Pancake Day and Black History

I saw a Facebook update that really caught my attention just now. We don’t hear enough about black inventors, so thanks to Zena, the Cookie Princess, for today’s “Black History Fact”.

No matter how you like your pancakes, you have all of these African-American inventors to thank for helping you enjoy them: Norbert Rillieux – Sugar Refinement/1843; Thomas Carrington – Stove/1876; George Washington Carver – Peanut Butter/1880; Willie Johnson – Egg Beater/…1884; John Standard – Refrigerator/1891 and John White – Lemon Squeezer/1891. Bon Appetit!

Being myself a native of New Orleans the story of Norbert Rillieux is particularly noteworthy.  Black people from my hometown didn’t just invent jazz. The picture above meanwhile is from John T White’s patented lemon squeezer.

For Americans wondering what Pancake Day is, its a Shrove Tuesday tradition, to use all up all the sugar, fat and eggs in the house before fasting.

Zena Marten, a friend of mine, is the founder of Cookieluscious, which bakes amazing American cookies from the heart of Primrose Hill, north London.