Olly The Oatcake



About The Author About The Artist About The Book History Of The Oatcake Oatcake Recipe		History Of The Oatcake The Oatcake is a local delicacy in and around North Staffordshire. It has been called a "Tunstall Tortilla", a "Potteries Poppadom" and a "Clay Suzette". Another less flattering description of an Oatcake is an "Oat Flannel". A proper Oatcake is at least nine inches in diameter, and is crepe-like in appearance. Oatcakes are made in a variety of ways, but many recipes are closely-guarded family secrets. Oatcakes themselves are quite healthy and are a good source of fibre, though the overall nutritional benefits depend on the accompanying filling. They freeze well and are also a good microwave food. Origin The most popular story of the origin of the Oatcake is that it comes from British Colonial India. The story goes that men serving in the military enjoyed chapattis (an unleavened bread) whilst in India and tried to duplicate them when they returned home. With many authentic ingredients unavailable, they substituted local ingredients instead and the result was the North Staffordshire Oatcake as it is known today. Whether this story is accurate or not is unknown, but it does sound a plausible explanation as to the origins of the Oatcake.

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