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If we follow the linear course of history, we could say that waffles are one of the oldest desserts in existence. Sweet or savory, with different shapes or toppings, they have become one of the most popular snacks or breakfasts in the world. Especially in northwestern European countries, in the United States and on the Asian continent. Although probably in the collective imagination they are directly linked to Belgium and its gastronomic culture.
But where do they really come from? Experts claim that the origins of this delicacy go back to ancient Greece. According to legend, they are a descendant of the popular ‘crustulum’ or ‘crustula’, which were sweet cookies adored by the ancient Greeks and made with practically the same ingredients as today’s waffles, with flour, lard and honey.
The origins of the waffle iron
It is also said that the custom of cooking the flour dough between two metal plates was already common in ancient Greece, although in Europe it evolved in a different way.
The waffles that we all eat today originated in the United States and arrived in Europe thanks to their export by American emigrants. It was in 1789 when Thomas Jefferson would bring from America the first waffle iron, from America, with its characteristic grid that gives the sweet its representative shape.
However, the idea of serving them with chocolate, cream or other sweetening condiments would be brought into fashion by another figure. And that would be the Belgian Maurice Vermersch during the Universal Exhibition held in Brussels in 1960. The success was such that four years later he would publicize his invention, which he would baptize as ‘Belgian waffle’, all over New York.
Nowadays, multiple variants of the waffle have proliferated, served in the form of ice cream cones or made with other ingredients such as Fruity Pebbles crispy rice cereals. However, among all its versions, society will always remember the classic Belgian ‘Liège’ waffle, which stands out among other reinterpretations such as the Hon-Kong style or the North American iterations with large doses of sugar that have made it one of the most acclaimed desserts in the world.
