In pancake history, the Middle English word “pancake” appears in which century?

In pancake history, the Middle English word “pancake” appears in the 15th century.

The word is a compound of “pan” and “cake,” describing a cake cooked in a pan. Its recorded Middle English appearance belongs to the 1400s, although pancake-like foods are much older than the English word itself.

Ancient Greek writers described tagenites, a fried batter made with ingredients including wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and curdled milk. Medieval and early modern cooks also prepared many related flat cakes under different regional names.

A common mix-up is to confuse the history of the dish with the history of the word. Pancake foods existed centuries before “pancake” became an attested English term. Another nearby milestone is Gervase Markham’s 1615 English recipe, which used water rather than milk.