I was watching Bailey Sarian, one evening, an episode of Dark History, and she had mentioned a couple of popular foods and where they had originated. I knew or thought I knew about French fries and French toast, however, I didn’t know about hamburgers or apple pie. So, this got me thinking about which other popular/classic so-called “American” foods, and where did they actually originate from? You’ll be surprised, like I was. I began this series on the popular or classic “American” foods, and where they originate from, plus a history of how they even came to America, how Americans made it their own, in some cases. I had to change my intro moving forward after having written some episodes, therefore learning a bit more about the origins of these foods. Fascinating, and it gets more fascinating the more I get into this series. It gets hard-core, people. It gets wild.
Next up, let’s discover the origin of those oh-so delicious favourite breakfast items, that us Canadians love to put our maple syrup on; pancakes and waffles.
Pancakes and waffles are as old as time. They go all the way back to the Ancient Greeks and Roman times. How did the waffle evolutionize for Belgium to create their own version? Oh, you should see the contraptions, yes, one of the first waffle machines to be created looks dangerous, tedious to operate and forever until you were served waffles. So, how did the evolution of waffle makers come about? Oh, I’ve got the pics of the evolution of the waffle maker in this article. How did pancakes become associated with religious rituals, like pancake Tuesday? Were pancakes and waffles one of the first pieces of bread to be created?
Last week’s episode of the origin of fried chicken was wild! I’ve got a feeling that this week’s episode is going to be just as wild, or more so. Get ready, people. When I was researching waffles, pancakes kept popping up in Ancient Greece and Roman culture, so I thought it would be good to do two-in-one.
I was actually making waffles, as I was doing the research, because I got a bit hungry for waffles. I’ve made chocolate waffles and (vegan) pumpkin waffles by Love and Lemons – they are my favourite. I like regular waffles, too. I should make lemon waffles, one day. They may be good.
I really want to show you the first waffle maker. I had to look up how to use it. I’ll discuss more about this contraption later in this article, however I just had to show you what it looked like. And, I’ll have the video posted later in this article on how people would use the first waffle maker. It’s wild, isn’t it? Would you use it today? I could not. I’m thankful for the evolution of the waffle maker, that we have today.
Pancakes and waffles are as old as time. They go all the way back to the Ancient Greeks and Roman times. How did the waffle evolutionize for Belgium to create their own version? Oh, you should see the contraptions, yes, one of the first waffle machines to be created looks dangerous, tedious to operate and forever until you were served waffles. So, how did the evolution of waffle makers come about? Oh, I’ve got the pics of the evolution of the waffle maker in this article. You just wait and see! I ask you, would you use the first waffle maker?
Last week’s episode of the origin of fried chicken was wild! I’ve got a feeling that this week’s episode is going to be just as wild, or more so. Get ready, people. When I was researching waffles, pancakes kept popping up in Ancient Greece and Roman culture, so I thought it would be good to do two-in-one.
I was actually making waffles, as I was doing the research, because I got a bit hungry for waffles. I’ve made chocolate waffles and (vegan) pumpkin waffles by Love and Lemons – they are my favourite. I like regular waffles, too. I should make lemon waffles, one day. They may be good.
I really want to show you the first waffle maker. I had to look up how to use it. I’ll discuss more about this contraption later in this article, however I just had to show you what it looked like. And, I’ll have the video posted later in this article on how people would use the first waffle maker. It’s wild, isn’t it? Would you use it today? Umm, nope. Not me. I’ll stick to the one I’ve got.
Let’s first begin with the origin of pancakes. Once we get into waffles, oh man, the story really gets going.
It’s un-clear as to who actually created pancakes, and how long they have been around. However, according to National Geographic, pancakes were first created 30,000 ago, suggesting that Stone Age cooks were making flour out of cattails and ferns — “which, researchers guess, was likely mixed with water and baked on a hot, possibly greased, rock. The result may have been more akin to hardtack than the modern crepe, hotcake, or flapjack, but the idea was the same: a flat cake, made from batter and fried.”
According to National Geographic, by the time Otzi the Iceman came around 5,300 years ago, off of his final hike, pancakes – or something that seemed to be pancake-like, which had been a common item of his diet. “Otzi, whose remains were discovered in a rocky gully in the Italian Alps in 1991, provided us with a wealth of information about what a denizen of the Neolithic ate. His last meals—along with red deer and ibex—featured ground einkorn wheat. The bits of charcoal he consumed along with it suggest that it was in the form of a pancake, cooked over an open fire.”
As you can see, pancakes are an ancient form of food, from the Ancient Greeks and Romans, who also ate pancakes that were sweetened with honey. And, this brings us to the Ancient Greeks. Some historians, and people alike, believe that it was the Ancient Greeks, who had created the pancake, and the origin of pancakes stems back to the Ancient Greeks. While some other historians and people, would include the Romans, as well. Ancient Greeks, would refer to pancakes, as teganitai.
