We’ve introduced you before to the wonderful work of Jas. Townsend and Son Inc., the YouTube channel dedicated to 18th century living, and the various period foods they like to recreate. You can see several of their 18th century food recipes here, including fried chicken and steak pudding. Their latest video shows you how to make 18th century pancakes.
Cornmeal
The pancakes in question are called Indian Slapjacks, because they use cornmeal, which was referred to as “Indian Corn” in the 1700s. The recipe is taken from Amelia Simmons’s famous 1796 cookbook, American Cookery, supposedly the first American cookbook.
Maple Syrup
Our host drizzles them, as is the traditional North American way, with butter and maple syrup. They look fairly easy to produce – pancakes, are pancakes right? But, even if you don’t end up making them, this is a pleasant six minutes or so of pure escapism, in the company of an affable host.
Watch the video below.