Pancake

A beloved Swedish classic called fl&auml;skpannkaka is a thick and fluffy pork pancake. The pancake batter is made with flour, eggs, milk, salt, and butter. It is evenly distributed over crispy pork or bacon in a pan, then baked until golden. This scrumptious pancake is traditionally served drizzled with lingonberry jam and accompanied by shredded carrots or cabbage. In Sweden, it is usually served as a main dish.

Fläskpannkaka

Flija is a typical dish of Albanian cuisine, prepared both in Albania and Kosovo. Although it is commonly termed as a pie or a cake, flija can more accurately be described as a stack of layered pancakes. The recipe consists of two different mixtures; one for the batter - usually consisting of flour, water, salt, and eggs, and the second mixture, used as a filling, prepared by blending together oil, butter, and yogurt or kaymak. There are numerous versions of the recipe, but the ingredients always remain simple, which is in contrast with a rather laborious and time-consuming method of preparing the dish. The batter is poured in such a pattern that the layers consist of triangle-shaped gaps. As each new layer is applied, it is immediately baked by covering the pie pan with sa&ccedil;, a dome that's been previously heated over an open fire, topped with ash and cinders in order to preserve the temperature. Once the layer is baked, it is coated with fillings, then covered with a new thin layer of batter, and the baking process is repeated once again until all of the batter is spent. Flija can be served with various accompaniments including savory ones like sour milk, yogurt, pickled vegetables, cheese, and ajvar, a spicy vegetable spread, as well as sweet ones: either a side of jam or a drizzle of honey.

Flija

France

This classic street food item hails from French Brittany, more precisely from the department of Ille-et-Vilaine. Usually sold at food trucks, galette saucisse consists of a cold buckwheat cr&ecirc;pe that is wrapped around a warm grilled pork sausage. The combination can be complemented by mustard, but other options may also include mayonnaise or ketchup, cheese, or other garnishes. The dish is believed to have originated as early as the 15th century, and it is said that the first versions were prepared with pork offal. It is best enjoyed with a glass of Breton cider on the side.

Galette-saucisse

Gromperekichelcher is Luxembourg&rsquo;s version of a potato pancake. It consists of grated potatoes, shallots, garlic, parsley, eggs, and flour. After the ingredients have been combined, the concoction is typically flavored with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg, flattened into a small pancake, then fried in hot oil. These crispy fritters can be consumed on their own as a snack or served as a side dish accompanying a variety of savory dishes.

Gromperekichelcher

Japan

Okonomiyaki is a traditional dish that consists of batter and shredded cabbage. Two main variations come from Osaka (Kansai-style) and Hiroshima. The Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is not prepared by mixing the ingredients together like the Osaka-style variety. Instead, the batter is cooked just like a thin pancake and all the ingredients are cooked separately and layered. Ingredients such as fried eggs, scallions, dried bonito flakes, bean sprouts, and sliced pork belly are placed on the pancake with the toppings, and the dish is served on top of yakisoba (or sometimes udon) noodles. Typical toppings include Japanese mayonnaise, dried green seaweed (aonori), and the sweet and sour okonomi sauce. This style of okonomiyaki has been around since the 1950s.

Hiroshima-Style Okonomiyaki

India

Kallapam is a traditional coconut pancake that's popular in Sri Lanka and Kerala. It's made with a combination of raw and cooked rice, coconut milk, grated coconut, yeast, shallots, sugar, salt, and cumin seeds. Traditionally, the pancake is made with kallu (toddy or fermented palm wine), which is used as the raising agent instead of yeast, but it's usually not that easy to get a hold of it. The batter is fried in a pan, and after a minute or so, the pancakes are ready. Kallapam is usually served warm with chicken curry or beef cooked in coconut milk.

Kallappam

German potato pancakes are a restaurant staple, a homemade classic, and a popular street food snack. They are prepared with a thick batter that employs grated raw potatoes, flour, and eggs, and are usually shaped into flat, round discs that are shortly pan-fried until golden and crispy. Even though they are often served as a complement to stews, grilled meat, and sausages, potato pancakes make an excellent snack or main course. Kartoffelpuffers are traditionally accompanied by creamy apple sauce, fruit preserves, or sour cream.

