What are Oatcakes?

An oatcake is essentially a kind of a pancake or a cracker that is made with oat meal. Sometimes flour is used as the main ingredient as well. Oatcakes are usually cooked on either a pan or a griddle. These are most popular types of healthy snacks in the United States of America. It has also been considered the national food of Scotland for ages now. They are made entirely with oats, a cereal that is found in abundant in the Northern part of Scotland. These oats form the staple diet here, which generally consists of porridge and oat cakes. According to history, in the 14th century, Scottish soldiers carried along with them a plate that is made out of metal along with many sacks of oatmeal. It is said that they first heated the metal plate over fire. Then they would take a small amount of oatmeal and moisten it and a cake is made out of it.

A North Staffordshire oatcake is a kind of pancake that is also made purely out of oatmeal, along with which flour and yeast is used to complete the recipe. It is finally cooked on a girdle. It is famously known as the local specialty in North Staffordshire UK. It is known to the non locals as the Staffordshire oat cake or as the potteries oatcake. In and around the areas of South Cheshire and the Potteries they are simply referred to as oatcakes. Another kind of oatcake is the Derbyshire Oatcake that is similar to the Staffordshire Oatcake. The only thing that distinguishes the Derbyshire oatcakes from the Staffordshire ones is their size.

Until the industrial revolution began, oatcakes were commonly produced all through Britain. The oatcakes are now mass produced and found in just about any supermarket in the UK. They are also commonly found in places like Rhyl and Towyn in North Whales. They are healthy and delicious, so get yourself some and enjoy!