In August 1869, New York native Cornelius Swartwout (a real person, not a Roald Dahl character) was awarded the first US patent for the waffle iron, an invention that would revolutionise American breakfasts for decades to come. He also should have been awarded a prize for his excellent moustache, but perhaps nobody mentioned it at the time.
History suggests that waffles probably originated in
Europe in the 1300s but were more flat-pancake style. Swartwout patented his hinged, cast-iron
waffle maker to sit on top of gas or wood stoves and bake the waffle mixture,
with a handle attached so you could rotate the waffle iron and cook the ridged batter one side at
a time.
The Swartwout waffle iron introduced the cross-hatched waffle pattern on the griddle which, as we all know, is essential to catching the obscene amounts of maple syrup, powdered sugar, fruit, and sometimes even gravy that every sensible human being likes to pile on top of their waffles.
And Swartwout enjoyed considerable success from his patented
waffle iron, which proved a popular cooking tool in American households until electric
waffle irons hit the market in 1911.
Such is the American love affair with waffles that the sweet and savoury
treat is celebrated every August 24 with National
Waffle Day. Granted this is a 'just
because' sort of commemoration but it stands in contrast with International Waffle Day that first
started in Sweden and is held on 25 March every year. The international celebration takes place
exactly nine months before Christmas Day and commemorates the Archangel
Gabriel's visit to the Virgin Mary. It
is also the day that Swedish women traditionally set aside their winter tasks
to begin their spring tasks, the most notable of which was making waffles.
