WAFFLE T-Shirt

A waffle is a dish made from leavened batter or dough that is cooked between two plates that are patterned to give a characteristic size, shape and surface impression. There are many variations based on the type of waffle iron and recipe used. Waffles are eaten throughout the world, particularly in Belgium, which has over a dozen regional varieties. Waffles may be made fresh or simply heated after having been commercially precooked and frozen. The word "waffle" first appears in the English language in 1725: "Waffles. Take flower, cream..." It is directly derived from the Dutch wafel, which itself derives from the Middle Dutch wafele. While the Middle Dutch wafele is first attested to at the end of the 13th century, it is preceded by the French walfre in 1185; both from Frankish *wafla 'honeycomb' or 'cake'. Alternate spellings throughout modern and mediaeval Europe include waffe, wafre, wafer, wafel, waufre, iauffe, gaufre, goffre, gauffre, wafe, waffel, wafe, wafe, vaffel, and vaffla.