It’s Pancake Time at the W.K. Purks YMCA.

And I know many residents who are looking forward to the Vicksburg Y’s Men’s Club’s annual meal of flapjacks (all you can stand) served with syrup, sausage and hot coffee or milk.

Dates this year for the popular event are May 1, 6:30 to 9 a.m. and May 2, 7:30 to 10 a.m.

Cost of the meal is $5 per person. Take-out orders will be available, but you are asked to call in advance, 601-638-1071.

The address is 267 YMCA Place. (Take the first right turn after you pass the Army Corps of Engineers on East Clay Street)

Pancake defined

A pancake is a thin, flat cake prepared from a batter and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Pancakes exist in several variations in many different local cuisines. Most pancakes are quick breads, though some are made using a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Pancakes can be eaten at different times of the day depending on local tradition. Most varieties of pancakes are cooked one side at a time on a griddle and flipped halfway through the cooking process to cook the other side.

The process of tossing or flipping is part of the essence of the pancake and one of the skills that separates the experienced cook from the beginner. It is traditional to turn pancakes over by tossing them in the air using the pan and without using any other implements. This is a tricky maneuver that requires practice to perfect, and that’s what the Y’s Men have done — they have been practicing for years.