Crempog

Thecrempog(plural: crempogau) is aWelshpancakemade withflour,buttermilk,eggs,vinegarand saltedbutter. Traditionally made on bakestones or griddles, thecrempogis one of the oldest recipes in Wales. They are also known asffroes,pancosandcramothand are normally served thickly piled into a stack and spread with butter. It istraditionallyserved at celebrations in Wales, such asShrove Tuesdayand birthdays.
The word "crempog" has its origins in theWelsh language, but is similar to theBretonwordkrampouezh, which is also a type of pancake.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 acrêpethan a pancake.
The English wordcrumpetmay be derived from crempog orCornishkrampoeth.
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.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).Bakestones were commonly used throughout rural Wales for makingflatbreadswith evidence of their use found in farmhouses and in the homes of landed gentry.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.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.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.These were augmented with whatever could be cooked over the open fireplace using the bakestone.Common foods cooked using this method werecacen radell(griddle cake),bara crai'(unleavened bread),cacen gri(speckled cakes) andcrempog.
Although there is no documented evidence of the earliest crempog recipe, the basic ingredients, readily available in Wales suggests a long history. The recipe forcrempogreflects very old cookery traditions that were once common throughout Britain.Bobby Freeman, writing in 1980, states thatcrempog, along withcawl, is the one Welsh ingredient to have endured from past times.Despitecrempogbeing a staple of Welsh cuisine due to its ease of preparation in past times, it is also connected to traditional celebrations.Crempogwas served onShrove Tuesdaythroughout 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.
For the standardcrempogrecipe, butter is melted in warmbuttermilkand 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.
The thick batter is poured onto a hot bakestone or griddle, over a moderate heat. Thecrempogis cooked until golden on both sides and served in a stack with butter spread on each pancake.
InAngleseyandCaernarfonshirecrempogauwere prepared ascrempog furum, a pancake made with yeast, orcrempug wenwhere the normally coarse flour was replaced withrefined flour.These pancakes were meant for the family of the house with the servants of the house being servedcrempog surgeirchorbara bwff, an oatmeal-based pancake.
Althoughcrempogis the term most commonly associated with Welsh pancakes they were known by different names around the country.Crempogwas the term most often used in north Wales, while in parts ofCarmarthenshireandGlamorganthey were known ascramwythen(singular:cramoth).In other parts of Glamorgan they were known asffrosen(plural:ffroes), while inCardiganshirethey were calledponcagen(plural:poncagau).In some areas of both Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire they were known aspancosen.
As with most meals there are no specific recipe forcrempog.The Glamorganshireffroesare 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.
A Welsh versesung by children refers to crempogau:
In English: