THIS ARTICLE IS ADAPTED FROM THE NOVEMBER 26, 2022, EDITION OF GASTRO OBSCURA’S FAVORITE THINGS NEWSLETTER. YOU CAN SIGN UP HERE.
Kitchen devices that have only one use are often gimmicky and rather silly, like the tabletop s’mores makers that Amazon is pushing as the hot appliance of the year. (Who eats that many s’mores?)
But I’d put up a fight if someone tried to take my waffle maker. Sure, it takes up half a kitchen cabinet, but it’s the rare kitchen appliance whose essential function can’t be replaced by some MacGyver-like creativity.
To me, waffles are the perfect food. They’re easy to make, not too sweet, and extremely versatile.
Perhaps that’s why, from medieval Europe to now, people have made room for a waffle iron in their kitchens. So this week, we’re exploring how the waffle has wound its way onto plates around the world.
Waffle Frolics
Waffles have long been a familiar sight at the table. Even before the first-known waffle recipe was recorded in 1393, people had been cooking batter-based cakes and wafers quickly in special iron pans. Wafels, an early term for the food in Dutch and German, referred to their honeycomb-like shape, though the irons could also be cast to press shapes such as stars and flowers into the cakes.
After the Dutch introduced them to the American colonies, they became a local favorite. By the 18th century, waffles became so popular that, pre-Revolution, Americans held “waffle frolics” where the crispy treats were the main event.
Museum collections today hold waffle irons from past centuries, which look more like long-handled torture devices. The 20th-century electric waffle maker made things significantly easier, but it would take a trio of Californian brothers to make waffles an everyday breakfast, rather than a special treat.
One day in spring 2020, I was halfway through a very long pandemic walk when I happened to find myself on Eggo Way. I walked along imagining how some poor soul named John Eggo must have been upset when a brand of frozen waffles popped up bearing his name.
But at the end of Eggo Way, I found a Kellogg’s factory. Curious, I walked home and started researching, only to find that Eggo waffles do indeed hail from my hometown of San José. But the name “Eggo” was never meant to apply to waffles.
Frank, Tony, and Sam Dorsa made mayonnaise. Starting their business in their mother’s house in 1932, they boasted that their version of the condiment used fresh eggs, leading them to name the fledgling company “Eggo.”
Riding off their mayonnaise success, the brothers soon turned to potato chips, then a powdered waffle mix. By the 1950s, though, frozen food was on the rise. Frank, the family inventor, engineered a giant waffle-iron carousel, and the Eggo frozen waffle was born.
Kellogg’s bought Eggo Food Products in the 1970s, and Eggo-brand chips and mayonnaise are no more. But Kellogg’s still makes waffles on Eggo Way, and Dorsa descendants are still in the food and beverage industry—in the form of a winery in the Santa Cruz mountains, La Rusticana d’Orsa.
Green Waffles
CA Bakehouse consists of little more than a counter and a menu, but they proudly boast of being the home of “The Original Green Waffle.” In their storefront within San José’s Little Saigon, they sell the pandan-and-coconut waffles that have become a local specialty.
When I say these waffles are green, I’m not kidding. While the outside is a toasty brown, the fluffy inside is a vibrant, almost turquoise green, speckled with threads of shredded coconut.
They’re delicious enough to be eaten right out of hand, and Vietnamese bakeries often make them to order, with a line of smoking griddles ready to go. During Tết, or Vietnamese New Year, I follow my nose to festival food stalls: You can sniff out their intense coconut aroma anywhere.
The French likely brought waffles to Vietnam during the colonial period, where they got their delicate floral flavor and green hue from leafy pandan. CA Bakehouse proudly claims to be the first place to serve them in the United States, back in 1990. While they’ve been around for a while, to me, they’re the future of the waffle: beyond breakfast, beyond syrup, and beyond crispy, sweet, and comforting.
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The waffle in Old Greece was a fundamental variant of flat cakes, which were produced by baking the cakes between two metal plates. Obelios, as these cakes were called, weren't especially sweet, but their design developed over time as people started customizing the food.
- Being round with a hole in the center, waffles were seen as a circle of life that renewed each year. The central hole was metaphorical for letting go of the past. While the exact origins are uncertain, what's clear is Belgians have embraced the waffle's symbolism for centuries.