There even Ancient Greek poets, such as Magnes and Cratinus, mentioned pancakes within their works. Shakespeare did, too, mention pancakes, in his plays, according to The New Times. To expand on this, according to Food Upon Time, even though there are only fragments that are saved today, we have come to learn from Cratinus that they were served steaming hot in the morning, just like how we eat our pancakes, today. And, Magnes expands on this by adding that the pancakes were either soaked in honey or topped with honey. Similar to how Canadians (like myself), top our pancakes with sweetness, too, our good ol’ maple syrup.
As for the Romans, according to Lethbridge News Now, “Ova Sfongia Ex Lacte is an ancient Roman pancake. Some have simply called it “pancakes with milk,” while other literal translations have gone with “eggs” or “egg sponge soaked in milk.” The recipe for this creation comes from an ancient Roman cookbook called Apicius. The book was allegedly written by Marcus Gavius Apicius, a gourmet chef of the Roman Empire.”
According to the Lethbridge News Now, this is the classic Roman pancake recipe.
- 4 Eggs
- 1 Cup Milk
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Pepper
- Honey
Moving along to the English Renaissance were flavoured creations, with people using ingredients, such as sherry, spices, apples and rosewater, for a unique taste, according to Pancakes and Waffles.
It is thought that Author Amelia Simmons published the very first American cookbook, American Cookery, in 1796. Within its pages were two recipes for pancakes. One that included molasses, “Indian Meal,” and milk, while the other recipe dropped the molasses and opted for four eggs instead. Would it surprise you, if I mention that Thomas Jeffereson loved pancakes so much that he had sent a special recipe from the White House to his home-town? This is the same Jefferson from previous episodes, in which we had discussed the origins of French fries and fried chicken. It’s wild. Have you checked them out? You really should! It’s fascinating. In America, pancakes are also known as flap jacks, hoe cakes, johnnycakes.
We can’t talk about the history of pancakes, without mentioning Aunt Jemima, can we? The original version of the pancake mix was created between 1888-1889, “Aunt Jemima”, was created by Pearl Milling Company, and was advertised as the first ready-mix cooking product. By 1889, this brought a standardized style and taste of pancakes to households across the States.
As for “Aunt Jemima”, her real-name is Nancy Greene, according to ABC News. Not only that, but it was Greene, who ha d created that pancake recipe, that all of us, not only the Americans, but Canadians, too, have used for more than a century. The face that was used on the products, including the syrup and the other breakfast items. If you’re interested, and I hope that you are, it’s an interesting story of the woman behind ‘Aunt Jemima’. here on ABC News.
How did Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday become affiliated with the Roman Catholic religion? According to Recipes with History, around 600 A.D. Pope Gregory prohibited Christians from eating all forms of meat and animals during Lent. People used up their milk, butter and eggs by making pancakes and consumed them on what is known as Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins.
These delicious breakfast items, waffles, like pancakes, people aren’t really sure as to when they were first created. It is believed that waffles, like pancakes, have been around since the Stone Ages or Neolithic over four thousand years ago, according to Chicago Waffles.
While others believe, waffles were made by Athenians, where they would cook flat cakes, called obelios, between two metal plates. According to Time, “the word waffle is related to wafer, as in the Communion wafers that were a staple of early Christian fasts.The secular–and considerably tastier–waffle was born in the Middle Ages; irons engraved with coats of arms, symbols of love and the familiar honeycomb (said to resemble interlocking crosses) were used to brand the treats.”
The waffle maker, on its own, as its own history. What I was thinking when I saw the mediaeval waffle maker were a few things. This must take a long time to create a waffle; it looks like it would be dangerous, it is made out of cast iron; would the mediaeval Europeans think that waffle makers today are boring?
According to Smithsonian magazine, “By the Middle Ages, obelios–the name of the cakes–had become art, and their name had been adapted to the French oublies. ‘A sort of companion to the communion wafer,” in Wells’s terms, “these oublies… were typically made using grain flour and water, and would depict Biblical scenes, crosses, and other religious icons. They were often served after meals as a symbolic final blessing.’”
Oublies were made throughout Eroupe, to which by the 13th century, according to Emily Han for the ktchn, oublies became a common-place “that were eaten by everyone from all levels of society; from peasants to kings.” Adding, “Often consumed in connection with religious occasions and saints’ days, they were sold by street vendors… who congregated outside churches,” she writes.
Once cooks began to have access to different ingredients, from fruits to spices, during and after the Crusades, the oublie or wafer over time, had become a delicacy that is called gaufre or wafel. Dutch waffle-makers started using rectangular plates rather than circular around the 15th century, Wells writes.
Thomas Jeffereson had brought the first American waffle maker to the United States, from France, around 1789. And there’s the quintessential American waffle, made in an iron that’s the electric version of the one patented by New York State’s Cornelius Swarthout in 1869. If you would like to learn more about the evolution of the waffle maker, you can check it out here.
