Commercials for big brand name restaurants, like Mcdonalds, opt for motor oil as “syrup” for pancakes! The reason they do this is so the pancakes don’t absorb the “syrup” and make it look more appealing to us.
There’s also a bunch of other techniques like putting cardboard in between burger patties so they don’t sink too much and look fluffy! Or shaving cream to make it look like whipped cream so it doesn’t melt!