Waffle parties, known as "wafel frolics", were documented as early as 1744 in New Jersey, and the Dutch had earlier established waffles in New Amsterdam (New York City). Liège Waffles – a legendary creation by an 18th-century chef to the prince-bishop of Liège – were not a confirmed recipe until 1921.
Legend has it that the Liège waffle originated when the Prince-Bishop of Liège made a special request to his chef, asking him to prepare a special pastry made with the newly introduced baking ingredient “pearl sugar.” This specialty sugar can only be found in Belgium and takes on its powerful flavor when it comes in ...
A fun read for all ages that is based on the true story of Bill Bowerman, co-founder of Nike, who created the Waffle Sole using the waffle iron from his kitchen. The story is told from Wendy the Waffle Iron's perspective and shares her life's journey from the kitchen, to the garage and then great fame.
1 Waffles have been eaten since the 14th century. 2 Nike's first pair of sneakers, Waffle Trainers, were made using a real waffle iron. 3 “Waffle” descends from the Dutch word for “wafer.” 4 The world's biggest waffle was 8 feet long and weighed 110 pounds.
Waffle Day (Swedish: våffeldagen [ˈvɔ̂fːɛlˌdɑːɡɛn], Norwegian: vaffeldagen, Danish: vaffeldag) is a tradition that is celebrated in Sweden, Norway and Denmark on 25 March, which is also the Feast of the Annunciation, upon which waffles are typically eaten.
Waffle-making made its way to America with Dutch colonists in the 1620s. It was one hundred years later, in Robert Smith's Court Cookery, that the English language saw the appearance of the word "waffle" for the first time. Waffles were enjoyed sweet, with butter, syrup, or fruit, or savory, with kidney stew.
Waffles eventually made their way to medieval Europe in the 13th century, where they became a popular treat during religious festivals. The term “waffle” itself is derived from the Dutch word “wafel,” which referred to the honeycomb pattern found on the cakes. But that was then…and this is now.
At a waffle party, freshly baked waffles are served with delicious toppings. It can be held in almost any setting, ranging from a small apartment to a restaurant, and include just a few friends or dozens of guests. The only items needed are a waffle maker, a good waffle recipe, waffle making ingredients, and toppings.
International Waffle Day itself is the result of a mispronunciation that brought two holidays together. In Sweden, this Waffle Day is known as Våffeldagen, which sounded a lot like Vårfrudagen (Our Lady Day), a day that celebrated the Virgin Mary's conception.
Waffles have been around for a long time. Food experts think they go back to ancient Greece. There, chefs roasted flat cakes between metal plates fixed to long wooden handles. The Greeks called these cakes obelios, and they weren't as sweet as modern waffles.
Why Are Belgian Waffles So Good? Ahh, good question! While regular old waffles are made from a typical pancake-like batter, Belgian waffles are made from a brioche dough. The secret ingredient in Belgian waffles is the pearl sugar, which gives the waffles a unique texture and slight, satisfying crunch.
The Liege waffle is small with rounded edges, whereas the Brussels waffle is larger, and has a rectangular shape. Moreover, the Liege one is thicker and contains little clumps of sugar, whereas the Brussels one is lighter and is sprinkled with icing sugar.
Polly Horvath's Everything on a Waffle tells the funny, bittersweet story of a young heroine who manages to hold onto hope despite the odds. Primrose Squarp simply knows her parents did not perish at sea during a terrible storm, but try convincing the other residents of Coal Harbour on that score.
International Waffle Day has its roots in a delightful Swedish tradition that dates back centuries. Originally, March 25th was known as "Vårfrudagen" or "Our Lady's Day," a religious celebration commemorating the Feast of the Annunciation.
James Robinson, 37 from Drayton, Portsmouth came up with the idea for Waffle - a Wordle inspired daily puzzle, while doing the washing up. The name came about when he showed a diagram of his idea to his wife who immediately noted it's shape was similar to the popular foodstuff.
During the fair, Aboussie ran out of paper cups for his ice cream. Hamwi noticed the shortage next-door, and while his waffles were still warm, he rolled them into cones and filled them with ice cream. The fairgoers loved it, and the ice cream cone quickly became a favorite among fair and street vendors.
Introduction: My name is Gregorio Kreiger, I am a tender, brainy, enthusiastic, combative, agreeable, gentle, gentle person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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