Moving back into waffles, in Mediaeval Europe, according to Chicago Waffles, “the Catholic Church began making waffles to serve as a sort of companion to the communion wafer symbolizing blessings. These waffles were drawn with Biblical scenes, crosses, and other religious symbols, and were served after meals as a symbolic final blessing. When the Church allowed making its own oublies (a name left over from the time of ancient Greece), increased designs incorporated family crests, landscapes, and numerous other creative decorations. And with numerous new spices that the Crusaders brought with them from their expeditions to the East, the taste itself began to change, improve, and acquire its specificity.”
The two most common European countries that may be perhaps most responsible for the evolution The two European countries that are perhaps most responsible for the evolution of wafers (waffles), as there were called in the Middle Ages, so even the name waffles has been evolutionized, not just the waffle maker and waffles, in general, as we know them today are the Netherlands and Belgium. Dutch wafelers first began applying rectangular instead of circular plates. It was the forerunner of the modern waffle’s design. For the word we know today, waffles are credited to the English who in the early 18th century added a second “f”.
Speaking of Belgium, I thought this would be a good time to do some digging on the history of Belgium waffles. There’s two stories on the birth of Belgium waffles.
One story goes, according to Huffpost, “The Belgian waffle made its first American appearance at the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle. But it was at the 1964-65 World’s Fair hosted in Queens, N.Y that Belgian native Maurice Vermersch and his family made the waffle’s popularity skyrocket. Originally known as the Brussels waffle, named for the capital city from which it comes, the crisp-on-the-outside, airy-on-the-inside waffle was served two ways: the traditional fashion (plain) and with a slight embellishment of freshly whipped cream and just-sliced strawberries (as shown above, minus the bling). The demand was so great that the family had to hire a team of 10 people just to slice strawberries — this doesn’t account for those whipping the cream, piping that whipped cream or cooking up the waffles on the 24 machines they had running.
The Vermersch family were no fools — they understood how little the rest of the world knew about Belgium and decided that calling them Brussels waffles would hinder its popularity. And so the Belgian waffle was born. They may have been flexible with the name, but the Vermersch family was adamant about maintaining the proper way to eat them. MariePaule Vermersch, the daughter of Maurice, recounts the tale of her mother refusing forks and knifes to paying customers at the Fair because that’s not how you eat them on the streets of Belgium. The Brussels is only one of the waffles loved in Belgium. Some would even say it’s the inferior of the two.
The one that’s lesser known outside of its home country is the aforementioned Liege waffle. According to VBT, “Legend has it that the Liège waffle was invented when the Prince-Bishop of Liège, a city in the Belgian region of Wallonia, asked his cook to create a pastry made with lots of sugar. The Prince-Bishop’s sweet tooth paid off for the rest of us, because Liege waffles have become a mainstay of Belgian cuisine.”
Over time, nations all over Europe began creating their own versions of the waffle recipe and tastes, like the Belgium waffle, for example. However, it was when waffles arrived in the United States, courtesy of the Dutch, when they were finally paired with maple syrup. I feel like it’s a classic pairing, by now. Also, in 1620, it is said that Dutch waffles made its way to the United States, with the Pilgrims.
In 1869, a Dutch-American gentleman named Cornelius Swarthout was granted a patent for the first waffle iron in the U.S. on August 24th, which happens to be National Waffle Day, in the U.S. and Canada.
“The Dorsa brothers–Frank, Tony and Sam–invented instant waffle mix in the mid-1930s and later developed a carousel-like contraption that could churn out thousands of waffles in an hour, ready to be frozen and shipped. Kellogg bought the company in 1970 and introduced its catchy “Leggo My Eggo” slogan two years later.”, according to Time.
That seems to be a wrap on the origins, the history, the evolution, and how these very popular staple breakfast items came to the United States.
Join me in a couple of weeks, when we discuss hot dogs (and sausages), like the un-‘American’ apple pie, from the second episode. But, first, let’s delve into what was once referred to as, the “bitter invention of Satan’s drink” and, “the devil’s drink.” What am I talking about? Join me next week, when we discuss the origins of coffee!
Until next week!
Xo,
Stacey
Check out the video below, if you want to watch and see the 1800’s waffle maker!
“Thank goodness for Cornelius Swartwout in the 1800’s for enhancing our waffle enjoyment with his patented design.” – The Malted Waffle Co.
SourceThe Long, Surprising History of Pancakes – National Geographic
The Prequel to Pancakes: A Recipe from Ancient Rome: Lethbridge News Now
Origin of Ordinary Things: Pancakes – The New Times
Breakfast Habits in Ancient Greece – Food Upon Time
A Brief History of Pancakes – Kate’s Kitchen
These Beautiful Mediaeval Wafer Presses Are Waffles Come From – Smithsonian Mag
A Brief History of Waffles – Time
The Sweet Story of the Belgium – VBT
The History of the Belgium Waffle – Huffpost
The Amazing History of Waffles – Chicago Waffles
The Un-Told Story of the Real ‘Aunt Jemima’ – ABC News
It's Life by Stacey Hobbs 
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