Week 22 of Dave Raymond’s Antiquity course covers “ The Grandeur That Was Rome: The Roman Republic” We often think about what the Romans did, but we don’t always remember what they ate, like Roman Pancakes.

Rome’s culture has made a huge impact on the world, with many governments modeling themselves after Rome’s leadership. But Rome brought more than just a model government to today’s culture; it also brought one of the first written recipes for pancakes. Physician Galen wrote On the Properties of Food and included a simple recipe for Roman pancakes. Pancakes go back much farther than Rome, with each culture making a slightly different version of the basic mixture of flour, water, oil, and sweetener. The recipe below is adapted from Roman citizen Galen’s version. 

Roman Pancakes

• 1 c. flour
• 1 c. water
• 1 Tbsp. Honey plus more for drizzling pancakes
• Sunflower seed oil for frying
• Optional: sesame seeds for serving

1. In large bowl combine water, flour, and honey. Heat a pan over medium heat and pour in enough oil to cover bottom of pan. When oil is hot pour in 1/4 c. batter and cook until bubbles appear and bottom has browned, about 1-2 minutes. Flip and let cook another 1-2 minutes. When pancake is cooked put on plate and repeat with remaining batter. After all pancakes are finished drizzle with honey, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve.