Flour day, Pancake Tuesday and 12 pancake days a year!

A post for both Konamon no Hi “Flour Day”, Pancake Tuesday and the 12 ‘pancake day’s a year in Japan! It includes a recipe for pancakes with a Japanese twist.

Pancake Tuesday needs little introduction in the ‘West’, but Konamon no Hi is unique to Japan. Konamon no Hi こなもんの日 falls on May 7th annually. Kona means flour and mon from mono meaning thing. May 7th can be read as “kona”; “ko” from the “go gatsu” meaning May and “na” as an abbreviation of “nana” meaning seven. The Nippon Konamon Association started promoting May 7th as konamon no hi, or flour day as we might call it, in 2003.

Pancake Day

Moreover, there are twelve ‘pancake day’s a year in Japan! Each month the 10th of the month is PANCAKE DAY. The date was set to be the 10th of each month, which is the combination of “1” and “0”; the “1” is supposed to represent the fork used to eat pancakes and the “0” a round pancake! The aim is to make it a day to enjoy pancakes. The anniversary was certified and registered by the Japan Anniversary Association. It was submitted for consideration by Nippon Ham, which manufactures and sells a variety of foods including hams and sausages, processed foods, and dairy products. And wouldn’t you know… pancakes!

Pancake Tuesday

In 2024, Pancake Tuesday is particularly early falling on February 13th.

In Japan, pancakes are now a popular treat. Some even eat them for breakfast and it is very common to find them on a breakfast buffet menu. Furthermore, they are also popular for lunch and / or as a dessert. Many restaurants have pancakes on their menu and there are specialty pancake restaurants too (skip to pancake restaurants). Also, the ingredients to make pancakes in Japan are readily available for pancake treats on February 13th 2024.

Make your own pancakes

A recipe for either Pancake Tuesday or Flour Day…

With a Japanese twist

Fiona Uyema is Ireland’s leading Japanese food expert, Japanese cook book author, CEO of Fused (soy sauce and premium stir fry sauces) and TV celebrity chef. Her recipes are versatile and easy to follow. I am biased – she is my bestie – but her recipes, book, sauces and TV appearances are popular for a reason: she makes Japanese food accessible to all. Here is a great Matcha Pancake recipe from her (be sure to check out her website for more)…

Matcha Pancakes

View on Fiona’s Fused website here.

Ingredients

• 250ml buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 180g flour
• 1 tablespoon matcha (green tea powder)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• A teaspoon bread soda
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Official website here.

Toppings

Savory

• bacon, smoked salmon, tomato, mushroom, selection of cheese (cream cheese, goats cheese etc)

Sweet

• figs, mixed berries, banana
• honey/maple syrup, to garnish

Official website here.

Method

In a large bowl mix the buttermilk and egg together.

In another large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together (flour, matcha, baking powder and bread soda). To ensure that the matcha is evenly dispersed through the flour, pass the mixture through a sieve 2 or 3 times.

Add the dry ingredient mix to the buttermilk and egg, whisk until the batter is smooth with no lumps.

Add vegetable oil to a non stick frying pan and set the heat to medium/high.

Using a large spoon, place one spoon of batter carefully on the frying pan.

Fry for 1 – 2 minutes until bubbles form on top, then flip and continue to fry on the other side for 1 – 2 minutes.

Serve on a plate along with the recommended toppings and garnish with honey or maple syrup.

Fused by Fiona Uyema

Treat yourself

Saitama Pancake Restaurants

If you are out and about on Pancake Tuesday, February 13th 2024, and / or making them at home is not an option, or you’d just fancy treating yourself to some, there are some really great pancake houses around. In Saitama we have a great choice. For example, the majority of the family restaurant chains – such as Gusto, Denny’s etc – have pancakes on their menu. Moreover, a surprising amount of restaurants usually have a choice of at least a dessert pancake. We also have a selection of cafes / restaurants whose specialty is pancakes:

A choice of pancake restaurants in Saitama

Please note – the pandemic may effect the schedule even availability of these restaurants.

FUJIMI: JS Pancake, Lalaport

I am listing JS Pancake first because for me there is an added bonus to the pancakes here: you can get a really decent lasagna – a rarity in Saitama – with your pancakes! They have a nice children’s menu too

KAZO: Kona’s Coffee Hawaiian Pancake House

Kona’s is a chain pancake restaurant with branches all around Japan. I’ve only personally been to three, all in Saitama. I believe the Fujimi branch, which is right on the border of Kawagoe, was the first in Saitama. My favorite of the branches I’ve visited is the branch in Kazo. There are also branches in Saitama City and Tokorozawa.

KAWAGOE: Aloha Kapilina

Aloha Kapilina is another Hawaiian type restaurant. Their main fare is all-you-can-eat set courses, but you can just order individual dishes. They have a few pancake choices on their menu and, in addition, the option to add extra toppings.

OMIYA: Eggs’n Things

Probably the most famous on this list, Eggs’n Things is another Hawaiian type chain restaurant. Moreover, they have branches all over Japan. Currently (2020) the only branch in Saitama is in Cocoon City beside Saitama Shintoshin (Omiya ward). They currently have a limited edition mouthwatering chocolate pancake special for Valentines that will still be available until February 28th. (Image from the official website).

KUMAGAYA: Base Diner

Pancakes (and burgers) are the most popular thing on the menu at the rustic cafe in Kumagaya. It is a really busy restaurant so arriving early is advised. Please note, while they officially open seven days a week, they occasionally close the restaurant in the afternoon without prior notice. They have no official website and rarely use social media so using one of the restaurant navigation websites is the only way to keep up with this trendy cafe in Kumagaya.

HIGASHIMATSUYAMA: Pour Toi

For the type of cafe it is, Pour Toi has a good selection of homemade pancakes. In addition, they have a reasonably priced children’s set too for “one coin” (500 yen). The cafe is an area of Higashimatsuyama that was badly affected by typhoon Hagibis. The cafe itself went unscathed, but there was no access to the area until mid December. And so it had to close for a period during 2019 and 2020. It may also have to close during the pandemic. Please check the official site for the most up-to-date information.

Pancake restaurants for flour day

There are a couple of other restaurants with decent pancakes worth mentioning, but unfortunately they don’t open on Tuesdays. But while they might be closed annually for Pancake Tuesday, unless Flour Day falls on a Tuesday, they are open on Konamon no Hi and at least a few of the Pancake Days on the 10th of the month!

Cafe Matilda in Kawagoe does really filling and reasonably priced light and fluffy pancakes:

In Ranzan Fukurou No Mori, an outdoor cafe and dog run, have pancakes all year round even though the rest of their menu is seasonal:

Do you celebrate Pancake Tuesday? Or how about “Flour Day”!? Will you make your own or go out to restaurant? Any recommendations to add?