Kartoffelpuffer

Kartupeļu pankūkas are Latvian potato pancakes, a quick mid-week meal that almost everyone knows how to prepare. They are made with a combination of grated potatoes, eggs, and flour, seasoned only with salt and pepper. Fried until golden brown, kartupeļu pankūkas are traditionally served with sour cream and lingonberry sauce. Although these pancakes were considered a cheap meal, they have recently started to appear on many coffee shop menus in the country.

Kartupeļu pankūkas

These thin, crispy potato pancakes are traditional Slovak snacks that are usually enjoyed during the Christmas festivities and Lent. They are made with a soft potato dough which is rolled into flat circular shapes and dry-baked until crispy and golden. Even though they are traditionally consumed as a savory snack filled with sauerkraut or minced meat, certain regional varieties are enjoyed as a sweet treat that is spread with fruit preserves and dusted with poppy seeds, sugar, and melted butter.

Lokše

Georgia

Machkatebi is a traditional dish originating from the historic region of Tusheti in northeast Georgia. These rustic pancakes are usually made with a combination of flour, eggs, milk, salt, and oil. The runny batter is cooked in a pan, and the large, thin pancakes are then filled with a mixture of butter and grated cow's milk cheese. Once filled, the pancakes are rolled up and the ends are tucked in. Machkatebi is served and enjoyed piping hot. These pancakes are especially popular during the winter. Interestingly, the rich filling of cooked butter and cheese is called khavitsi.

Machkatebi

Italy

Manfrigole are a variety of pancakes made with a combination of buckwheat and white wheat flour, filled with Bresaola and Casera cheeses. The dish is traditionally prepared in the mountains of Valtellina. Milk-soaked bread can be added to the filling in order to make it more compact. Once filled, manfrigole are topped with cubes of Casera and baked until the cheese melts and turns golden brown. This nutritious dish is perfect for colder days and it is best enjoyed straight from the oven, drizzled with melted butter and sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese.

Manfrigole

Martabak is a roti-like stuffed and fried pancake which is often served as a popular street food item in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Although the fillings may vary, some of the most popular ones include ground meat, eggs, garlic, onions, peppers, curry, and ghee. Fresh herbs such as coriander and mint are often used for additional flavoring. The flatbread dough is supposed to be extremely thin and requires a lot of expertise. Another name for the dish is mutabbaq, an Arabic word meaning folded, referring to the way in which the stretchy dough is folded around the filling during cooking. The end product is usually shaped like a rectangle, right after it develops a golden brown color on both sides. It is believed that martabak was invented in Yemen and Saudi Arabia around the same time, and as both countries have a large Indian population, it soon spread to other regions of the Arabic world, India, and Persia. Today, when martabak is not served fresh from street stalls, it can be found in numerous stores in its finished form, while sweet varieties called martabak manis are especially popular - filled with chocolate, peanuts, and sugar.

Martabak

A traditional southern Indian dish known as masala dosa is popular throughout the country, made from a batter of soaked rice and lentils that is baked into a thin pancake and usually stuffed with potatoes, onions, and mustard seeds. The dish is often garnished with grated coconut and chopped coriander. With its huge popularity, there are also some variations of the dish, such as mysore masala dosa, rava masala dosa, onion masala dosa, and paper masala dosa. It is usually consumed as a quick snack or as a part of any meal of the day. Masala dosa has even made the list of 10 foods to try before you die, complied by the Huffington Post, alongside famous dishes such as Beijing duck, moussaka, and BBQ ribs.

Masala dosa

Chile

Milcao is a traditional dish originating from the Chilo&eacute; Archipelago. It consists of grated potatoes, mashed potatoes, and usually lard and seasonings, resulting in a type of potato pancake. Traditionally, only Chilotan potatoes should be used in the preparation of milcao. These potato pancakes are used as an important part of dishes reitimiento and curanto. Nowadays, there are many variations of milcaos &ndash; fried, oven-baked, steamed, boiled, sweetened, or enriched with chicharrones.

