Waffles go back a long way. The ancient Greeks used to cook something waffle-like, called oblelios, a type of flat cake cooked between two metal plates. By the Middle Ages, the Europeans were making oblelios was well, sometimes served in their original flat form, and sometimes rolled up into cones. It wasn’t until the 13th century, however, that someone got the idea to decorate the plates that the cakes were cooked between.
Early waffle irons were made up of two metal plates connected by a hinge, and equipped with long handles used to hold the apparatus over the fire. Designs on the plates not only decorated the flat cake, but allowed it to cook quickly and more evenly. Once the decorated kind became popular, they were called gaufres, a word related to wafer, such as the communion wafers used by the Church. Communion wafers didn’t contain eggs, dairy products, or animal fats. Gaufres were much tastier — sometimes.
Common gaufres were made of a coarse flour, usually barley and oats. They were unsweetened and unleavened, at least the ones the common folks ate. Later, when they spread to the upper classes, they were much tastier, and contained eggs, milk, and honey. The irons got more ornate, too, as the simple honeycomb pattern was replaced by more ornamental patterns, religious symbols, and even coats of arms.
Waffles became extremely popular, and were sold by street vendors. The vendors could even obtain special licenses (for a fee, of course) that allowed them to sell them at church doors to the exiting parishioners on feast days. As more and more vendors got involved in the business, matters began to become a little dicey. In the 16th century, King Charles IX of France had to regulate them — by decreeing that they must stay six feet distant from each other.
The Dutch enjoyed their waffles, too, and it was in Holland that the Pilgrims became familiar with them, and subsequently brought them to the New World. The Dutch also brought waffles to America themselves, by way of New Amsterdam, which later became New York City.
Thomas Jefferson got to like waffles during the time he spent in France, and even brought a waffle iron back to the United States. He served them at the White House, and waffles became a new fad. Waffle parties, or “waffle frolics,” as they were called, soon became a stylish way to entertain. Guests could enjoy their waffles either sweet — with maple syrup or molasses — or savory. Kidney stew was said to be a popular topping for non-sweetened waffles.
The first U.S. waffle iron was patented in 1869 by Cornelius Swarthout. It consisted of two hinged cast iron plates that swiveled in an iron collar. The whole apparatus sat on top of the stove. Electric waffle irons didn’t come along until 1911, when General Electric produced the first commercial model.
The New York World’s Fair introduced the Belgian Waffle (or Brussels Waffle, as it’s sometimes called) to the American public. A thicker, leavened type of waffle, the Brussels Waffle was actually invented in Ghent. In Belgium, they’re usually served with a dusting of powdered sugar, but Americans tend to like them with a fruit topping and whipped cream. (A different type of Belgium Waffle is the Liege Waffle, a denser and chewier variety that contains chunks of pearl sugar that caramelize as it cooks. It was reputedly invented by the chef of the Prince-Bishop of Liege.)
Electric waffle irons continued to be improved, but for some, they still weren’t easy enough. In the mid-1930’s three brothers, Frank, Tony, and Sam Dorsa, invented a machine that could crank them out by the thousands and then freeze them. Kellogg bought the company in the 1970’s and soon after that “Leggo my Eggo” became a phrase known throughout the country.
As you celebrate this week by consuming dozens of delicious waffles, don’t forget to thank the Greeks for inventing them, and the medieval peddlers for keeping the tradition alive. And don’t forget the special advantage we have that they didn’t share: the Ancient Greeks and Early Europeans didn’t have maple syrup.
Sources: Chase’s Calendar of Events, 2011 Edition: The Ultimate Go-To Guide for Special Days, Weeks, and Months, Editors of Chase’s Calendar of Events; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September 4; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffle; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffle_iron; http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1942956,00.html; http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodfaq2.html#waffles; http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/cereals/waffle-history.asp; http://www.augustinswaffles.com/history.php; http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/food-history/from-wafers-to-cones-a-short-history-of-the-waffle-113627.