Around the 15th century, waffles began to evolve. Basically, a dough was placed between two iron racks, some quite elaborate in design, and eaten as a sweet and used in religious ceremonies. The dough was often flavored with flower water and honey, cooked and served with more honey or fruit and enjoyed as a dessert rather than breakfast. Like the French, the finished product could be kept for several days and travel well. It was first introduced to settlers by enthusiastic President Thomas Jefferson in 1789, who returned from France with the first known waffle iron to grace our shores (no invention went unnoticed by the enthusiastic Thomas) who proceeded to enjoy and serve waffles at his dinner parties. state as a final dish, along with fresh berries and cream.
In North America, Belgian waffles (spelled with an “a”) are a variety with a lighter batter, larger squares, and deeper pockets than regular American waffles. They were originally left leavened, but now baking powder is used. First displayed in 1958 at Expo 58 in Brussels, Belgium by a European, they crossed the pond and appeared at the Century 21 Exposition in Seattle in 1962, served with whipped cream and strawberries. In the future, they were further popularized during the 1964 New York World’s Fair at Flushing Meadows Park in Queens. These waffles were introduced by Maurice Vermersch from Brussels, Belgium, based primarily on a simplified recipe from Brussels. He wisely decided to change the name to Bel-Gem Waffle at first, after noting that many Americans could not identify Brussels as the capital of Belgium. (And what’s worse, many people would associate them with Brussels sprouts, America’s most despised food.)
For centuries waffles were mainly eaten in Northern and Western European countries and there are many variations. Here’s a quick summary:
Tea cork waffle is a richer, denser, sweeter, chewier waffle; native to the eastern region of Belgium and alternatively known as hunting waffles;
Flemish waffles, golden flamingo waffles, are a specialty of northern France and parts of western Belgium. made with yeast;
American Waffles – Generally denser and thinner than Belgian waffles, often made with a batter that is left with baking powder and served for breakfast;
bergische waffles, crisp and less dense, usually in the shape of a heart; also a smaller wedge-shaped version serves as a garnish on a sundae or along with a cup of tea;
Hong Kong style – also called “grid cake”, popular street food in China;
Waffle Cone – All Americans recognize these, thin and cone-shaped while still hot, chilled and filled with ice cream;
Chicken and Waffles – Popular in Southern and soul food cooking, but also attributed to Pennsylvania Dutch cooks in the 19th century; They are still served in many regional restaurants and are right up there with chicken fried steak and other southern favorites; It’s not rocket science here, pieces of fried chicken are placed on top of a waffle and drenched in syrup;
In the early part of the 20th century, no self-respecting kitchen was without the proverbial waffle iron, often a popular wedding favor, and the preferred weekend breakfast of bacon or ham. In 1953, busy housewives shed their heavy waffle irons for good when “Eggo” frozen waffles were introduced, a great time saver and quick breakfast, simply dropped into the toaster. To this day they are still a big seller along with pancakes and French toast. In 2017 alone, 164.8 million Americans consumed all three, either packaged or homemade. And the popular Waffle House restaurant chain has sold 877,388,027 since it opened its doors in 1955. So whether you prefer their quick version or as an elaborate dish topped with berries and cream, they’re readily available—no iron required. Sort of a perma-press breakfast.