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Belgian Waffle

A waffle is a light batter cake cooked in a waffle iron, between two hot plates, patterned to give a distinctive and characteristic shape.

• The Brussels Waffle^[1] (known in the USA as the Belgian Waffle) is prepared from a yeast-leavened batter, to give a light, crisp waffle. It is often served warm by street vendors, dusted with confectioner's sugar, and sometimes topped with whipped cream or chocolate spread. It may also be served as a dessert, with fruits, whipped cream or ice cream.
• The Liège waffle^[2] (from the city of Liège, in eastern Belgium) is a waffle usually bought and eaten warm on the street. They are usually freshly made in small shops, but it is also possible to buy them in supermarkets. They are smaller, sweeter and denser than "Belgian waffles". The last-minute addition of nib sugar to the batter produces a caramelized sugar coating. This gives a distinctive flavor. Most are served plain, but some are vanilla or cinnamon flavored, and can be served with toppings like fruits, creams, and chocolate. The Liège waffle was invented by a cook of the prince-bishop of Liège in the 18th century.
• American waffles^[3], common in the United States, are made from a batter leavened with baking powder, rather than yeast, often lightened with beaten egg-whites. They are usually served as a sweet breakfast food, topped with butter and various syrups, but are also found in many different savory dishes, such as chicken and waffles. 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. Waffles were eaten with both sweet (e.g. molasses or maple syrup) and savoury (such as kidney stew) toppings.^[4]
  • Virginia waffles^[5] are made with rice or cornmeal instead of wheat-flour.
• In the UK, the potato waffle, is a savory frozen food in waffle shape, made of reconstituted potato, oil and seasonings. These waffles may be baked, grilled, prepared in a toaster or fried, and are used as a side dish or snack.
• Hong Kong style waffle, in Hong Kong called a "grid cake" (格仔餅), is a waffle usually made and sold by street hawkers and eaten warm on the street.^{[citation needed]} 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.

The modern waffle has its origins in the wafers—very light thin crisp cakes, baked between wafer-irons—of the Middle Ages^[6]. Wafer irons consisted of two metal plates connected by a hinge, with each plate connected to an arm with a wooden handle. Some plates had imprinted designs such as a coat-of-arms or landscape, while some had the now-familiar honeycomb/gridiron pattern (there is evidence that in the 14th century only wealthy kitchens would have irons^{[citation needed]}). 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). Some were rolled into a cone or tube, others were left flat. In 14 C. England, wafers were sold by street vendors called waferers.^[7] 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, wafel, was adopted into modern American English as waffle, in the 18th century.^[6][8]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Waffle

• 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