Waffles are some of the oldest breakfast foods around with records of ancient Greeks making flat cakes between two metal plates. The word waffle actually comes from a Dutch word, "wafel," and this is probably the origin of the food as we know it.

Waffle irons are the necessary tool of the trade because they use high heat that cooks quickly and crisps the outside of the waffle while leaving the inside tender and light. Non-electric waffle irons were popular even in Thomas Jefferson's day and waffles used to be street food, too. Vendors sold them steaming hot and dripping with maple syrup or molasses. Modern irons made them even easier to create and Belgian waffles, which are a bit thicker than traditional ones and are made with yeast, are all the rage at Sunday brunches around the country. Frozen waffles were developed in 1953 by a man named Frank Dorsa who called his creations "Eggo."