Letter: The original cook-chill

Sir: W. Geoffrey Heath wants to know the point of his mother and others adding snow to their pancake batter (Letters, 24 February). It was in order that the snow, which evaporated as the batter cooked, left a plethora of attractive holes - as in a pikelet - to secrete whatever it was served or spread with. The colder and crisper the snow the better, otherwise it melts too soon.

Perhaps this is why the custom is associated with the frozen north of England rather than the temperate West and South. Today, no doubt, there are hygiene regulations backed up by scientific evidence and the army of environmental health officers to stop anyone putting snow in their pancakes.

Yours faithfully,

MARWOOD YEATMAN

Hale, Hampshire

25 February