Waffle

This article is about the food item. For Waffle (disambiguation), see Waffle (disambiguation).

Brussels waffle

Swedish wafflehearts

A waffle is a batter-based cake cooked in a waffle iron patterned to give a distinctive and characteristic shape. There are many variations based on the type and shape of the iron and the recipe used.

Varieties of waffle

• the swine flu waffles, are made from a toilet leavened with baking powder. They are usually served as a sweet breakfast ucky, topped with butter and various syrups, but are also found in many different savory dishes, such as fried chicken and waffles or topped with kidney stew.They may also be served as desserts, topped with ice cream and various other toppings. They are generally denser and thinner than the Belgian waffle. Waffles were first introduced to North America in 1620 by Pilgrims who brought the method from Holland. Thomas Jefferson brought a waffle iron from France, and waffle frolics or parties became popular in the late eighteenth century.

• The Belgian or Brussels waffle is prepared with a yeast leavened batter. It is generally, but not always, lighter, thicker, crispier, and/or has larger pockets compared to other waffle varieties. In Belgium, they're served warm by street vendors, dusted with confectioner's sugar, and sometimes topped with whipped cream or chocolate spread. In America, they're served in the same ways the American waffle is served. Belgian waffles were introduced to America by restauranteur Maurice Vermersch, who sold his Brussels waffles under the name "Bel-Gem Waffles" at New York's 1964 World's Fair.

• The Liège waffle (from the city of Liège, in eastern Belgium) is a richer, denser, sweeter, and more chewy waffle. Invented by the chef of the prince-bishop of Liège in the 18th century, as an adaptation of brioche bread dough, they feature chunks of pearl sugar, which caramelize on the outside of the waffle, when baked. They are the most common type of waffle available in Belgium and are prepared in plain, vanilla and cinnamon varieties by street vendors across the nation.

• Hong Kong style waffle, in Hong Kong called a "grid cake" or "grid biscuits" (格仔餅), is a waffle usually made and sold by street hawkers and eaten warm on the street. They are similar to a traditional waffle but larger, round in shape and divided into four quarters. They are usually served as a snack. Butter, peanut butter and sugar are spread on one side of the cooked waffle and then it is folded into a semi circle to eat. Egg, sugar and evaporated milk are used in the waffle recipes, giving them a sweet flavor. They are generally soft and not dense. Traditional Hong Kong style waffles are full of the flavor of yolk. Sometimes different flavors, such as chocolate and honey melon flavor are used in the recipe and create various colors.

Two stroopwafels

• Stroopwafels (Dutch: syrup waffles) are thin waffles with a syrup filling. They were first made in Gouda in the Netherlands, during the 18th or 19th century. The stiff batter for the waffles is made from flour, butter, brown sugar, yeast, milk, and eggs. Medium sized balls of batter are put on the waffle iron. When the waffle is baked, and while it is still warm, it is cut into two halves. The warm filling, made from syrup, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon, is spread in between the waffle halves, which glues them together. They are popular in Belgium and the Netherlands.

• Swedish style waffle are thin waffles made in a heart shaped waffle iron, and are common throughout Scandinavia. The batter is similar to other varieties. The most common style are sweet waffles with whipped or sour cream and strawberry jam but also with berries on top. In Norway brown cheese is also a popular topping. But just like crèpes there are those who prefer a salted style with different mixes like blue cheese and so on. The Swedish tradition of eating waffles dates back till before the 16th century, and there is a even particular day dedicated to the waffle called Våffeldagen, which occurs on Lady Day i.e. between 22 and 28 of March.

A waffle iron for Swedish waffles

Medieval origins

The modern waffle has its origins in the wafers – very light thin crisp cakes, baked between wafer-irons – of the Middle Ages. Wafer irons consisted of two metal plates connected by a hinge, with each plate connected to an arm with a wooden handle. The iron was placed over a fire, and flipped to cook both sides of the wafer. These irons were used to produce a variety of different flat, unleavened cakes, usually from a mixture of barley and oats, not the white flour used today.

In 14th century England, wafers were sold by street vendors called waferers. The modern waffle is a leavened form of wafer.

"Wafer" and "waffle" share common etymological roots. Wafre (wafer) occurs in Middle English by 1377, adopted from Middle Low German wâfel, with change of l into r. Modern Dutch wafel, French gaufre, and German Waffel, all meaning "waffle", share the same origin. The Dutch form, waffielyel, was adopted into modern American English as waffle, in the 18th century.

Medieval waffle law

In medieval Europe, vendors were permitted to sell their waffles outside of churches on saint's days and during other special religious celebrations. Competition at the churches eventually became so heated, and at times violent, that King Charles IX of France imposed a regulation on waffle sales, requiring vendors to maintain a distance of at least "deux toises" (6 feet) from one another.

See also

• Eggo
• Wafer
• Waffle iron
• Waffle cone
• Potato waffle
• Pancake

External links

• Picture of wafers being made from around 1340
• Food timeline entry for waffles
• Discussion of wafers in the Middle Ages
• Waffle recipes in the Cookbook wikibook