacinka – Word of the day – EVS Translations

In the culinary world, when it comes to thin pancakes, every other contribution to this category is seemingly overshadowed by the French crêpe. Though the French are, perhaps, the best known for it, they are far from being the originators – we need to look further east in Europe for that.

While each Balkan/Central European culture has their own similar name for it – the Austrians call it palatschinke, Romanians call it plăcintă, and from Slovenia to Serbia and Bulgaria, it is called palačinka– it is time that these versatile pancakes finally got the recognition they deserve.

Many know that the crêpe originated in 12th century Brittany with the introduction of buckwheat, but palacinky, indicative of their age, originated in the Roman province of Pannonia, in the Northwestern Balkans, making them up to a millennium older.

The word has developed slight variations relative to the native languages of the region, but all of the words for it are based on the Latin placenta, meaning ‘a flat cake.’ Yes, the afterbirth placenta organ derives from the same Latin word.

The first mention of the word in English appears in Alfred Wright’s 1884 work, Adventures in Servia, where he writes: “We had sweet omelettes and pancakes called palachinkas, and wound up with dessert and coffee.”

Despite early mentions in English considering it along the same lines as a typically sweet and fruity French crêpe, the easier to make (i.e. no rest period needed) and slightly thicker Palacinka lends itself to more varied applications. For example, Hungarians enjoy meat-filled Hortobágyi palacsinta covered with a paprika/sour cream sauce, Bavarians fill them with sauerkraut, Austrians even slice them and use them in a clear broth, called Frittaten soup.

Considering that the recipe is older, easier, and more versatile, maybe it is time to give the “gourmet” crêpes a break, and learn to appreciate the beauty of palacinky!