BELMONT, N.C. (NewsNation Now) — Every day is a “holiday” of some sort thanks to the American love of celebrating all things, especially when it has to do with food and drink. There are national pizza days, at least three burger days, taco days … you get the idea. But Tuesday, Aug. 24, is one of the greatest celebrations of all: National Waffle Day!
While something akin to a waffle can be traced all the way back to the Greeks, the first evidence of what we know as a waffle hit U.S. shores courtesy of Dutch immigrants in the 1620s, according to the Smithsonian. Since then, the toasted square or round platters of dough have taken on any number of forms, even using other quick foods to make them, such as the Tater Tot Waffle.
The most iconic place to obtain a waffle, at least in the southeast U.S., is Waffle House. The chain is so ubiquitous and reliably open 24 hours a day that one measure of how severe tropical weather systems are is how many Waffle Houses are closed along its path.
There are very few home freezers without a box of Eggo or other waffles tucked away somewhere, and whether you like yours with butter and syrup or, more exotically, made into a peanut-butter sandwich or used as a base for a waffle sundae … or topped with chicken fingers from the same freezer for a home version of chicken and waffles, you’ve enjoyed them.
Since it’s the holiday, though, how about making some of your own? You’ve probably got a waffle iron. It’s on the top shelf of the pantry back behind the mixer, or maybe out in the garage behind boxes of soccer gear. If you don’t, they can be had for $20 or less from most major retailers. The best are the Belgian waffle makers, designed to turn out round waffles ready for any purpose.
What? You don’t have a recipe? Thanks to Aretha Frankenstein’s, a funky restaurant in Chattanooga, Tennessee that’s been featured on Food Network many times, we have the Waffle of Insane Greatness, which is quite simply the best home recipe for waffles out there, and it’s very simple. One note: Be sure to use full-fat buttermilk! Failure to do so will result in a desperately disappointing end product.
So, make a quick trip to the grocery store for ingredients, then call the family together for a holiday celebration. Ice cream is optional but recommended.