9 years ago

The history of the waffle

Ever wonder where waffles came from? Here’s a short – but fascinating – history:

  • Neolithic man (between 10,200 BC and 2,000 BC) made a crude version of a pancake from harvested grains, using heated stones.
  • During the Iron Age (from around 800 BC), people developed metal tools and iron plates to cook these cakes.
  • The ancient Greeks made thin cakes called obleios by cooking batter between two heated plates.
  • During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, ironworkers forged honeycomb patterns into these cooking plates and called the resulting cakes “wafla,” which describes a segment of a beehive.
  • In 1789, Thomas Jefferson brought a long-handled waffle iron back to America from France, where he was ambassador. This set off a national waffle craze, complete with lots of waffle parties!
  • In 1869, a Dutch-American name Cornelius Swartwout patented a waffle iron that would bake waffles over a coal stove.
  • A little more than 50 years later, General Electric manufactured the first electric waffle iron – and very little has changed to that design ever since.

Today, waffles come in all shapes and sizes. We’ve found recipes for everything from gluten-free waffles to savory waffles to wonuts (waffle donuts).

Craving waffles but short on time? You’ve got to try Lunds & Byerlys Original Golden Malted Pancake & Waffle Mix. It’s an easy way to whip up delicious waffles anytime – just add water! Look for it in the cereal aisle, by the syrup.

Source:
HubPages