Happy Waffle Day! Here Are Some Wonderful Waffle Facts

Happy National Waffle Day! Today we celebrate the wonderful waffle. August 24th is National Waffle Day, a celebration of the anniversary of the patent for the waffle iron.

Is this a “waffley” (at best) reason to celebrate the delectable breakfast staple?

Sure. But there’s never a bad time to celebrate waffles. 

Let’s celebrate this wonderful day by sharing some great waffle facts. 

The History of the Waffle 

The word waffle is derived from the Dutch word “wafel,” which is in turn derived from the Old Dutch word “wafaele.” And “wafaele” is further derived from the Frankish word “wafla,” which means “honeycomb.” 

Early waffle iron designs depicted Biblical scenes before moving to more symbolic imagery. The first waffle recipe appeared in the 1393 book
“Le Ménagier de Paris,” a book on cooking and proper etiquette for wives. 

Waffles exploded in popularity in the Low Country (Netherlands, Belgium, Northern France) so much so that King Charles IX enacted waffle regulations to stop feuds between rival waffle makers. 

Thanks to these rivalries, various cities have their own recipes and standards, such as the thicker, chewier Liège (AKA Belgian) waffle.

The Indonesian Kue gapit, uses local ingredients such as tapioca flour to create a snack borrowed from Dutch colonialism in Southeast Asia.

And the more square Brussels waffles.

The Waffle Iron 

While waffle irons existed in the Netherlands and Belgium as early as the 13th century, the first stovetop version was invented by American Cornelius Swartout in 1869. His design featured a handle and a swinging hinge on a cast-iron waffle mold. This innovation allowed even cooking as the waffle iron could be flipped easily. Swartout filed the first patent for a waffle iron.

The electric waffle iron was invented around 1918.

Fun Waffle Shapes

The waffle iron has allowed many fun shapes and sizes for waffles. 

Tetris Waffles if you want to play games while you eat.

Don’t Mess With Texas!

I WAFFLE YOU

World’s Largest Waffle 

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the world’s largest waffle was made in 2013 in Gouda, The Netherlands. It had a diameter of over 8 feet.

Go Make Some Waffles

All right, now what are you waiting for? Get out there and make some waffles of your own. Here’s a recipe:

Are you a fan of waffles? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Next, Read This: You Can Make Breakfast In Your Waffle Iron While Your Coffee Brews!