The history of the Belgian waffle is incomplete without mentioning the ancient origins of the waffle itself. In ancient Greece, chefs baked flat cakes called obelios. These flat cakes received religious decoration in the Middle Ages, when chefs used honey and cinnamon to represent biblical scenes or family emblems on these proto-waffles.
In the 18th century, waffles took on a milder quality, with more butter and sugar incorporated into their recipes. It was then that one of the two main types of Belgian waffles was created: the Liège waffle. Liège is a city in eastern Belgium.

Legend tells that the Liege waffle was invented by the chef of one of the prince-bishops of Liege. The prince asked for a new pastry, so the chef tried a kind of brioche baked in a gaufrier (what they called the waffle iron) and came up with the idea of adding vanilla to the batter. The vanilla scent released during cooking charmed the Prince and this waffle recipe entered the culinary traditions of the Liege region, then quickly penetrated the whole kingdom of Belgium. This waffle has since remained the most popular in Belgium and in the world.

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