Food - News
A German Farmer Made Messy Pancakes For An Emperor And Now It's A Whole Thing
By KHYATI DAND
The German Kaiserschmarrn is a baked or fried pancake that is torn into small pieces, topped with powdered sugar, and tossed in a pan till the sugar caramelizes. The shredded pancake is often enjoyed alongside fruit compote, and while it’s certainly delicious, its creation was most likely an accident.
There are two stories on the origin of Kaiserschmarrn that both imply the pancake was accidental. Per one tale, a royal pastry chef tried to make a new dessert inspired by omelets for the king and queen; however, their perplexed reaction to the dish led to the chef to name it Kaiserschmarrn, or the "emperor’s mess."
The other legend claims that while Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria was taking shelter from a storm with a farmer, the farmer's flustered wife accidentally made a mess of the pancake meant for him. The king happened to be pleasantly surprised by the scrambled pancake and called it the Kaiserschmarrn.