Dessert for a prince: what you don't know about waffles

Waffles! Most people, of course, immediately think of sweet, crispy biscuit waffles that we usually take with coffee or tea. But in Europe and America, waffles are completely different. Soft, buttery, and biscuit-like. Moreover, they are different in different countries. In some countries, they are graceful, thin and crispy, in others they are large, dense, fluffy... But Belgian waffles are the most popular. I will tell you about them.

To begin with, a little "waffle" history. It is said that waffles were served in ancient Greece, but back then they were more like pancakes made of cottage cheese and herbs, cooked on hot stones.

According to another version, waffles appeared in Germany in the 13th century. And the word "waffle" itself comes from the German "wâfel" - translated as "honeycomb" or "cells". Although back then, they didn't look much like waffles. The first waffles were made from leftover dough diluted with water and glazed with syrup - no frills, fillings, etc.

Nevertheless, waffles were popular not only in Germany, but also in France, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. However, they were available only to the nobility at that time, and the recipe itself was kept in strict confidence - and yes, it was different in each country.

There are two types of Belgian waffles: Liège and Brussels. And the history of Belgian waffles begins in Liege.

In the 18th century, the Prince of Liege asked his pastry chef to bake him something interesting. The pastry chef experimented and added pieces of sugar directly to the dough, making the finished product dense, tasty, and interspersed with caramelized sugar. This is how the hard and crispy Liege waffles appeared.

Liege waffles are usually made in a round or oval shape and eaten both hot and cold.

Brussels waffles are airy and soft due to the high content of whipped proteins and yeast in the dough. They are served warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar, whipped cream, melted chocolate, or fruit. A classic duo is waffles with strawberries or bananas.

Brussels waffles are rectangular in shape. The recipes for the festive table also include savory appetizers filled with cheese, ham, and pate.

The world learned about Belgian waffles in 1958. That was when the World Exhibition was held in Brussels, where these waffles were presented.

Belgian waffles themselves are a thick wafer sheet (corrugation) made from an emulsion dough with a high content of proteins and yeast. Flavorful, buttery, soft - everyone likes them.

Non-Belgian waffles: what else are there?

In addition to the famous Belgian waffles, there are others.

Austrian (Viennese) waffles are soft inside and crispy on top, thin and large. You can put any filling between the waffle sheets and make a pie.

American waffles are also large in size, but unlike Viennese waffles, they are thick and dense. This is because they are cooked with baking powder.

English waffles - they are made from potato flakes, vegetables and oil. Before serving, the waffles are fried to a beautiful crisp.

Dutch waffles or stropwaffles are made with brown sugar. They look like mugs filled with caramel syrup, which glues the sheets together and forms a viscous nougat between them.

Czech wafers or kerchiefs or Karlovy Vary w afers are 2 circles of thin wafer dough, the surface of which is covered with patterns and therefore resembles coins. Perhaps that's why wafers are called oblatio: Latin for "offering, offering, gift"). Oblatio wafers can be found only in the Czech Republic.

Norwegian waffles, or krumkake - these waffles contain only 5 ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and cream.