1. Many people start each day by eating a crisp, delicate waffle dripping in melted butter and warm maple syrup. If you are one of these people, you can thank Cornelius Swarthout for this delicious breakfast food. Swarthout invented the first stovetop waffle iron. This Troy, New York, resident received a patent for his invention on August 24, 1869. Swarthout described his invention as a device to bake waffles.
2. Waffles existed long before Swarthout's invention. Ancient Greeks cooked an early version of waffles. The flat cakes were cooked by pouring batter between two hot metal plates. The flat cakes were then eaten with herbs and cheese.
3. By the 1200s, waffles were a part of European diets. A grid pattern was added to the metal plates, which made the cakes look much more like the waffles we eat today. The pilgrims brought their waffle plates with them when they came to America in the 1600s. Thomas Jefferson is rumored to have been a big waffle fan who held "waffle frolics." He would serve sweet and savory waffles at these parties.
4. Swarthout's invention made waffle-making easier and safer. Cooking with the old-style heated metal plates often resulted in burned fingers and hands. The waffle iron allowed cooks to flip their waffles without touching the heated plates. Cooks removed a plate from the top of their coal-burning stove. The waffle iron fit into the opening. The cook poured batter onto one side of the iron and closed the lid. After a few minutes, the cook used the long handle to turn the iron over to cook the other side. A clasp on the iron kept the waffle from falling out as it was turned.
5. The waffle iron made it easier for people to enjoy waffles at home. As a result, the dish became more popular. Today in the United States, people enjoy waffles with butter and syrup, fruits and whipped cream, and other sweet combinations. Savory waffle combinations, such as chicken and waffles, are also popular. Around the world, people enjoy different waffle varieties. For example, the Dutch eat stroopwafel, syrup sandwiched between two thin waffles. In Scandinavia, people enjoy heart-shaped waffles with cheese or cream and jam. Hong Kong is home to waffles spread with butter, peanut butter, and sugar. No matter how you want to enjoy your waffles, take a moment to appreciate the man who made them possible-Cornelius Swarthout.
