Hey, it’s Monday. Let’s start our week with some silliness. Or at least a hot, syrupy waffle. After all, today is National Waffle Day, celebrating the day in 1869 when a patent was granted to Cornelius Swarthout from Troy, New York, for his waffle-baking device. Back then, it was a simple covered griddle that had to be flipped on the coal stove. A far cry from our modern electric device.
While you munch, here’s a short history lesson from Mr. Breakfast.com:
13th Century A.C. – Ancient Greeks cook flat cakes between two metal plates. These early waffles were called obleios and were primarily savory in nature, prepared with cheeses and herbs.
1620 – The pilgrims bring Dutch “wafles” to America.
1735 – The word “waffle” – with two “f”s – appears in English print for the first time.
Late 1800s – Thomas Jefferson returns to the U.S. from France with a long handled, patterned waffle iron.
1869 – Cornelius Swarthout patents the first U.S. Waffle Iron.
1953 – Frank Dorsa’s Eggo Frozen Waffles are sold in Supermarkets for the first time.
1964-65 – Brussels restaurateur Maurice Vermersch brings his wife’s Brussels Waffle recipe to the World’s Fair in New York. The fluffy yeast-infused waffle becomes a huge hit and becomes known as the Belgium waffle.
[Next time you’re asked your opinion on this breakfast treat, give a straight answer—without waffling.]