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Title: Waffles - Contemporary Food with Thousands of Years of History
Author: Terry Kaufman
Article:
Although waffles seem to be a relatively contemporary food, they
have been around, worldwide, for thousands of years. It is quite
likely the Ancient Greeks ate extremely flat cakes, called
<i>obleios</i>. However, it would appear the earliest evidence
of the manufacture of waffle irons may have come up from Holland
or Germany during the 1300s. Construction of these waffle irons
consisted of two hinged plates which were connected to two long
handles of wood. It was not unusual to find elaborate patterns,
such as landscapes, religious symbols, or heraldic shields,
imprinted upon the waffles by plates embossed with these
symbols. Some plates had the honeycomb-grid that we now use. The
waffle plates (or irons) were then baked over the fire in the
hearth.
Waffles were cooked between two hot metal plates, a method used
continuously throughout the Middle Ages by <i>obloyeurs</i>,
people specializing in making a variety of <i>obleios</i> that
were often flat or rolled into coronets (a horned shape).
In 1620, waffles made the voyage from Holland to North America,
courtesy of migrating Dutch pilgrims. Thomas Jefferson obtained
a waffle iron, after a journey to France, and voila! a new form
of culinary entertainment cropped up, in the form of waffle
frolics or parties, in the late 1700s. Party guests were given
their choice of waffles topped with sweets such as maple syrup
or molasses or with savories such as kidney stew.
Thomas Jefferson was dependent upon slaves for cooking; soon,
many members of the African-American community were highly
skilled in making waffles. The diet of the slaves relied upon
whatever food items were left behind by landowners and
plantation families. Poultry was a rare delicacy for the slaves.
Waffles were considered equally exotic; they were unusual,
expensive, and time-consuming. Because of these qualities,
chicken and and waffles came to a special occasion meal for the
African-American community; this hearty meal gave the slaves a
supply of energy before attending all-day church services.
The first U.S. waffle iron was patented on August 24, 1869, by
Cornelius Swarthout of Troy, New York. Predating electrical
models, Swarthout’s waffle iron was heated by sitting it atop
wood or gas stoves. A swivel hinge, in a cast iron collar,
joined the two iron plates together.
These new electrical waffle irons were standard kitchen
appliances by the 1930s. Thomas J. Stackbeck was instrumental in
the development of the first electric waffle iron. He was
responsible for designing the prototype heating elements that
were used in building a thermostat to prevent the problem of
frequent overheating. With the assistance of funding from
General Electric, the first fully electric waffle iron was
presented to the nation on July 26, 1911.
Over the years since the first electric waffle iron made its
appearance, the interior design has changed from the utilitarian
to whimsical; for waffle purists, the square or circle waffle
shape is always available and for the child in us all, waffle
plates can range from hearts or shamrocks to Mickey Mouse® or
Hello Kitty®.
Waffles have been consistently popular since that first electric
waffle iron. In 1953, an entrepreneur named Frank Dorsa
introduced the ever-popular Eggo “Leggo of My Eggo®’ frozen
waffles to supermarkets throughout the United States. Now
waffles were available to everyone, even if no waffle iron was
available.
The inventor of the Belgian waffle, Maurice Vermersch, was made
famous by the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair. Before the
outbreak of World War II, Vermesch experimented with his
wife’s recipe for waffles while living in Belgium.
He opened two restaurants in Belgium at the close of the war,
and introduced his wife’s waffles at the 1960 Brussels Fair.
His first efforts were so successful that Vermersch and four
other other Belgian families took the waffles to the 1964
World’s Fair in Queens, New York. They changed the name of the
waffles from <i>Brussels</i> Waffle to <i>Belgian</i> waffle
once they set up business in New York.
Belgian waffles are thicker than American waffles because of its
use of yeast. Because yeast is a living organism, it takes a
certain amount of time to achieve sufficient growth. For various
reasons, American cooks chose not to use yeast recipes and
looked for newer and faster ways, to get somewhat similar
results, but in less time; baking powder and baking soda seem to
do the job.
Belgian waffles have a very light and fluffy texture. They are
baked in slightly larger waffle irons than are American waffles.
The best-tasting waffles are made with yeast. Unfortunately,
waffles made with yeast can be stored for only one to two days.
The taste is at its acme upon immediate removal from the waffle
iron.
To avoid having to excavate pieces of stuck-on waffle from the
grids, it is a good idea to grease older waffle irons with a bit
of oil or melted butter before commencing baking. Nonstick-lined
waffle irons to not need pretreating; the finished waffle should
slide out with the greatest of ease.
About the author:
See more on waffle making at <a
href="http://www.niftykitchen.com/site/339522/page/56350/?source=
g" target="_blank">Niftykitchen.com Waffle Makers</a>. Terry
Kaufman is also Chief Editorial Writer for <a
href="http://www.niftygarden.com/?source=g"
target="_blank">Niftygarden.com</a> and <a
href="http://www.niftyhomebar.com/?source=g"
target="_blank">Niftyhomebar.com</a>.
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