National Waffle Day
A waffle is like a pancake with a syrup trap. Mitch Hedberg.
The waffle originated as the obelios, a flat cake made of grain flour and water, cooked between hot metal plates.
In the Middle Ages, plates were inscribed with images of Jesus and other religious symbols, wafer cakes.
The modern-day waffle evolved in Belgium and France, cooked in special grid-patterned irons; the Liege Waffle version, made with a thick dough incorporating yeast and eggs, was a popular Belgian street food. The Brussels Waffle is a refined, lighter, fluffier version made with a batter that includes butter, sugar, and vanilla.
The first waffle iron patent in the US was granted to Cornelius Swarthout in 1869 in Troy, New York. General Electric created the first electric waffle maker prototype in 1911. Still, it wasn’t until Maurice Vermersch premiered the Belgian Waffle at the 1964 New York World’s Fair that Americans became enchanted with the sweet treat.
In 1953, Frank Dorsa introduced frozen waffles, an American convenience food, now known as Eggo waffles (Kellogg’s).
Of course, no decent waffle could be served without butter and Aunt Jemima Syrup (now rebranded as Pearl Milling Company by PepsiCo).
Where would we be without fast food breakfast? The International House of Pancakes (IHOP-1958), serves not only pancakes, but also waffles.
Storm chasers across the US rely on the 24/7 service at Waffle House (1955) to predict hurricane severity.
Do you enjoy waffles? Today a wide variety exists: they can be sweet or savory. Do you have a favorite recipe?
Get Author JL Huffman’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
