Waffle

A waffle is a flat batter cake cooked between two hot plates that are called a waffle iron. It has a distinctive gridlike appearance, the result of raised partitions on the waffle iron.

In the United States, waffles are largely a breakfast food, popular enough that a franchised restaurant chain called Waffle House[?] has more than 1,000 restaurants in 24 states. In 2001, it claimed to have sold more than 442 million waffles in the previous 46 years.

A popular variant is the so-called Belgian Waffle[?], which is lighter and taller than standard waffles and is often served with ice cream, as a dessert. The Belgian Waffle was introduced into North American during the New York City World's Fair in 1964.

• See also: pancake