This past Friday (25 March) marked the celebration of International Waffle Day – a day dedicated to savouring the sweet or savoury pastry treat that we have come to love.
The first known waffle recipe appeared in an anonymous manuscript, written by a husband as a set of instructions to his young wife, in the late 14th century. The recipe read: “Beat some eggs in a bowl, season with salt and add wine, toss in some flour and mix. Then fill, little by little, two irons at a time with as much of the paste as a slice of cheese is large.
Close the iron and cook both sides. If the dough does not detach easily from the iron, coat it first with a piece of cloth that has been soaked in oil or grease.”
Nowadays, the common waffle recipe doesn’t include wine, but we still use flour, eggs and salt, along with baking powder, sugar, milk, butter and a few other ingredients – and an electric waffle iron, of course!
While the word “waffle” only appeared in the English language in 1725, it is directly derived from the Dutch word wafel, which is derived from the Middle Dutch wafele that first appeared at the end of the 13th century and was preceded by the French word walfre in 1185. Both are said to have come from wafla, an old Frankish word meaning “cake”.
Although the recipe for basic waffles is the same around the world, the same cannot be said for the toppings. South Africans tend to stick to the likes of honey, Nutella, ice-cream or banana and cream, while Americans like to tuck into waffles topped with fried chicken or stacked with crispy bacon and drenched in maple syrup.
Swedish waffles are made in special irons that create four heart shapes, usually served with a dollop of cream and fresh berries. In Hong Kong you will find waffles laced with the flavours of peanut butter or honey melon.
Whatever topping strikes your fancy you can indulge in a sweet or savoury waffle using a classic recipe by the Capsicum Culinary Studio.
