The Acadian buckwheat pancake from Canada is called a ploye. A ploye is a thin, soft griddle bread associated especially with New Brunswick’s Madawaska region and nearby northern Maine, where it is part of Brayon and Acadian food traditions.
Its batter commonly combines buckwheat flour with wheat flour, water, salt, and a leavening agent such as baking powder. Unlike many pancakes, a traditional ploye is cooked on only one side. The surface develops small holes, and the finished pancake is often folded or rolled after being spread with butter.
Ployes began as an inexpensive staple that could fill out meals when ingredients were limited. They may be served with maple syrup, brown sugar, molasses, or cretons, but they are also commonly paired with baked beans or fricot, a regional chicken stew. Family recipes vary considerably.
Ploye is easy to confuse with a French crêpe or Breton galette because all are thin and may contain buckwheat. The name, however, specifically identifies this Acadian flatbread tradition of eastern Canada and northern Maine.