National Waffle Day is just around the corner. Every year on August 24th, waffle fans from every walk of life come together to celebrate waffles.
Goodness. It has been a long, long time since I’ve had a waffle. Probably around 45 years or so. But they used to be one of my favorite things. Mom had this nifty waffle maker, and when they’d come out hot, I would smother one in butter and sprinkle powdered sugar on top until it filled up the little squares in caky, sugary goodness.
There is the age-old debate. Which is better? The pancake or the waffle? I say, hands down, the waffle. It is pretty much the same exact batter, but the waffles have panache. Flair. Style. Besides. Those little squares hold in the syrup, and butter, and such.
Because I once loved them so much, I thought I’d share some things of interest with you about those glorious waffles.
Waffles are old. The very first recorded recipe dates back to the late 1300s and was found in an English manuscript. And. I’m not sure who thought up the science behind the waffle, but the classic grid pattern was inspired by a honeycomb to distribute heat evenly.
Another big milestone is when they came to America. And you’ll never guess who was behind it. That hipster Thomas Jefferson brought the first iron from France to America, sparking a new culinary trend.
But who ate waffles back then? I mean, The world’s first dedicated waffle iron for home use was not introduced until 1911. That’s a lot of years between the 1770s and 1911. If people weren’t cooking them in the home, where were they being made? And how?
Thank goodness “you know who” came along. Leggo’s frozen variety was introduced to supermarkets in the 1950s, changing breakfast forever.
Well. The point is. They’ve been here for years. However. It took a long time for the Belgians to show up. In fact, it was the year of my birth, 1964, when Brussels gave the world the beloved Belgian variety of the waffle at the New York World’s Fair.
So there we have an overview of those beautiful waffles. With all their little square pockets of goodness.
I still think they are better than pancakes. And I’m not waffling on this one.
What do you think, oh wise Breakfast People?
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All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.” — John Gunther
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“A waffle is like a pancake with a syrup trap.” — Mitch Hedberg
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“Breakfast is everything. The beginning, the first thing. It is the mouthful that is the commitment to a new day, a continuing life.” — A.A. Gill
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Waffle, Waffle. You’re so good.