Milcao

A specialty of the Japanese Kantō region known as monjayaki is pan-fried batter, a type of pancake consisting of wheat flour (komugiko) and fish broth (dashi). The pancake is mixed with cabbage, seasonings, and other ingredients, cooked until it is crispy on the bottom and partially cooked on the surface. The dish first became popular after World War II, when food was scarce, and the combination of dashi and komugiko provided an inexpensive way for numerous families to eat. Originally, monjayaki is derived from funoyaki, a batter-only snack that was often served during Buddhist ceremonies. Although it might be visually unappealing to some people, monjayaki is nowadays considered a delicacy, best consumed when still piping hot.

Monjayaki

Necci are thin Italian pancakes made from a batter of chestnut flour and water. The pancakes are usually consumed on their own or filled with ingredients such as pancetta, ricotta cheese, sausage, chocolate, honey, or sugar. Necci are a traditional snack of the Tuscany region, and they are characterized by their crispy edges, a result of baking the pancakes in flat, cast-iron pans called testi.

Necci

Similar to an omelet or a pancake, okonomiyaki is an immensely popular Japanese dish. The batter is made with eggs, flour, water, grated yam, and shredded cabbage. Additional ingredients such as fish, seafood, meat, vegetables or cheese are also occasionally added to the mix. The batter is then pan-fried, similar to a pancake, and finally garnished with condiments such as Japanese mayonnaise, pickled ginger, fish or seaweed flakes, and topped with a sauce similar to the thick Worcestershire sauce. The dish is eaten everywhere in Japan, but it is usually associated with the Kansai region. Although there are certain disagreements about whether okonomiyaki was developed in Osaka or Tokyo, there is no doubt that Osaka popularized this unusual dish and made it an irreplaceable part of Japanese cuisine. The style and the ingredients of okonomiyaki also depend on the region, the two most prominent varieties are the Osaka and Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. The Osaka type, also referred to as Kansai, is considered to be the traditional and more popular variety, where the condiments are usually mixed and placed on top of the pancake. The Hiroshima variety often includes yakisoba noodles, larger amounts of cabbage, and the garnishes are typically layered on top of the pancake. Japanese restaurants typically offer two choices - prepare the dish yourself or order the already cooked okonomiyaki.

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a traditional dish that consists of batter and shredded cabbage. Two main variations come from Osaka (also called Kansai-style) and Hiroshima. The Osaka-style okonomiyaki is prepared by mixing the ingredients together &ndash; including grated yam, flour, eggs, water or dashi, and shredded cabbage &ndash; and pouring the batter on a hot griddle just like a pancake. Additional toppings and ingredients are all mixed into the batter, such as seafood, meat, and scallions, unlike the Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, which is layered and the ingredients are cooked separately. Once cooked, the dish is topped with a special sweet and sour okonomi sauce, and usually Japanese mayonnaise and bonito flakes.

Osaka-Style Okonomiyaki

Pan bati is a lightly sweetened cornmeal and flour pancake from Aruba. It is a staple side dish accompanying many Aruban meals. The name of the dish, pan bati, means beaten bread, referring to its flat shape. Although it is most commonly consumed as a breakfast side dish, it can also be prepared in a sweet version with sugar and various sweet fillings. It is said that the biggest influence in the invention of pan bati came from the Creole culture, even though it is not known exactly who first created this popular pancake.

Pan bati

Panqueques verdes is a traditional green pancake originating from Chile. The pancakes are usually made with a combination of flour, eggs, milk, salt, and either spinach or chard. The eggs are beaten, mixed with cold milk and flour, and seasoned with salt. The batter is ladled into a hot pan, and the pancakes are then cooked until the edges start to come off the sides of the pan. Panqueques verdes are then flipped and cooked on the other side. Once done, these green pancakes can be enjoyed as they are or filled with anything from onions, bell peppers, and cheese to tuna, chicken, or coriander and lemon.